Why does silver tarnish?
Silver jewelry remains in demand, regardless of the season and fashion trends. They are suitable both for everyday life and for formal occasions, and at the same time, their price is very affordable. Silver has only one drawback – it changes color over time. It starts to turn yellow or darken. The problem is not fatal. It can be avoided and also easily solved - at home or in a jeweler's studio.
Why does silver tarnish?
People have different explanations for this phenomenon. The superstitious explain dark spots on silver jewelry with spells and the evil eye, and some rely on medicine, attributing the defect to illness. Most sober-minded people know that it is a chemical reaction that occurs when silver comes into contact with the skin.
Which explanation will you accept as true, everyone chooses for himself. We decided to take a closer look at why silver tarnishes on the human body and pay attention to the popular reasons for the appearance of patina on silver objects. We clarify that the stickers appear not only on jewelry but also on cutlery and interior accessories. That is, the reason for the darkening is not only the interaction between the metal and the person.
How the body affects silver alloy: main causes of tarnishing
There are several very real reasons why silver can become covered with a black deposit when it comes into contact with the body. This can be due to both external and internal factors. The unpleasant grayish-black tint on silver jewelry is mainly due to the high humidity of the environment.
Therefore, it is not recommended to wear silver in saunas or swimming pools. Air can also cause silver earrings, rings, or chains to tarnish. This is especially true for metropolitan areas. In big cities, the air is more polluted due to exhaust gases and industrial emissions. All this has led to metal corrosion and patina formation over the years. These are generally the external factors that negatively affect the color of the white precious metal.
However, there are also internal factors to which we should pay attention. The internal factors for silver tarnishing are related to a person's health and lifestyle. For example, when playing sports, not only men but also women release a large amount of sweat, which in contact with the metal leads to the formation of a dark plaque.
Certain health problems can also contribute to the appearance of a dark coating on the precious metal. You should pay attention to your health if the silver chain darkens very quickly. This is because in some diseases, sweating increases, and the composition of the sweat changes, from which the metal, when in contact with the skin, oxidizes faster and, accordingly, an unpleasant yellowish-gray coating is obtained.
Reasons why the silver chain turns black
The silver chain is a popular accessory that is in constant contact with the skin when worn. Therefore, silver chains get blackened much faster than other types of jewelry. The quality of the jewelry is perhaps one of the most important factors in this problem.
Jewelry is never made of pure precious metal, only alloys. It is physically impossible to make them from pure silver, due to the high plasticity of the metal. Different metals, most often copper, are added to silver to give it shape and hardness. If there is too much copper in the composition of the alloy, then the product will blacken very quickly and it will hardly be possible to return its original shine.
That is why it is important to pay attention to the sample of the jewelry and choose only the best samples for chains, earrings, or rings - 925 or 960. Classic sterling alloy jewelry sample 925 is the most common. They do not darken so quickly, and if it does, the patina can be easily removed even with home remedies.
Changes in health status: what to pay attention to?
Due to the fact that silver jewelry is in direct contact with human skin, we cannot ignore the fact that our body affects the condition of the metal in some way. Sometimes the reason for the blackening of quality silver is certain diseases, for example:
- Hormonal disorders. Hormonal imbalance primarily affects the intensity of sweating, so if your jewelry darkens, pay attention to your endocrine system. We must also emphasize that the hormonal background in women changes during pregnancy, so the change in the color of silver jewelry can be an indication in this direction;
- Disturbances in the functioning of the kidneys, liver, gall bladder. If there are any deviations in the work of these organs, it affects the whole organism. The pH of the lymph and blood, which have their external expression – the skin, changes.
Health is our greatest wealth, so any change in the condition and color of your silver jewelry should prompt you to visit your doctor. Before that, of course, the impact of the environment and the quality of the products - especially the purity of the silver alloy - should be excluded.
A matter of personal attitude
There is an irrevocable regularity: your attitude materializes on the silver jewelry. Improper handling and storage - all this can act as a catalyst for oxidation processes. If you are going to swim in the sea, pool, or river, it is better to leave the accessories at home or at least take them off immediately before entering the water.
High temperatures, humid environments, and even impurities of chlorine and other products in pools will negatively affect the metallic luster of silver. Air pollution also affects how quickly silver will tarnish. The dirtier the environment, the faster the oxidation process and vice versa.
Unfortunately, these are natural processes that we cannot prevent in any way. But if we take proper care of silver, clean it on time, and store it properly, we could keep its shiny appearance for many years.