Sterling silver jewelry's tendency to tarnish makes it unappealing to some individuals; this leads many to opt for the more expensive white gold or platinum instead of silver. But once you understand what causes tarnish, it becomes fairly easy to virtually stop this natural process. It's possible to prevent silver jewelry from tarnishing with proper care and handling.
What Causes Silver Tarnishing?
According to longtime jeweler Richard Hague, sterling silver tarnishes when exposed to hydrogen sulfide. Hydrogen sulfide is present in the ambient air (especially humid air), foods like eggs and onions, and it's present in everyday materials like rubber, latex, wool and felt.
Hydrogen sulfide is also present on the human body; it's found in sweat and body oils, so everyday handling can cause silver to tarnish. Hague explained, "If you look closely at tarnished silver, you'll see that your fingerprints tarnish first. This is most obvious on decorative items with a smooth, shiny surface that's rarely handled. You'll see distinct finger prints and even hand prints develop as the silver tarnishes."
Freshly polished, untarnished silver has a very distinct silver-white tone. As the silver jewelry tarnishes, the sheen begins to fade. Gradually, the silver will take on a yellow tone and as tarnishing progresses, it will darken, turning from silver to a grey tone. Heavily tarnished sterling silver may appear black.
The friction that's associated with everyday wear of sterling silver jewelry essentially "polishes" away much of the tarnish, so items that are worn on a daily basis don't tend to take on a dark grey or black tone. But tarnish will accumulate in crevices and the overall sheen and tone will be affected. In the right conditions, silver that's stored improperly can blacken with tarnish in a matter of weeks.
How to Prevent Tarnish on Silver Jewelry
In order to prevent silver from tarnishing, it's important to limit exposure to the air, moisture, body oils. Therefore, it's best to store silver jewelry in air-tight plastic bags immediately after removing tarnish, buffing with a polishing cloth.
Before storing, it's important to remove salts, oils and residue from lotions, perfumes, etc. that result from wear and contact with the body; these substances can promote tarnishing. Simply wash the jewelry using a soft toothbrush and dish detergent, then dry and polish (while avoiding direct contact with the skin.)
Plastic zip-lock bags are ideal for storing silver jewelry and silverware. Follow these steps:
- Place the silver items inside a plastic zip-lock bag;
- Insert a straw into the corner of the bag and seal the bag's zipper closure right up the straw;
- Gently squeeze the bag to remove the excess air;
- Remove the remaining air from the bag by sucking on the straw;
- While maintaining suction, slide the straw out of the bag and simultaneously follow it with your index which should be used to apply pressure to the bag. At the moment the straw leaves the bag, your finger should be in position to apply pressure to the zipper closure, thereby sealing the bag.
Hague also pointed out that the plastic bags are handy in that they prevent the separation of matching jewelry items and earrings, while also preventing tangling in the case of bracelets and necklaces.
Additional Sterling Silver Jewelry Care Tips
Cases and jewelry boxes will slow the rate at which silver tarnishes, as the jewelry items are largely protected from air flow and other sources of hydrogen sulfide, but these measures tend to be less effective since the silver is still in contact with the air.
According to Hague, when storing silver flatware and jewelry, it's important to avoid rubber bands or contact with other rubber items. Rubber damages silver, and prolonged contact will lead to corrosion that can destroy silver-plating; it will cause serious damage to solid silver jewelry, flatware, etc. – damage that will require repair by a silversmith or jeweler.
Storing silver jewelry in an air-tight bag will prevent tarnishing, but when a bit of cleaning is required, all it takes is a few household items to restore sheen. To learn more about how to clean silver jewelry at home, read "Home Remedies to Remove Tarnish from Silver Jewelry."
Sources:
- Sit-Down Interview With Richard Hague, of Midas Jewelers (Ret.) May 2010, Naples, Fla.
Mia Carter - Mia Carter - Journalist, Producer/Editor & Web Writer. Carter's work has appeared on CBS and CNN.com.
Join the Conversation