jewelry fix with a scouring pad

last year the husband purchased a couple pairs of earrings for me that i wear all the time.  unfortunately, as silver often does, i noticed that they were starting to tarnish. without thinking about it, i grabbed a silver polishing cloth... and discovered that it removes brushed finishes. was i supposed to know not to do that?  did you know?

oops. 

i guess i shouldn't have done that. 
i mentioned this at craft boston when i was speaking with bree richey designs, and they shared some most useful information on how to fix my mistake, without sending it to a jeweler or buying fancy supplies. 

scotch-brite.

so the last time i went to the grocery store,  i picked some up - technically a brand called pure power. 

i cut off a sliver and went to work. brush, brush, brush.

i tried taking before and after pictures, but wasn't able to capture the difference.  however, i can definitely tell the difference in person.  they aren't quite as beautiful as they were in their original state, but they are much improved.