I just had to share this silver polishing anecdote, even if it does expose me as a bit of a buffoon.

A year ago a good friend of mine showed up at my doorstep practically in tears. It seems the Celtic knot ring her boyfriend had given her had turned  black! "No worries," I said, looking for my polishing cloth. So I rubbed. And I rubbed. Nothing. The black part just got shiny black. Great!

I said to her, sadly, "I’m afraid this may not be sterling silver after all." She was crestfallen. She replaced the ring on her finger and departed. The ring was a very special one to her. Her beloved was serving in Iraq, and it was an important physical connection to him.

Well, just a few days ago she called me. "Robert, you won’t believe this! But that ring of mine is sterling silver after all. I just decided to try out your suggestion with the baking soda, and lo and behold, it took off all the tarnish!"

It pays to pay attention to your own advice!

After I wrote my last tip, I realized I forgot one of the most important rules of all! To keep your silver jewelry relatively tarnish free, keep it in a small ziplock plastic jewelry bag when not wearing it. I have some pieces that I seldom wear, and as long as they aren’t exposed to the air, they remain almost completely tarnish free.

Of course when it’s time to put it on, you might want to give it a little polish, but it will be very easy to do since the tarnish you will have to remove will be so minimal.

Silver tarnishes because of sulfur in the air. And I have heard tell that because of all the pollution in our modern civilization, there is a lot more sulfur to be exposed to. Stands to reason. So keep those pretties protected from tarnish with this simple little hint!

Silver polish can be created from baking soda and water. Did you know this? I learned to polish our good silver when I was a child from mixing a thick paste of baking soda and water, then smearing it into the silver, rinsing then polishing with a soft cloth. Voila! Instant sparkle.

And yes, you can use it to clean your silver jewelry as well. Once in a while I invest in a polishing cloth, but for the most part I use this tried and true old-fashioned method, and it works just fine. And you know what? It is biodegradable, and leaves no harmful byproducts in the environment.

I thought you might enjoy this little tip from "Uncle Robert!"

There seems to be a rush to sell gold jewelry. I can barely take a drive without seeing people standing on the roadside with signs pointing to a joint promising "Top Dollar" for your old gold jewelry. Well, if you are truly in a pinch I suppose selling your heirloom or otherwise jewelry might make sense. But there is always that possibility that the worth of gold my skyrocket. In that case, you may kick yourself for selling it now.

To protect your derriere as well as your pride, I suggest finding another way to pay the bills.

Your grandchildren will thank you for holding onto their heirlooms, and being man (or woman) enough to earn a living without selling off the family assets. I believe YOU should be the one to win if the price of gold goes through the roof someday, as many are predicting. And enjoy your gold earrings, pendants and brooches. They were made to be worn!

Diamonds are often at the center of mysteries. Take this Agatha Christie novel I’m reading now, called By the Pricking of my Thumbs . Fantastic. Of course, the fact that gemstones play a roll in this page turner had nothing to do with my reading it originally. I just happen to be a big fan of her writing. But towards the end, when some raw diamonds show up in an unlikely place, I had to finish the novel in one sitting.

It got me thinking. How many novels, short stories and other writings center around gemstones? I don’t really have time to sit around and Google this just to satisfy my curiosity, but it is something to ponder. And one of these days maybe I will do just that.

A way to collect emeralds, diamonds and rubies on the cheap!