Why does silver turn black and how to prevent this?

Silver products are very popular. Such jewelry looks exquisite, often striking with its intricate shapes. Almost every person has silver jewelry. A thin chain or a stylish ring, as well as elegant earrings or a massive signet can be seen in the jewelry box. Over time, these products may turn black. This happens not only during long-term storage, but also when worn. Many are interested in the question of why this happens and whether this is a consequence of health problems, which is confirmed by superstition. In this article, we will examine a scientific explanation for this process and explain why silver can change color.

Since ancient times, people believed in all sorts of signs and superstitions. It was believed that if the silver pectoral cross began to lose its shade, it means that the person was spoiled or he was jinxed. If the decoration began to lighten, then the negative impact on the person became less. When the product returned to its original form, then the damage has lost its strength. According to legend, silverware is able to protect from evil eyes, evil spirits, so they were used in various rites. The blackening on the jewelry was explained in different ways.

Here, it was taken into account on which part of the body the jewelry was located, and the type of accessory, and even the age of the person.

1. It was believed that if the ring blackens, then the girl has a vow of celibacy, and the matchmakers are unlikely to knock on her.
2. In the event that the chain on the neck or earrings is getting dark, then the evil eye is on the girl.
3. If the cross located on the body changed color, then it was believed that the curse is very strong.
4. When the color of the cross on the neck of a young child changed, the jewelry should be taken to church and consecrated again to protect the baby.
5. If the dishes made of silver became darker, they said that the house has negative energy, which indicates the presence of evil spirits.

It used to be that products began to blacken, if a person is sick. This is partly true. With hormonal, endocrine and other disorders, a person begins to sweat harder, which leads to a stronger interaction of the sebaceous glands with sweat. The interaction of sulfur-containing compounds leads to a change in the shade of the products. Silver oxidation occurs during the reaction of a metal with hydrogen sulfide and oxygen.

In its pure form, silver is practically not used for making jewelry, because this metal is quite soft. It is usually customary to mix harder metals, such as copper. Often, silver begins to darken if a person often sweats. With the interaction of copper, which is part of the jewelry, and sulfur contained in the sweat, a chemical reaction begins to occur, as a result of which the products begin to become covered with a patina, that is, get dark.

In that case, if a person has no health problems, then the amount of sweat released is normal, and an oxidative reaction does not occur. But if sweat begins to be released more intensely, then the product located on the body began to change its hue. These situations can enhance oxidation.

1. Stress.
2. Physical exercise. With active sports, sweating intensifies, which leads to an increase in sulfate concentration. This leads to a faster darkening of the jewelry.
3. High humidity. Then the evaporation of sweat slows down, therefore, the concentration of sulfur salts increases. Based on this, oxidation begins to occur, which leads to a change in the color of the product.
4. The presence in the products of a large number of various impurities. Sample of silver also plays a significant role. Sample 925 products are usually less susceptible to oxidation. The higher the sample product, the less it will be susceptible to corrosion. From the content of impurities depends on how long the product will be worn without changing color.

Silver, having a low sample, begins to darken faster, while oxidation begins to occur even when in contact with food or when sulfur compounds are in the air.

In addition to sulfates, sweat contains nitric acid salts. When interacting with nitrates, silver sulfide begins to break down, and the product quickly changes its dark color to light.

If silver accessories begin to darken, they should be cleaned. Those people who believe in superstition should go to church. In the event that a person also felt unwell, one should not postpone the visit to the doctor. Silver items can be cleaned in a jewelry workshop or done at home on their own. Used for cleaning special pastesthat can be purchased with the purchase of jewelry. In addition, there are other available tools that are used to eliminate darkening of the metal.

Baking soda found in every home. It is used most often for cleaning accessories. To do this, pour a teaspoon of soda in a glass and add warm water to it. The product is lowered into a soda solution and kept there for 30 minutes.After the item is taken out, washed with running water and cleaned with a toothbrush.

There is another proven method for cleaning products with soda such.

1. You need to take a small aluminum saucepan and pour 100 ml of water into it.
2. Then 1 tsp is poured into the container. soda.
3. The silver jewelry is lowered into the pan so that it is completely covered with water.
4. The container is put on fire, after boiling it is kept on fire for 1-2 minutes. At this time, the product begins to change its color and becomes lighter.

You can use a similar method. For cleaning, pour water into a saucepan, add soda and dip the decoration, previously wrapped in aluminum foil, into boiled water. It is necessary to give the foil a little boil and after 1-2 minutes turn off the fire. After that, the silver accessory is washed from the sediment and wiped with a napkin.

To remove dirt and plaque, toothpaste is also used. It contains a large number of abrasive polishing microparticles that will help get rid of patina. Toothpaste is applied to a soft toothbrush and used to polish jewelry.

Silver processing ammonia or ammonia solution allows you to quickly clean the accessory. For the procedure, you need to take a container and pour a little ammonia into it. A product that has lost color is placed in a jar and left for 10-12 minutes. After the set time, the decoration is removed and washed with running water, then it is dried.

You can clean products GOI paste. This tool is often used to polish silver. The paste must be applied to a piece of soft cloth and gently process the surface.

Regular help to get rid of patina quickly lipstick. The presence of titanium dioxide and a large amount of fat allows you to quickly clean silver accessories from plaque. After the procedure, the products look new, with a shine. For cleaning, you need to smear the product with lipstick, then take a toothbrush and polish it. This method is more suitable for models without rhinestones and stones.

Often silver rhodium platedto give durability to the product. Such jewelry looks more exquisite, they have enhanced shine. Radiated silver is cleaned using special fluids designed for this purpose. For cleaning use napkins or a velvet cloth dipped in warm water.

They will help to remove patina from worn products. baths made of soap. To do this, dip the product in a soap solution for 5-10 minutes, then remove it and rub it. Accessories with stones are washed under warm running water, then polished with a soft cloth. If the coating is quite strong, place the item in a container with soapy water for 20-30 minutes, then rinse and polish it.

For worn products, do not use brushing with ammonia, soda or toothpasteotherwise they may lose their luster. You can wipe accessories with cotton swabs that are moistened with glycerin.

Gilded items are cleaned in similar ways. Suitable for these purposes. use of ammonia, peroxide, toothpaste or soap. In addition to the usual, there are unconventional methods of cleaning products. You can lighten jewelry Coca-Cola, because it is not in vain that the drink is considered a good absorbent and solvent. To clean the container with Coca-Cola put on fire and put there a chain or other item that requires cleaning, and let it boil for 5-10 minutes. Cold Coca-Cola is also used for these purposes. To make the jewelry return to its original form, you need to throw the accessory in a glass with a drink and stand the product there for 5-8 hours.After the set time, the jewelry is taken out, washed with water and wiped.

Silver products can last a long time, especially if they are properly looked after.

1. Silver is a soft metal; therefore, it undergoes deformation. In addition, it loses its color and darkens under the influence of moisture and chemical processes.
2. Silver jewelry is recommended regularly Polish and clean.
3. They should to take pictures while visiting the shower and sauna. Rings should be removed while washing dishes.
4. Do not wear jewelry for sports training.
5. Keep Silver accessories are better in a separate box. The jewelry is stored separately, it is better to keep them so that they do not touch. Products that are not worn daily should be stored in a sealed box. Also, foil is used for this purpose, which will protect against negative external factors.
6. It is important to there was no increased humidity in the roomotherwise chains and rings will soon darken.

Many recommend covering accessories with special jewelry varnish. Thanks to this, they begin to shine more, their appearance improves. Preservation of silver products in its original form will allow them to serve much longer.

See how to clean silver at home in the next video.