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8 Things You Can Do to Prevent Silver Jewellery From Tarnishing
Thu Mar 07 2024
When it comes to choosing jewellery, silver has always been the top pick. The beauty and lustrousness of silver gives the wearer a unique allure and adds to their elegance.
If you are someone who loves silver ornaments, the constant tarnishing and dullness of the jewellery is something you regularly face. Do you know what causes silver to tarnish? How can you prevent silver from tarnishing? Let us discuss them all in this blog.
What Is the Difference Between Pure Silver and 925 Sterling Silver?
Pure silver, as the name suggests, is made up of 99.9% silver, not with any other metals. It is very soft, malleable and twinkles. Pure silver is mixed with other metals to make them more Sterling.
925 Sterling Silver is an alloy made up of 92.5% pure silver and 7.5% other metals. Since silver is a very soft metal, metals like copper are often added to make it harder and increase its durability, especially when making jewellery. Unlike pure silver, sterling silver is malleable and is ideal for crafting jewellery.
Why Does Silver Turn Black?
It is important to understand what causes silver to turn black to prevent further tarnishing of your jewellery. Certain chemical reactions cause silver to oxidise or tarnish, turning it black over time. Let us explore some reasons why silver gets tarnished.
- Cosmetic Products are one of the major reasons that cause your silver to get tarnished. The chemicals present in these products react with silver, making them appear black. When silver comes into contact with beauty products like perfumes, shampoos or lotions, it gets tarnished.
- Exposure to moisture is another reason why your silver can turn black. As sterling silver contains copper in it, the moisture present in the air reacts with it, turning it black.
- Reaction with Sulphur is another contributing factor to tarnished silver. Certain environments with high pollution or industrial activities contain sulphur content in the atmosphere. When silver is exposed to such conditions, it reacts with sulphur and tarnishes.
How to Prevent Silver Jewellery From Tarnishing?
It is natural for silver to tarnish, but with proper care, you can prevent this and keep the lustre of your jewellery. Here are some tips that help prevent silver from tarnishing.
1. Avoid contact with moisture:
As you have seen, moisture plays a major role in tarnishing silver, so it is important to keep your silver jewellery away from moisture. Be mindful of where and how you store silver. Always remember to store all silver jewellery in dry containers. Storing silver in zip-lock bags is a great choice to keep silver safe from tarnishing. Another option is to keep them in jewellery boxes or other air-tight containers, free from moisture and chemicals like Sulphur.
2. Adding chalk to the container:
This is a lifesaving hack to prevent moisture from tarnishing silver. Adding a few pieces of chalk to the container where you store silver helps absorb moisture, reducing the chances for them to get oxidised.
3. Using anti-tarnishing strips:
Using anti-tarnishing strips is an effective way to prevent silver from tarnishing due to moisture. Just like chalk, anti-tarnishing strips absorb moisture, making your jewellery less prone to getting tarnished.
4. Use them often:
The best and easiest way to prevent the tarnishing of silver is to use it regularly. The natural oils in your body keep silver from reacting with sulphur in the air and thus prevent tarnishing. Therefore, it is better to wear them often than keep them away without using them.
5. Clean them before it is too late:
Never wait for your jewellery to become completely tarnished; instead, clean it as soon as you notice the first signs of tarnish. Years of sulphur accumulation on silver make it very difficult to get rid of; therefore, it is advisable to clean them often.
6. Avoid contact with rubber:
Rubber contains sulphur, which is one of the most common agents that cause tarnishing. Therefore, never use rubber bands to secure your silver jewellery.
7. Avoid keeping them together with other jewellery:
Storing your silver jewellery with other materials can be a reason for tarnishing. Metals react with one another; therefore, it is always better to separate your jewellery, not allowing them to come into contact with each other.
8. Keep them away from sunlight:
Sunlight is said to have been one reason that fastens the tarnishing of silver. Ultraviolet rays can accelerate tarnishing and take away the natural lustre of your jewellery. Therefore, it is better not to expose silver directly to the sun.
Witnessing your favourite accessories lose their lustre over time can be a challenging experience. Taking care of your jewellery properly is a great way to make it last longer without losing its natural brightness and beauty. Silver jewellery is more likely to tarnish, but giving it special attention and proper care prevents it from fading and maintains its shine.
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Frequently Asked Questions
- Can you fix the silver that turned black?
Yes. It is possible to fix tarnished silver. There are several ways to clean the tarnish and bring it back to its original form.
- How do you remove the tarnish from silver?
Several methods exist to remove tarnish from silver. One method is to clean the silver with baking soda. Mix water and baking soda to make a paste and rub it over the tarnished areas. Rinse it off in water and dry it off with a towel. Another method is to rub the tarnished silver with a mixture of lemon and olive oil.
- What keeps silver shiny?
Taking care of silver properly reduces the chances of it getting tarnished. Simple steps to prevent silver tarnishing include storing it away from sunlight, in airtight containers free of moisture, avoiding sulphur-rich products, using anti-tarnishing strips, etc.
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