Pure silver is not susceptible to tarnish in a pure oxygen environment. However, the copper that is contained in 925 sterling silver may react to the ozone and hydrogen sulfide in the air and cause sterling silver to tarnish. Perfumes, hair sprays, and profuse sweating can also cause a quicker formation of tarnish.
Choose high-purity sterling silver that is marked "925" (the standard used to indicate the weight of pure silver in the alloy). While water won't ruin your sterling silver, it may speed up the tarnishing process, so it's best to take jewelry off before you shower, wash your hands, or do the dishes.
In conclusion, while it may be tempting to keep your favorite 925 sterling silver pieces on at all times, it's best to remove them before showering. The combination of soap, shampoo, hot water, steam, and general wear and tear in a shower environment can lead to tarnishing, discoloration, and physical damage.
Sterling silver can begin to tarnish in anywhere from 2 months to 3 years, but don't let that worry you. Tarnish is no big deal and there are simple ways to clean and prevent it.
High quality sterling silver can last for decades if well taken care of. It's important to clean it and store it properly when not being worn. Silver will also last longer if kept away from harsh chemicals such as lotions, perfumes, hand sanitizers, and many soaps.
Sterling silver jewelry can absolutely be worn every day! In fact, many people enjoy the look of sterling silver because it's understated and timeless. Plus, it's easy to care for and can be worn with just about anything.
Ultimately, sterling silver (also known as 925 silver) is hypoallergenic, high-quality, fashionable, and safe. Silver is typically mixed with other metals to make a more durable alloy, as pure silver is far too soft to be used in jewellery.
Store Your Silver Jewelry in Plastic Bags or Airtight Container. Tarnish happens as a result of silver jewelry being exposed to oxygen and sulfur particles in the air. So, to keep your silver from tarnishing, you can store it in a ziplock bag and other airtight container.
Since 925 sterling silver is almost pure silver, it's likely to have a lesser reaction to water. This means that it's completely okay to get this type of sterling silver wet. Just be sure to dry it off as much as possible after!
Tarnish is the oxidization that occurs when air-borne sulfurs and chlorides are present, causing a yellowish cast on the sterling silver. If left without being cleaned, the tarnish becomes brown and eventually turns a dark and iridescent purple/black.
Sterling silver tarnishes when exposed to salty air, chlorine, sulfur, humidity, perspiration, cosmetics, household bleach and other strong chemicals.
Sterling silver is gorgeous, versatile, affordable and extremely durable. If you look after your jewellery and make sure that you avoid contact with certain chemicals, your jewellery can be worn all day, every day with no issues! You can even wear your sterling silver jewellery to bed.
How often should you clean silver? Polishing silver once a year should be enough to keep it in good condition. But, if once a year doesn't satisfy your cleaning compulsion, an easy way to maintain the shine of your silver is to wash it with good old water. You can safely do this as often as 2–6 times in a year.
Sterling silver jewellery differs from silver plated in what it is made of. Sterling silver is an alloy, made of 92.5% pure silver, and 7.5% other alloy. These other alloys tend to be copper or zinc. Due to the pure silver constitution, sterling silver is often known as 925 silver.
The composition of 925 Sterling Silver lends itself to the occasional green discoloration because of the presence of copper. Green fingers are harmless and there are simple measures you can take to prevent discoloration. It's all a matter of preparation and maintenance!
Sterling Silver is considered more elegant than stainless steel, and the jewelry pieces usually have unique finishes. Stainless steel, on the other hand, is durable and stronger than sterling silver.
Using sterling silver alloys
It's standard practice to alloy pure silver with harder metals to improve its strength. Pandora jewellery regularly uses sterling silver: the world's most popular silver alloy.
It's no secret that salt is corrosive, and saltwater is no different. Sterling silver that comes into contact with salt water can cause your jewellery to darken and oxidise more quickly than it would normally. It can also leave a residue on your jewellery that will speed up the tarnishing process over time.
Silver becomes black because of hydrogen sulfide (sulfur), a substance that occurs in the air. When silver comes into contact with it, a chemical reaction takes place and a black layer is formed. Silver oxidizes faster in places with a lot of light and high humidity.
Tiffany & Co.
Please note: chlorine and bleach accelerate tarnishing and should be avoided. Once cleaned and polished, silver must be kept dry and properly stored. Our Tiffany Blue® flannel bags will protect it from abrasion and offer a degree of tarnish prevention.
Relative humidity (RH) also affects the tarnishing rate. For a given concentration of hydrogen sulfide, silver tarnishes faster as the RH climbs. As a result, silver is best stored in dry conditions (below 50% RH).
Since sterling silver has a lower percentage of silver than pure silver, sterling silver is less expensive. Of the three types of metals, it's typically the least expensive choice. You'll also find more jewelry options in sterling silver since it's a more accessible material to mold into different shapes.
925 Sterling Silver jewelry certainly does not come cheap. It requires quite an investment from your side, whether you are buying sterling silver pendants or rings. But it is a worthwhile investment as its value increases with time.
A: The precious metal content (92.5%) in sterling silver makes it more expensive than flash-plated jewelry by default. People who buy sterling silver do so because of the value of the metal in it and its inherent beauty and relative affordability.