Does Sterling Silver Tarnish
Yes, sterling silver does tarnish and is expected to show visible signs of tarnishing in 3 to 4 months of regular usage. If you don’t wear your sterling silver regularly, then this time can be longer. On tarnishing, sterling silver’s white bright lustrous look will turn black. This black color is actually a thick layer over silver’s shiny surface. And it can be removed by using tarnishing removing chemicals.
Why Sterling Silver Tarnishes?
Sterling silver is made by a combination of silver metal and copper. It contains 92.5 percent silver and 7.5 percent copper by weight. As it has a significant amount of copper, it can tarnish. Because copper is the main cause of tarnishing. Copper content from sterling silver reacts with atmospheric chemicals and forms a thick layer of unwanted materials over its surface. This layer is called tarnishing.
What Happens when Sterling Silver Tarnishes?
On tarnishing, sterling silver starts to turn black. This is due to formation of a duller layer over its shiny surface. When it starts to tarnish, you will start to see spots over its shiny surface. This is an indicator that your metal has started to tarnish. Now, it becomes necessary to clean your jewelry to restore its shine.
How Long Will It Take Sterling Silver to Tarnish?
Sterling silver does not take much time to tarnish. If you are one who wears or intends to wear sterling silver on daily basis, then it will take around 3 to 4 months to tarnish. This time can be longer if you don’t wear it regularly. But this time period can be significantly altered by factors like level of humidity, water damage, Sulphur content in atmosphere etc.
What Factors Affect Tarnishing of Sterling Silver?
Some of the factors which affect tarnishing’s speed are:
1. Humidity
Humidity is a big factor that decides the speed of tarnishing. For example, if you live in a dry place where humidity level is not much, you will be getting tarnishing slower than if you were living in a coastal area.
2. Water Damage
Water can damage sterling silver. If your jewelry comes in contact with water on regular basis, then it will tarnish way faster. There are many times when people don’t realize that their jewelry is in contact with water. For example, if you are washing hands wearing sterling silver ring, it is going to damage it. That’s why it is important to look at these things as well.
3. Sweat
People who sweat more will tend to get their sterling silver tarnished faster. Sterling silver reacts with chemicals from sweat to form tarnishing layer. That’s why it is recommended to not wear sterling silver jewelry on a hot day where you are expected to get a lot of sweat.
4. Cosmetic Items
Cosmetic items like lotions and perfumes can also react with sterling silver. If you are someone who uses a lot of cosmetic items on skin when wearing sterling silver jewelry, then it will get tarnished quickly.
5. Sulfur
Sulfur is a gas found in places near to volcanos or areas where pollution level is very high. Sulfur can react with sterling silver and cause a lot of problems. This can speed up tarnishing and also impact its look greatly.
Does Gold Plated Sterling Silver Tarnishes?
Yes, gold plated sterling silver can also tarnish if gold plating wears off. Gold plating is normally a very thin layer of gold over a base metal like sterling silver. So, it will erode away after some time. Whenever, it erodes away, it will expose sterling silver to atmospheric chemicals. And it will start tarnishing.
Is There Any way to save Sterling Silver from Tarnish?
Tarnishing of sterling silver is a natural process. You cannot change it. You can only try to protect it from tarnishing and lower its speed of tarnishing. Try to avoid those things which can either damage or speed up the rate of tarnishing of sterling silver.
How to Remove Tarnish?
Removing tarnishing is a fairly simple method. You just need a soft cloth like velvet, a bowl of warm water and a tarnish removing chemical. Drop your tarnished jewelry in the bowl of warm water and add tarnish removing chemical. Wait for 5 to 10 minutes. Afterwards, you can take out your jewelry and dry it with a soft cloth. Don’t let it dry by air. Or it will give time to water to react. And it will damage jewelry.
Does Tarnishing Make Sterling Silver Weak
No, tarnish cannot damage sterling silver internally. Tarnish is not like rust which will destroy the metal internally. Tarnish only appears outside and can be removed with simply using tarnish removing chemicals.
How to Save Sterling Silver from Tarnish?
There are multiple ways which you can use to save sterling silver jewelry from tarnishing.
1. Avoid Wearing on a Hot or Rainy Day
Sweat or rainwater can damage sterling silver jewelry. Salts from rainwater or sweat can react with sterling silver jewelry.
Avoid wearing sterling silver jewelry on a day where you are expected to get a lot of temperature or rain.
2. Avoid Water Contact
Water can greatly damage sterling silver jewelry. Avoid all connections with water at all costs. Or it will get tarnished quickly. Remove your jewelry before doing any tasks that involve water like swimming, showering, washing hands etc.
Don’t place your jewelry in a humid place like a bathroom.
3. Avoid Contact with Cosmetic Items
Cosmetic items like lotions and perfumes can react with sterling silver. When a perfume is puffed directly on sterling silver jewelry, it will react with it and will get tarnished. The best way is to first use all of the cosmetic items and then wear your jewelry after 10 minutes.
4. Air Tight Storage
Air tight storage is a must for all jewelry that can tarnish. It is also important for copper or copper based metals jewelry. If you are one who wants to save their sterling silver for longer period of time, buy a professional storage box. It must contain separate compartments with extra layering of cloth on inside walls.
5. Using Anti-Tarnish Bags
Anti-tarnish bags or strips are used in storage boxes to minimize water damage. For example, if any amount of water enters into storage box from air, anti-tarnish bag will absorb it and will not damage sterling silver jewelry.
These anti-tarnish bags are very cheap and you can easily get it on Amazon or any other major store.
These are the most important steps which can slow down the speed of tarnishing of your sterling silver jewelry. But don’t over do it. Note that sterling silver will tarnish. You cannot stop it. Following these steps will help you in better condition of jewelry for a longer period of time.
Conclusion
Sterling silver can tarnish and it will not take a long time. It is a natural process and there are a lot of factors that can affect its speed. These factors include sweat, cosmetic items, humidity and sulfur. It is better to just save sterling silver from all of these factors. This does not mean that it will not tarnish. But it will slow down the speed. Apart, it is better to follow the steps which will save your jewelry from tarnishing.