Why Does Silver Tarnish?

I opened my jewelry box today, excited to wear a specific pair of silver earrings that would work well with my outfit — only to find they had tarnished. Looks like it’s time to go to FORGE to get a polish! Still, I admit It was a little disappointing, but it's also completely normal.

Why does silver tarnish?

Silver doesn't rust. Instead, sterling silver reacts with sulfur compounds in the air, creating a dark surface layer called silver sulfide, which we see as tarnish.

Tarnishing happens faster when jewelry is exposed to:

• Humidity

• Air pollution

• Cosmetics and lotions

• Household chemicals

• Certain foods

• Swimming pools and hot tubs

This is a custom silver butterfly ring with a diamond from mother's wedding ring. One was given to each of her daughters to incorporate into a ring when they turned 16.

Why sterling silver tarnishes:

Pure silver resists tarnish, but it's too soft for everyday jewelry. That's why most pieces are made from sterling silver, which contains:

• 92.5% silver (fun aside: you can look for a hallmark on your or other’s jewelry to see if it’s real or fake. The marking “925” means it’s real sterling silver, for this reason!)

• 7.5% other metals

The added metal makes your silver stronger, but also more prone to tarnishing over time.

Custom belt buckle and belt accessories with guest’s ranch brand logo on each of the pieces, as well as a matching ring. All pieces were made using sterling silver!

Delicate Arch Utah Moab custom ring made in sterling silver.

Delicate Arch and other monuments Utah custom men’s band made in sterling silver.

Does tarnish mean low quality?

Not at all! In fact, tarnishing is often a sign that your jewelry is genuine sterling silver. Even the highest-quality sterling silver will naturally tarnish with exposure to air and moisture.

How to help prevent tarnish

You can keep your silver looking its best by:

• Storing it in an airtight container

• Using anti-tarnish strips

• Keeping it dry

• Removing it before swimming, showering, or applying lotions and perfumes

Continuum silver and yellow gold Men's band with a topaz center stone and accent diamonds made for our guest Geoff

A little tarnish is simply part of owning real sterling silver — and the good news is it's usually easy to remove with proper cleaning. Come into FORGE to get all your silver jewelry polished — you will be amazed how new it will look!