Why do silver turn black

Summer months can be a nightmare for lovers of Silver, when, for no obvious reason, your Silver jewellery doesn't look as lustrous as it should. Here we explore some reasons why this happens. Silver turns black when kept in the air because it reacts with sulphur compounds such as hydrogen sulphide H2S present in air. The phenomenon is called corrosion and, for silver in particular, is called tarnishing. The black substance formed is silver sulphide.

This is a common issue with Silver, even British hallmarked solid Silver can tarnish, it's not a fault, it's a natural occurrence.

It is common and certainly not a sign there is a quality issue with your Sterling Silver and can infact be used to provide a decorative contrast against polished Silver to highlight detail, but, how can we prevent it from happening? Sterling Silver is an alloy and is created when copper is added to pure Sil ver in order to make the resulting metal more durable and less soft.

Usually, Sterling Silver has a purity of Copper oxidises when exposed to the atmosphere especially when there is high humidity moisture. The Copper metal reacts with Oxygen, resulting in the formation of an outer layer of Copper Oxide.

The main reason is that while attempting to polish your jewelry at home, you may unintentionally cause permanent damage and say goodbye to what you love to wear very much.

Similar to whitening teeth, substances such as baking soda, lemon and vinegar play the leading roles in polishing sterling silver jewelry. Another example can be toothpaste. You can add certain amounts of these products to water and use the mixture to polish your sterling silver jewelry through soft brushing or gentle rubbing.

In addition, other strong chemicals such as ammonia can be effective but at the same time dangerous. However, it should be remembered that certain sterling jewelry may possess unique characteristics and be more sensitive to chemical formulae than anticipated. Therefore, it will be more beneficial to get professional help since the process of polishing silver jewelry, which will yield much better results when in professional hands. You will be on the list for all Minimalist Designs updates including early access to our promotions.

Close menu. The more your silver comes in touch with water or its forms, it will be prone to causing the black discoloration. So, remember to take it off before swimming, taking a shower, or going into your steam bath or sauna.

According to specialists, people with high acidic levels are more prone to these metal reactions with silver. They even suggest that eating a diet high in tomatoes, taking certain medications, or even getting excited could all trigger some rise in acidity which could increase your chances of a skin reaction. Maybe you bought a piece of silver jewelry and now it turns out it is reacting to your skin and causing it to get discolored.

Here are a few tips that maybe could help you get a handle on the situation temporarily and hopefully permanently. As with every life hack, washing off tarnish from your silver jewelry could seem like an impossible task best left to the experts. Before you give up yet, maybe try one or two of these suggestions and see if you will be as lucky in restoring the shine of your silver metal.

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