Cleaning tarnished silver necklace

[Ashdown]

23:14 on Mon 18/Sep/06 I have a silver necklace which cost me �50 (apparently it's 'Italian silver') and is about a year old. It has become tarnished to black over most of its surface.

Have I been conned? Is there an effective way of cleaning it or would a jeweller do it for me? I don't want to wear it until it is back to its former shine. And I don't want to spend hours steeped in vinegar, scrubbing and muttering old wives' incantations!

Thank you,
Ashdown.