Silver is the second most popular precious metal around the world, used to make jewelry, tableware and home decor.
Owners of jewelry notice over time that the silver item has turned black and lost its beautiful appearance. If plaque did not appear immediately after purchase, there is no reason to worry, this is a natural process. But sometimes a dark coating appears suddenly, even if the jewelry was not worn often.
- Why does silver darken?
- Myths and reality The scientific world takes a different look at the darkening of silver metal
How to clean silver at home
There are many ways to clean silver at home. Here are some of them.
Cleaning with soda
One of the most common and simple methods for cleaning silver from blackness is cleaning with soda. It does not require any cost or purchase of ingredients. The active ingredient is soda, you will need 1-2 tablespoons of it. You will also need water (0.5 l). Boil water and soda and immerse the decorations there. When the water has cooled, you can remove the products and wipe them with a dry cloth.
These same ingredients can be used in combination with foil. You also need to boil water with soda and immerse the decorations with foil there. Next, boil for 10-15 minutes and remove.
These methods will help restore the shine of silver and brighten the jewelry, especially a silver chain. Cleaning will occur due to the reaction of soda and aluminum with argentum sulfide, which is released under the influence of high temperatures.
Soda and salt
Combining the solution with soda and salt will be no less effective. For this method you will need 1-2 teaspoons of soda, 1 teaspoon of salt, water. All ingredients must be mixed, immersed in the decoration mixture and brought to a boil. Boil for 10-15 minutes.
The method will return shine and shine to jewelry.
Lipstick
Oddly enough, a piece of women's toiletry is perfect for cleaning any silver jewelry - rings, chains, earrings, pendants. The color of the lipstick is not important, but before you begin the procedure, look at the composition of the lipstick. It must contain titanium dioxide. This is the key ingredient. Another active ingredient is oils or fats. Titanium dioxide will help remove stains by reacting with argentum sulfide, and fat will polish the jewelry. This method is useful for decorating so that it does not darken for a long time.
Apply lipstick to the product and rub with a cotton pad. When the result is obtained, remove excess lipstick. The method only works for smooth products.
Toothpaste
Toothpaste is another daily use item that can help clean your silver. The paste usually contains chalk or other small particles that will effectively clean the metal of plaque. Due to the fact that all this has the consistency of a very soft paste, damage and scratches will be avoided.
The toothpaste method is perfect for cleaning black from a chain or ridding a cross of black. The cleansing process is similar to the process of brushing your teeth. Pay attention to the stiffness of the brush bristles. It should be as soft as possible. Rub the product, then rinse and dry.
A more drastic method is a mixture of toothpaste and ammonia. This method is effective if the toothpaste does not work or does not completely clean the stains.
Take precautions and do not allow the mixture to come into contact with water.
Ammonia and hydrogen peroxide
Many sources recommend this method as very effective and efficient. However, there are cases when the copper contained in the alloy reacts with a peroxide compound and ammonia. As a result, the silver is purified, but also acquires a red tint, which is almost impossible to get rid of. Therefore, before using this method with ammonia, carry out the procedure on an inconspicuous area of the jewelry and make sure that the silver has not changed color. Even 925 test is not always a guarantee of successful cleaning using this method.
Otherwise, this method is quite applicable to jewelry made of precious metal.
Ammonia
Ammonia without adding peroxide is a reliable and effective way to clean silver at home.
It is advisable to carry out the procedure in a cup that closes. Don't forget that glass is best. The decoration is immersed in a bowl of ammonia and closed. Leave for 10-20 minutes. If possible, shake several times.
This method is ideal for jewelry with stones. It will return shine and radiance not only to the metal, but to them as well.
This method is effective due to the reaction between ammonia and argentum sulfide, which is the pollutant. Ammonia removes this layer and returns the product to its original appearance.
For more intensive cleaning, use tooth powder. If you mix ammonia with tooth powder, you will get a paste that can be used to get rid of dirt.
Lemon acid
The method with citric acid requires minimal material costs and effort. In addition to citric acid, you will need water and copper wire. You will need powdered citric acid - 100 grams and half a liter of water. The solution must be placed in a water bath. You need to immerse the decoration and copper wire into the mixture. Boil for 15-20 minutes.
Citric acid has an active bleaching effect, due to which the precious metal is cleaned.
Vinegar
Vinegar will help get rid of light stains. It needs to be heated and wiped over the product. They also use the baking soda and vinegar method. Rub the decoration with this mixture.
Coca Cola
The powerful cleansing properties of Cola have long been known. Cola is used to clean teapots from scale and bathrooms from limescale. Some claim that it even removes rust. Cola contains adsorbent substances that will perfectly remove contaminants on metal.
For the procedure, you need to pour Cola into a cup and put in decorations. Boil Cola with decorations for 5 minutes. Cool, rinse jewelry and dry.
Professional cleaning
Of course, don’t forget about professional metal cleaning. This can be done in a jewelry salon by a master. There or on specialized websites you can buy special ready-made products for cleaning silver items. This way you are unlikely to save money, but you will get high-quality and quick cleaning of your jewelry.
Chemical composition of silver products
Although silver is considered a noble metal, it still tends to oxidize. In order for this chemical reaction to begin, contact of the product with sulfur-containing substances is sufficient, which leads to the formation of sulfide. After this, the silver tarnishes and then turns black, depending on how strong the reaction is. The reasons why silver on the neck, arm or other part of the body darkens is directly related to the secretion of sweat by the body. Sweat contains amino acids containing sulfur in sufficient concentration for your favorite jewelry to begin to turn black.
Another reason why silver darkens is the composition of almost all silver jewelry. The fact is that silver is a rather soft metal and is not used for making jewelry or other items in its pure form. To increase the strength of the product, an alloy with the addition of other metals is used, such as:
- copper;
- zinc;
- gold;
- platinum.
If the last 2 metals are beyond suspicion, then the higher the copper or zinc content, the greater the likelihood that the product will fade and blacken. 925 silver is considered ideal, that is, with a silver share of 92.5% in the alloy. This is the “golden mean” when the alloy is not very susceptible to oxidation, but at the same time is quite strong.
To extend the life of silver jewelry, rhodium plating is often used, that is, coating with the thinnest rhodium film. It is capable of protecting the product from oxidation for a long time (about 3-5 years), and also giving it additional shine.
Read more about rhodium-plated silver.
It must be remembered that if your ring is covered with a layer of rhodium, then it must be especially protected from impacts and other physical impacts from hard objects. The fact is that rhodium is not only very fragile, but also a rather expensive metal.
In cases where a silver object darkens too quickly, then most likely the percentage of silver in this alloy is very low (less than 70%). Perhaps we are even talking about a fake with a complete absence of silver.
How to clean silver after hydrogen sulfide baths
If you had to take a hydrogen sulfide bath or swim in such a source, then most likely the silver jewelry that you were wearing became very dark. After hydrogen sulfide baths, a sulfur coating may even appear on the product. Of course, the best solution would be to remove jewelry before swimming, but if this does not happen, then here are several ways to clean silver from sulfur:
- Despite the fact that the method with ammonia is the leader in efficiency in cleaning silver, in this case it may be pointless. Boiling in an aluminum pan will be most effective. If you don't have an aluminum pan, add a piece of foil. The rest are water, soda and salt. Decorations are placed in the pan, the water is brought to a boil, soda and salt are sprinkled on top, one teaspoon at a time. You need to boil for a few minutes. The jewelry should lighten in a matter of minutes. This method is also effective for cleaning cupronickel.
- It's also worth trying brushing with whitening toothpaste. The main thing is that there is a whitening component present. Remember that the brush should have soft bristles.
ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT
choose silver jewelry with blackening ⇒
Remove your favorite jewelry when preparing food, cleaning, coming into contact with chemicals such as powder or dishwashing detergent, or applying skin care cosmetics. Silver darkens when in contact with certain foods, including eggs and onions. Even on a high-quality product, a dark coating appears over time. This is a natural and long-term process. You should worry if the decoration becomes dark within a few days!
Volatile sulfur compounds that lead to oxidation are also present in the air. The concentration can be increased in enterprises during the combustion of coal, oil products, and during the evaporation of sea water spray.
How to clean radiated metal
Argentum coated with rhodium has a very attractive appearance and dazzling shine. In order for a product to last for a long time, it must be stored correctly and properly care for its appearance. We will answer the question of how to clean radiated silver below.
All types of cleaning that are suitable for ordinary silver will not work. The rhodium plating has a thin layer that is very easy to damage or wear off. Therefore, cleaning methods should be gentle and gentle.
As a preventive measure, just warm water will do, under which you need to rinse the jewelry. To add shine, rubbing should only be done with soft cloths, fleece, velvet or suede.
Soap solution. For it you need to prepare soap shavings and dissolve them in warm water. Bathe your jewelry in this solution. You can use a cotton pad.
Glycerol. Wipe the decoration with glycerin and a cotton swab. Then polish with a soft cloth.
Darkening is a statistical error
For us, Customer satisfaction is issue No. 1. Therefore, we have objective detailed statistics of all problem situations, including defects and darkening of jewelry.
This is what the statistics on the satisfaction of our RETAIL Clients looks like for a short period in early spring.
It is very important to consider retail sales - retail customers immediately begin to use jewelry , so the statistics are more objective. For wholesale Clients, jewelry may linger for a significant period of time in a warehouse or counter. And products darken, as a rule, precisely when worn.
How to clean gold-plated silver
To clean gold-plated silver, it is best to use proven methods. Namely soda and ammonia. Soda (50 grams) must be diluted in 1 liter of warm water and the products should be immersed there for several hours.
In the case of ammonia, it must be diluted with water in a ratio of 1 to 1. Immerse and rinse jewelry.
A rare but nasty situation...
Darkening of our jewelry is extremely rare. The evidence will be below. But the question is worth looking into.
Beginner sellers do not have sufficient understanding of this issue. And when a problem occurs, it is difficult to find the right words and make the right decision when communicating with the Client.
Below I will talk about the quality of our products, the stages of control, and about 998 out of 1000 satisfied Clients. This will give you complete insight and peace of mind in the event of one-off jewelry issues with your retail customers.
100% guarantee: peace of mind at our expense
As you already know, 2-3 of our jewelry per thousand sold become dark. It is not at all difficult for us to meet halfway with the Client and simply return the payment. The client calms down, but for us the losses are ridiculous. It is more important that the Client remains satisfied.
If the jewelry was of poor quality, we would only return the money. And since I am confident in the quality of the products, I can easily afford this approach.
Therefore, we also provide a guarantee for our wholesale Clients: if your retail Client complains about defects or oxidation, we will return your payment. And you can be a generous and decent seller at the expense of the supplier!
Is oxidation a defect?
It is not true to say that darkening of jewelry is a defect. No one is bothered by yellowed silver or darkened gold. Everyone knows that jewelry needs to be cleaned!
But in costume jewelry (especially among retail clients) a different idea has developed. The Retail Client is confident that you can swim or sunbathe in costume jewelry - although this is not recommended even with jewelry. And if, God forbid, the costume jewelry darkens, then this is “cheap China”, of course... Gold and silver worth tens of thousands of rubles have darkened - this is the norm, and costume jewelry for a thousand or two rubles is “cheap China”. Of course not.
But fighting the attitudes of retail clients is pointless (a waste of effort and money). Small business does not create new installations, but operates under existing conditions.
Therefore, in case of darkening, we always apologize and make a replacement, as if it were defective - just based on the photo.
What to do if the Client complains about darkening?
1) Do not argue or make any claims regarding the improper use of jewelry
2) Accept returns, return payment as quickly as possible
3) Apologize (not for the quality of the product, but for the unpleasant emotions when interacting with the store)
4) Remind for the future about the care recommendations from our memo, which we include in each wholesale order
5) Send a photo to our managers via WhatsApp or email and receive monetary compensation for the decoration
conclusions
Under certain conditions, any jewelry darkens: jewelry and costume jewelry, expensive and cheap.
Costume jewelry “Sea of Shine” is high-quality and durable, it can be safely sold at retail. This is confirmed by statistics and crash tests.
We guarantee that in the event of a Customer complaint, you will receive full compensation for the wholesale price of the jewelry simply based on a photo of the defect or darkening
It is important to provide clients with care recommendations
In most cases of darkening, the jewelry can be cleaned with a special product or cloth.
