Silver jewelry often turns black when worn because silver is a highly reactive metal that chemically reacts with elements in your environment and your unique body chemistry. This reaction causes the silver to lose its original shine and develop a dark, dull appearance, commonly known as tarnishing.
The Chemical Reaction Behind Tarnishing
The primary reason silver turns black is a chemical process where silver reacts with sulfur-containing compounds in the air or on your skin. This reaction forms silver sulfide, a black compound that deposits on the surface of your jewelry. While often perceived as dirty, it's actually a thin layer of a new chemical compound.
Factors Contributing to Silver Tarnishing
Your personal physical composition and surrounding environment play a significant role in how quickly and severely your silver tarnishes. Several factors can alter your body chemistry, accelerating this process:
- Sweat: Human sweat contains various chemicals, including sulfur compounds and salts, which can react directly with silver. The more you perspire, especially during physical activity or hot weather, the faster your silver may tarnish.
- Sickness: When you are unwell, your body chemistry can change, potentially altering the pH level or the chemical composition of your skin secretions. These changes can make your skin more reactive with silver, leading to increased tarnishing.
- Lifestyle Choices: Certain lifestyle habits can also impact your body chemistry. For instance, a "boozy weekend" (alcohol consumption) can influence your body's metabolic processes and the compounds excreted through your skin, causing your silver to turn black more rapidly.
- Environmental Exposure: Beyond your body, environmental factors like air pollution (which often contains sulfur dioxide and hydrogen sulfide) can also contribute to silver tarnishing.
How to Maintain Your Silver Jewelry
Fortunately, tarnishing is usually a surface-level reaction and can be easily addressed.
- Light Polish: A light polish with a soft cleaning cloth designed for jewelry is often enough to remove the black tarnish and restore your silver's original luster. Regular, gentle cleaning can prevent heavy buildup.
- Proper Storage: Storing silver in an airtight bag or a jewelry box lined with anti-tarnish fabric can minimize its exposure to air and environmental pollutants when not being worn.
- Avoid Contact with Chemicals: Remove silver jewelry before swimming (especially in chlorinated water), cleaning with household chemicals, or applying lotions, perfumes, and hairsprays, as these can accelerate tarnishing.
Understanding that silver's reactivity is a natural characteristic helps in appreciating why it turns black and how to keep your cherished pieces looking their best.
