Confirm if your sterling items have inlaid or bezel set stones (usually a style of setting often used in Native American Indian Jewelry). Also, check for a metal marking stamp that will confirm that it indeed is "Sterling" and not some other plated base metal that is silver plated. Your jewelry items made of sterling silver can also be cleaned in the same commercial silver cleaners that you use for your flat ware and other fine silver objects, except for one major difference: absolutely no gemstones of lapis, malachite, turquoise, and coral can be placed in these types of solutions because of their porous nature. The luster, texture and/or color can be greatly affected by these chemicals. If your jewelry has such stones then instead of soaking them, merely use a cloth with the solution on it to clean the silver surfaces, avoiding the stones completely. Be extremely careful because the oxides coming off the silver via the cloth, can also easily stain the stones. Your silver pieces with stones can be placed in warm water and then polished dry with a soft cotton cloth. Avoid staining stones by wiping them separately from the silver surfaces. Buffing both briskly can return your items to the original luster.