Why Is My Sterling Silver Jewellery Turning Black?
It's not you, it's me!
Silver jewellery always looks fabulous while it is in the presentation box. However, for some people, once those earrings, the necklace or bracelet have been on for a while they start losing their shine ... literally! Many people have a problem with sterling silver jewellery turning black when they wear it. Today we explain what causes this, and what you can do to rectify it.
Why Does Sterling Silver Jewellery Sometimes Turn Black?
All silver items turn black when they aren't in constant use, as the silver reacts with the air to form black silver sulphide. For most people, though, the constant gentle rubbing of your skin against a sterling silver jewellery piece is enough to remove this naturally developing tarnish - just like silver cutlery that is frequently used never develops tarnish.
For some people and in some situations, though, wearing silver jewellery does nothing to stop tarnish developing! Here are some things that cause the tarnish on silver jewellery to develop more quickly than it can be removed by the gentle rubbing:
• Slightly more acidic skin than usual
• Wearing woollen clothing
• Oiler than usual skin
• Perfumes
• Hair spray
• Chlorinated water
• Ammonia
• Living in a humid environment
You may be able to self-eliminate some of these causes, like perfumes, hair spray, woollen clothing, etc. However, even if you suffer from an endemic reaction to silver jewellery because of oily or acidic skin, or because you live in a humid climate, there are steps you can take to protect your silver jewellery.
Storing Silver Jewellery
If your silver jewellery turns black only while it is in storage, try the following ideas:
• Storing your jewellery in airtight containers
• Putting a piece of chalk in with your silver jewellery
• Putting a silica gel pack and your silver jewellery together in a zip lock bag
• Cleaning your silver jewellery every couple of months - see below.
Cleaning the Tarnish From Silver Jewellery
If it takes some time for the tarnish to develop on your silver jewellery, a fairly regular cleaning might be all that is needed. Try any of the methods below:
• Polishing with toothpaste or a commercial silver polish - rinse the product off after use and dry with a soft cloth
• Line a saucepan with foil, put a couple of tablespoons of baking soda in the pan and bring to the boil. Turn off the heat and add your silver jewellery, leaving it in there until the foil turns black and the jewellery is clean.
• Buy a commercial sonic jewellery cleaner, or take your silver jewellery to a jeweller to have them sonically clean it
Preventing Sterling Silver Jewellery Blackening for 'Natural Tarnishers'
Some of us (myself included!) are natural born tarnishers - we can't wear uncoated silver jewellery without having it blacken in a matter of days. The solution is to have your silver jewellery rhodium plated by a specialist jeweller. This thin metal coating prevents your skin and the air contacting the silver, while preserving its colour. You should only clean rhodium plated silver jewellery with hot water, however.