Does your Sterling Silver tarnish?
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.
First of all what causes the discolouration?
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 particularly, is called tarnishing. The black substance formed is silver sulphide.
This is a common issue with Silver, even British hallmarked 925 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 Silver in order to make the resulting metal more durable and less soft. Usually, Sterling Silver has a purity of 92.5%, which is what the 925 stamp indicates (925 parts per 1000) meaning that 7.5% of the alloy is made of copper and other metals (eg. zinc).
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. This reaction on Silver results in tarnishing and taking on a blackened appearance.
So, what are the common causes and how to avoid tarnishing?
1. Moisture and Humidity.
Summer months usually result in an increased moisture level on our skin (dare we say, perspiring, although we all know ladies glow!). Hot nights, and long sunny days, more showering, etc all increase moisture exposure, which can lead to tarnishing.
Solution: avoid wearing jewellery while sleeping, and showering/bathing.
Remove jewellery from bathrooms especially while showering, which can create a humid atmosphere (we all know what us ladies are like for popping trinkets on the side!).
2. Cosmetics and Sunscreen
Many beauty cosmetics, especially sunscreens, contain zinc oxide and other small chemical particles, this exposure to Sterling Silver results in tarnishing.
Solution: apply sunscreen before donning jewellery making sure it is well absorbed before doing so. This can reduce, but not stop, the tarnishing process.
Apply jewellery after makeup, we’ve all heard of the saying ‘last on first off’ with regard to wearing pearls as they are so delicate, by adopting this practice with silver and wiping with a dry soft cloth after wearing, it can again reduce tarnishing.
3. Swimming baths
Chlorinated swimming pools are a huge NO NO. Chlorine reacts with the Copper within the Silver and results in tarnishing and, even worse, can cause pitting. Again we stress this is not a fault with the Sterling Silver, it is a natural reaction when the Copper within Sterling Silver meets Chlorine.
Solution: remove all jewellery prior to swimming especially in chlorinated water.
4. Perfumes and sprays
Perfumes and sprays contain chemicals, again these can react with your Sterling Silver and cause tarnishing.
Solution: spray perfume onto your skin and allow it to dry fully before wearing your jewellery.
5. Diet
Not obvious, but your diet can actually affect your silver.
A diet which contains a higher amount of sulphur rich foods, such as eggs, garlic seafood, etc. can produce sweat (or perspiration for ladies) to have a higher concentration of sulphur compounds, which will cause a reaction with the copper within Sterling Silver and accelerate tarnishing.
Solution: Avoid high sulphur foods, there are lots of low sulphur foods available.
Never keep your Sterling Silver jewellery next to a boiled egg, it will oxidise/tarnish it!!!
* Please keep your diets healthy and varied *
So you can see how hot, humid, sunny days, spent swimming, applying sunscreen, increased showering, spray deodrant and perfume, eating a diet which is Sulphur rich, and make up can all contribute to tarnished Sterling Silver.
Solution: Avoid the above where possible, although no one is expecting you to put your life on hold for the sake of keeping your jewellery tarnish free.
Wipe your jewellery after wearing it and before storing it.
A small amount of tarnish can be easily removed using a Silver polishing cloth.
Store Sterling Silver in an airtight box where possible to limit exposure to humidity.
I hope this helps and you all have an amazing summer!
Written by Toni Hardwick – Grounded Soul Jewellery
When you order a piece of cremation jewelry from us, it is our intention that your piece will serve as a beautiful remembrance of your loved one that will last a lifetime. The preciousness of a piece that holds the ashes of a loved one cannot be overstated, so we understand how deeply upsetting it can be to discover that your cremation jewelry has suddenly begun to darken and discolor. You may rest assured, however, that what you are seeing is a very natural and innocuous reaction that can not only be explained, but also removed and prevented. We hope the following article will be enlightening and informative, but if you have any questions or concerns that are not covered here, please do not hesitate to contact us.
If your jewelry is experiencing the symptoms mentioned above, our guess is that your piece is made from Sterling Silver. We say this because Sterling Silver naturally darkens and discolors over time due to a process called tarnishing. Tarnishing is when the metals that compose Sterling Silver react with substances that contain sulfur. Sterling Silver is formed by alloying, or combining, pure silver with other metals; these “other metals” are typically predominantly or entirely copper and make up 7.5% of the final product. The tarnish on Sterling Silver consists of silver sulfide, a compound produced by pure silver reacting with sulfur, and copper sulfide, a compound produced by copper reacting with sulfur. The copper content in Sterling Silver is what makes it tarnish much faster and more readily than pure silver. 14K Gold does have the ability to tarnish; this happens not because of the pure gold content, which is not susceptible to tarnishing, but rather the additional metals alloyed with the pure gold. (To read more about the metal makeup of 14K Gold, see our post on Choosing the Right Metal for Your Memorial Jewelry.) That being said, the tarnishing of 14K Gold versus that of Sterling Silver are drastically different; 14K Gold tarnishes much more slowly and rarely, and the effect is much subtler and often goes unnoticed. If needed, though, tarnish can be removed from 14K Gold using the same methods listed below.
REMOVING TARNISH
A distinguishing feature of tarnish is that it is self-limiting. By this we mean the tarnish will only affect the very outer layers of the metal. So even though tarnishing is considered a form of corrosion, the tarnish actually serves as a protective barrier for the rest of the metal and is able to be cleaned or polished off to restore your piece’s original shine. We provide a small polishing pad with all completed orders that is effective at removing tarnish; you can source your own polishing pad very easily as well as they are sold ubiquitously online and are inexpensive. Whether you are using the polishing pad we provided or one of your own, be sure to avoid rubbing the setting of your piece (the portion containing your loved one’s ashes), as this can cause the setting to lose its shine and take on a warped appearance. If this happens, there is no way for you to reverse or fix it yourself at home, and you would need to send your piece back to us for restoration. Alternatively, you can remove tarnish with a solution of warm water and a small amount of mild soap, which is any soap that is safe for repeated contact with skin and is free from harsh chemicals or detergents (e.g., phosphates, ammonia, bleach); an example of this would be liquid dishwashing soap, but always remember to check the ingredients and use your best judgment. You would use a soft cloth to clean your jewelry with this solution and then thoroughly rinse it dry. The added benefit of this method is that it will not harm the setting of your piece!
PREVENTING TARNISH
Your Sterling Silver jewelry may be more prone to tarnishing if you live in an area of high humidity or in an urban or industrial area, as these have an increased amount of sulfur in the air. Because of this, we recommend being mindful of where you wear your jewelry and avoiding exposing it to these elements for an extended period of time, or at least making sure to routinely clean it with a mild soap and warm water and/or go over it with a polishing pad as well as ensure it is stored in a dry, airtight container (avoid storing it in or near paper products, such as tissue paper, newspaper, or in a cardboard box, as these release sulfur). Additionally, sulfur or sulfur compounds are present in many soaps and cleansers, moisturizers, shampoos, and perfumes, so your Sterling Silver jewelry may require more maintenance if you often wear it during or after using such products. (Please note that contact with these products can have an adverse effect on the setting of your piece as well. Please see our post on Care and Cleaning for Resin Jewelry for more information.) It has even been proven that sulfur-rich foods, such as eggs or onions, can affect your Sterling Silver jewelry, either by direct contact with the food or the sulfur later being excreted through perspiration, so it may be best to remove your jewelry before preparing meals with sulfur-rich ingredients (a good list of what these are can be found here).
SUMMARY