Silver blackened

Silver jewelry looks very beautiful, noble and elegant, they are in perfect harmony with both an evening dress and casual jeans. But not when silver turned black. Why such changes are happening to him and how to deal with it? Can jewelry be restored to their original refined look? You will find answers to these questions in this article.

to contents ↑

Causes of Darkening Silver

Fans of this precious metal know that after a while it becomes covered with an ugly dark coating. Many people believe that the metal takes away all the negative energy of its carrier, associated with emotional breakdowns or health problems. Therefore, the appearance of the jewelry is not changing for the better. This theory remains unproven, and we will not refute it.

However, from the point of view of science, the opinion of this is more justified. So, what are the reasons that silver turned black?

Important! One of the constituent components of silver is copper, which, as you know, has the property of oxidizing under the influence of hydrogen sulfide. As a result of this reaction, a sulfide coating forms, which makes the jewelry dark.

Various factors contribute to this.

Wet air

High humidity air contains hydrogen sulfide in considerable quantities. Therefore, the owner of the jewelry, which does not remove silver items before bathing, notices that silver turned black much faster than that of one who avoids such situations.

Increased sweating

As you know, sulfur is part of the sweat. Therefore, if it is secreted excessively, sweat is dangerous for silver jewelry. Those products that are located on the neck or chest are particularly affected, since a large number of sebaceous glands are located in these zones.

Medications

Often people have noticed that after using a medicine, silver products very quickly become covered with a dark coating. The whole reason lies in the presence of sulfur compounds in many medicines. Over time, they begin to stand out from the body along with sweat, which causes damage to the precious metal.

Hormonal changes

Silver also suffers greatly from this factor. After taking hormonal drugs, in adolescence or during pregnancy, the body can secrete substances with sulfur compounds, as a result of which the noble metal suffers.

Cosmetics

Sulfur is often a component of cosmetic creams or lotions. Therefore, often the reason that silver has darkened is precisely cosmetic preparations.

Important! Silver with a higher breakdown is less susceptible to coating with an ugly dark coating.

to contents ↑

If silver is black, what should I do?

Faced with such a problem, we immediately begin to look for a way out, and strive to return to our favorite jewelry the original look. This can be done in two effective ways. Which one to choose - decide for yourself.

Method 1 - contact the master of jewelry

This is the easiest option, but at the same time, not the cheapest. Turning to the master, you can spoil without risk clean your product. Perhaps this will be done even with you.

This method is perfect if you should remove plaque from jewelry made of silver with a dusting or those decorated with precious stones of natural origin (for example, amber, coral or pearls).

Important! Many semiprecious and precious stones react sharply to processing by means of aggressive action. They lose their luster and become covered with visible scratches. Products with this decor should not be risked, trying to clean them yourself. Entrust this business to professionals.

Method 2 - do it yourself

There are plenty of methods to clear darkened silver. For their implementation, by and large, you only need your desire and some free time.

You can buy special napkins or products that are designed specifically for cleaning silver, or you can use folk recipes and try to restore silver to its original appearance using improvised means.

to contents ↑

Silver turned black. Folk remedies to combat the problem

Almost all popular recipes involve the use of drugs that, one way or another, are used in everyday life. Therefore, to clean the metal, if the silver has darkened, you do not need to run to the store, but you should turn to your first-aid kit or look into the kitchen cabinets.

Important! Always cleaning should begin by soaking the silver for a while in soapy warm water. After that, rinsing under a stream of clean water and drying the product, you can proceed to remove the dark coating.

Ammonia

This liquid neutralizes acids, therefore, it can help remove black spots on silver jewelry.

Procedure:

1. Mix one part ammonia with ten parts water.
2. Dip a silver product in the prepared solution and let it get wet for 10-15 minutes.
3. Dry the decoration with a patch of woolen fabric.

Salt, Soda & Dishwashing Detergent

The composition of these products will help remove strong impurities from the noble metal.

Important! It is better to prepare the composition and process silver in an aluminum bowl.

Procedure:

1. Stir in one liter of water until completely dissolved in one tablespoon of soda, salt and detergent.
2. Place all silver jewelry that needs to be cleaned in a solution and boil over low heat for about 30 minutes.

Vinegar

9% vinegar, which is without a doubt in the kitchen cabinet of any housewife, more than once comes to her aid even outside the kitchen. In cases where silver is blackened, this liquid may also come in handy.

Procedure:

1. Preheat the vinegar to a warm state and dip into the liquid all silverware that has a dark coating.
2. Wait 15-20 minutes.
3. Dry the jewelry with a woolen cloth.

Salt

Conventional table salt is also used to clean silver from an ugly black formation.

Procedure:

1. Dissolve 1 teaspoon of salt in 200 ml of water in a metal container.
2. Place silver in the solution for a couple of hours.

Important! For cleaning to happen more quickly, a container with decorations can be put on fire and boiled liquid for 20 minutes.

Potatoes

If silver is blackened, what old people know to do. They share their experiences and advise using raw potatoes for these purposes.

Procedure:

1. Boil the potatoes and drain the water from it into a separate bowl.

Important! It is better to use a glass container in this case, avoiding metal utensils.

2. Place a piece of foil on the bottom of the dish with a decoction.
3. After the liquid has cooled, put the earrings, rings and chains that have turned black on the foil for 10 minutes.

Shop soda

The cleaning of black areas on silver can easily be done by such well-known drinks as Coca-Cola or Sprite.

Procedure:

1. Place the jewelry in the glass for a few hours.
2. After processing, dry the product with a clean cloth.

Important! Strong pollution can be removed by boiling a drink with decorations and rubbing them with foil later.

Lemon acid

A solution of citric acid will help restore your silver jewelry to its former beauty and shine.

Procedure:

1. For 1 hour, place silver in a concentrated citric acid solution.
2. Dry your precious metal objects with a cloth.

Dentifrice

With the help of tooth powder or paste, black plaque has been removed for a long time:

1. Using a soft brush or rag, rub the silver with tooth powder.
2. Rinse items under running water.

to contents ↑

Useful tips for wearing, cleaning and storing silver jewelry

If silver is blackened, what to do you already know. As you can see, processing does not require any special knowledge and prior training. But in order not to encounter such a problem at all or as rarely as possible, you can take advantage of useful tips for caring for silver and prevent the appearance of black plaque:

• It is not recommended to swim in ponds and in the shower in silver jewelry. Remove them before each contact with water.
• Attend the gym and other activities that require physical activity should be without silver items.
• After water enters the decoration, moisture must be removed immediately.
• When cleaning the house, be sure to remove jewelry.
• Matt silver should only be cleaned with a soapy solution. Acids, salt and soda can cause irreparable harm to the product.
• Gilded silver should only be cleaned with professional specialty products.
• After cleaning the jewelry, be sure to dry it and rub it to a shine with a cloth.
• It is recommended to wear items made of precious metal a few days after cleaning. It is believed that silver during this time forms a natural protective layer.
• It is best to store silver in a special box in a dry place away from medications.

to contents ↑

Stock footage

Putting into practice the useful recommendations from this article, you can easily save the noble metal from black plaque, and prevent its formation in the future.