Does 925 Sterling Silver Tarnish In Water

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.

Does 925 sterling silver tarnish in water.

Next scrub your silver in a back and forth motion with a cotton ball or sponge dipped in soapy water then rinse the silver in warm water and dry it with a soft cotton cloth. Sterling silver jewelry can be identified by a 925 marking. 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. 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.

However fortunately there are many ways to keep sterling silver from tarnishing. Sterling silver tarnishes turns black as a result of a reaction with sulfur or sulfur compounds in the air producing silver sulfide black. Oxygen and moisture alone will not result in silver tarnish without the presence of sulfur compounds. Water generally does not damage sterling silver.

To clean sterling silver that is lightly tarnished rinse the piece with warm water using your hands to wipe away dirt and debris. While pure silver is not very reactive and does not tarnish easily the addition of copper makes sterling silver prone to tarnish. Pure silver like pure gold does not rust or tarnish. Here are the dos and don ts of exposing your silver jewelry to water.

But pure silver is also incredibly soft so it cannot be used to make jewelry utensils or serving pieces. Sterling silver even real 925 sterling silver will always tarnish. This marking refers to the 92 5 percent pure silver composition. While pure 99 9 silver does not tarnish any sterling silver will tarnish over time as a result of the metal mixed in.