Silver Rings and Jewellery and the facts of Tarnishing

My Silver Ring Has Turned My Finger Black

When you purchased your silver ring , it arrived all shiny, bright and gorgeous but after a time, you noticed a horrid dark green/black ring appearing around your finger. Have Love2have sold you a faulty ring made of nasty cheap materials? Well of course the answer is no. We thought most people already knew that silver naturally tarnishes and there isn't really much you can do to stop it.

All our jewellery is made from UK standard 925 Sterling Silver which is hallmarked at a British Assay office. Pure silver cannot be used to make jewellery as it is too soft so silver is alloyed with other metals such as copper in a ratio of 92.5% to 7.5% hence the name 925 Sterling silver.

'Ah but' you say, I have worn silver before without it tarnishing so I must be having an allergic reaction to your jewellery. Again the answer is no, it is just the sterling silver oxidising. If you have had silver jewellery that you have not reacted to before, then it could be that this is imported silver which is different to UK silver or it is possible that the jewellery may have been plated or coated with something to prevent tarnishing, or it may well be that it isn't actually silver at all.

'Ah but' you say, my partner also bought one of your rings and he hasn't had any problem with tarnishing. Well the problem is that there are many factors that affect how quickly silver will tarnish. As individuals we all have very different skins which don't react in the same way to substances that it comes into contact with. The acids will vary in your skin which can affect the speed at which the silver will tarnish when it comes into contact with you. What you eat, drink or smoke, perfumes, soaps, hairspray, cosmetics and even time of month (sorry ladies) can affect the tarnishing process.

Hydrogen Sulphide is the culprit for making silver tarnish and unfortunately this is a substance to which we are exposed to all the time during our normal daily life. From rubber bands, wool, paint and fossil fuels (hence pollution) to the atmospheric humidity, we really cannot escape this substance.

Can tarnishing be prevented? Not really although some jewellery manufacturers will plate the jewellery to prevent it coming into contact with the skin. Why don't Love2have recommend this? Well plated jewellery will be more difficult to clean and the plating with wear, tear and cleaning will eventually wear off and need redoing. As the plating wears off, your jewellery will take on a rather unpleasant patchy look and the tarnishing process will begin again.

So what is the best way to tackle tarnishing?

With continued wear, the tarnishing should be less of a problem but you should not wear your jewellery all the time so take it off when you have a bath and when you go to bed. Polish with a soft silver cloth - you can buy these on the hight street. As a golden rule, if you want any jewellery to stay looking nice, take it off when you get home and put it on when you go out again.

Can silver jewellery be returned if it tarnishes? The answer is no. This is a natural process and it is up to individuals to decide whether silver is a suitable material for them to wear prior to purchasing from Love2have.