Why do silver jewelry turn black?

Silver is a metal substance extracted from natural ore. Real pure silver is very flexible and silvery white in color, so silver has been used as decoration since ancient times. With the mining of silver mines, silver gradually became a circulating currency in the Ming Dynasty. In modern times, many people like to wear jewelry made of silver, especially silver bracelets. But some people find that the silver jewelry they wear is turning black. What’s going on?

1. Because everyone's endocrine and physical conditions are different, some people's sweat contains more acid, some contains less, and some people's body fluids contain higher sulfur content. These are substances that cause the surface of silver jewelry to turn black, so everyone will have different results when wearing silver jewelry. Some people will wear it as bright as new after wearing it for half a year.

2. Sulfur, nitric acid and oxides in the air and other substances (such as eggs and cosmetics) have a certain corrosive effect on silver. When silver jewelry is worn for a long time, sulfur and silver will combine to form a black silver sulfide film on the surface of the silver jewelry. It will appear as some tiny spots at first, and then spread into pieces, forming what people usually call silver scale. It turns black and affects the surface gloss of the silver jewelry. People usually mistakenly think it is discoloration.

Because of these natural properties of silver, silver has a good health-care effect. Wearing it regularly can neutralize toxic substances in the human body. Silver ions have a strong bactericidal effect and can kill 650 kinds of germs. They can be used as a poison testing tool and are very beneficial to the human body. It can also accelerate wound healing, prevent and treat infection, and purify water and preserve food. The ancients said: Wearing silver will bring you health and wealth, soothe your five internal organs, calm your mind, stop panic and eliminate evil spirits. Medically, it is much more effective for human health than other precious metals.

How to maintain silver jewelry: Many people like silver jewelry, but don’t know how to maintain it. Some even think that silver jewelry is difficult to maintain, which is not the case. After understanding why silver jewelry turns black, we only need to spend a little time in our daily lives to keep the silver jewelry we wear looking new.

1. When silver jewelry is not worn, it should be cleaned and then put away. It is best to put it in a sealed bag to prevent oxidation and blackening. If the wearer sweats a lot, he can wipe the surface with a soft cloth every day to maintain the gloss and remove dirt. It is best to use a special silver-polishing cloth on silver jewelry with platinum plating on the surface. Silver-polishing cloth can be purchased at silver jewelry brand stores. Note: The silver polishing cloth contains maintenance ingredients and cannot be washed.

2. For silver jewelry that is not electroplated with platinum, daily cleaning can be done by yourself. For example , you can squeeze some toothpaste, add some water, and scrub it with a soft cloth. You can clean the gaps with a soft-bristled toothbrush and then rinse it with clean water. (Silver jewelry inlaid with gemstones should not be exposed to water to prevent water from affecting the firmness of the glue. It is best to have it cleaned by professionals in a specialty store)

3. Silver jewelry has various craftsmanship and different maintenance methods, so they cannot be generalized. Many maintenance methods on the Internet can only be used as a reference. It is best to ask professional personnel in a specialty store to avoid improper operation and damage to your beloved silver jewelry.

4. For silver jewelry that is delicate and three-dimensionally shaped into sculptures, avoid deliberately wiping it to make it shiny. If you find that your silver jewelry is turning yellow, you should first use a small jewelry brush to clean the fine seams of the silver jewelry, and then gently wipe the surface with a silver cleaning cloth.

This can restore the silver jewelry to its original whiteness and brightness. Here is a suggestion: if you can restore about 80% of the silver whiteness with a silver cleaning cloth, you don’t need to use silver cleaning lotion or silver washing water, because these products are corrosive to a certain extent.

After the product is used, it will turn yellow more easily. The silver cleaning cloth contains silver maintenance ingredients and cannot be washed.

5. If you do not handle or store your silver jewelry after wearing it, it is very likely to turn black. At this time, you should use a small jewelry brush to clean the fine seams of the jewelry, and then drop a drop of silver cleaning lotion on it.

Drop some on tissue paper, wipe off the black oxide on the surface of the silver jewelry, and then use a silver cleaning cloth to restore the original brightness of the jewelry. After that, you must remember to do daily general maintenance to prevent the silver jewelry from turning black again. It is difficult to polish silver jewelry white after it has turned black many times.