Does 925 Sterling Silver Tarnish In Water

To clean sterling silver that is lightly tarnished rinse the piece with warm water using your hands to wipe away dirt and debris.

Does 925 sterling silver tarnish in water.

Sterling silver tarnishes turns black as a result of a reaction with sulfur or sulfur compounds in the air producing silver sulfide black. Sterling silver will last for a long time if cared for properly whereas silver plating generally does not last longer than 20 years. Since about the 1300s sterling silver jewelry as well as household items have been made using silver and other metals like copper for added strength in a ratio of 92 5 percent silver and 7 5 percent other metals known as 925 sterling silver. Sterling silver jewelry can be identified by a 925 marking.

While pure 99 9 silver does not tarnish any sterling silver will tarnish over time as a result of the metal mixed in. Oxygen and moisture alone will not result in silver tarnish without the presence of sulfur compounds. However fortunately there are many ways to keep sterling silver from tarnishing. Sterling silver even real 925 sterling silver will always tarnish.

But pure silver is also incredibly soft so it cannot be used to make jewelry utensils or serving pieces. Silver plated items are made of a lesser quality metal and then covered with a thin layer of silver making them less valuable than objects made of sterling silver. But water does cause silver to oxidize darken more quickly and what type of water and the chemicals in it has an impact on how much it will cause your silver change color. Instead metalworkers create an alloy combining pure silver and a small amount of copper to produce a metal that is stronger and more durable than silver on its own.

Here are the dos and don ts of exposing your silver jewelry to water. Pure silver like pure gold does not rust or tarnish. This marking refers to the 92 5 percent pure silver composition. Usually the other 7 5 percent is added copper to give strength to the metal.