When you find blackened and oxidized silver jewelry in your jewelry box, it means that you have not taken care of them so that they are always in the best possible condition. Here’s how to clean them and there’s everything in the kitchen.
Ultimately, taking care of your silver jewelry is not complicated , which will allow you to keep your bracelets, rings, earrings, etc. as good as new, so they will always be ready to wear at any time, on the other hand, if you do not do this, you run the risk of them darkening and taking on a gloomy tone.
Blackened and oxidized silver: causes
But why does silver tarnish and oxidize? Silver does not oxidize like other metals, but rather loses its luster, or as they say “turns black” over time.
Silver is a noble metal , so it does not react like other elements, it cannot oxidize, however, when silver sulfide comes into contact with the air, it reacts with the sulfur present in the atmosphere, forming a compound that is deposited on our jewel and which, after a while, darkens.
It should be noted that the fact that silver darkens does not imply that it is of poor quality , nor that it has been damaged. It is simply something completely normal when it comes to this metal.
Other factors that can darken silver are the products we put on our skin: perfumes, makeup, creams, etc., or sweat itself. Continuous contact with the metal means that it can eventually darken.
And also the factors that influence the darkening are the exposure of our jewelry to long periods under the sun, artificial light or sea. In addition, abrasive cleaning products can cause the blackening of silver.
In addition to this, the PH (acidity index) of our skin can have some peculiarities that generate a rapid browning of the silver. For this reason some pieces can become black on us and not on our friend.
Methods for cleaning silver jewelry
Among the many systems for cleaning blackened and oxidized silver, some inexpensive but at the same time safe DIY ones involve the use of table salt.
All you need is a bowl filled with warm water and salt; you can also use baking soda instead of salt.
Even lemon juice and baking soda rubbed on the blackened silver jewelry removes traces of dark patina, with a warning to the type of jewelry. In fact, you need to be careful that there are no stones or pearls that could be ruined due to the acidity present in the lemon.
Many chains or inlays in jewelry can create difficulties in cleaning operations, in this case we can use toothpaste to be passed with an old toothbrush.
In this way we will easily reach every crevice of the object with a slightly abrasive product that does not cause damage.
How to store silver jewelry?
It is essential that to avoid oxidation we store the jewelry in a cool and dry place. And, if possible, that the closure is hermetic.
You don’t have to spend a lot of money on a jewelry box, but choose one that is lined with soft canvas inside.
This way your jewelry will be much more cared for. The goal of preserving jewelry in this way is that the silver does not come into contact with the outside to avoid the aforementioned oxidation.
Likewise, it is essential that when you have many different pieces of jewelry, they are stored in individual bags.
With this we will avoid that they end up scratching each other due to friction. In addition to this, we must try to expose silver as little as possible to external agents such as alkaline materials, perfumes, creams, chlorine, etc.
