Sterling silver easily loses its luster in many situations; but in the case of pure silver, it will remain non-responsive to tarnish on its surface. This is because tarnish is more responsive in alloy metals. To test the tarnish tendency of a metal or alloy, you simply have to rub your finger tightly over a shiny piece of your sample material. In sterling silvers, you usually find some dull smudges on your skin. Nevertheless, you can keep your sterling silver items shiny by using a cloth or cotton to regularly and gently clean its surface. Moreover, if you do not use your sterling silver items for a prolonged period of time, you may notice that tarnish starts to appear.