Why does a silver necklace turn black? What should I do? Why does a silver necklace turn yellow?

Many people find that silver jewelry will turn yellow and black after being worn for a period of time. This is because silver is an unstable metal and will easily turn black after being worn for a long time. Air is the culprit that accelerates its oxidation.

Silver is a relatively active metal. Sulfur and oxides in the air and other natural media have a certain corrosive effect on silver. Since oxidized silver oxide and silver sulfide are both black, some tiny black spots (silver oxide) or black film (silver sulfide film) will appear on silver jewelry after it has been placed or worn for a period of time. Over time, as the black spots and black film spread, the silver jewelry will slowly change color, and even turn black in severe cases. This is the reason why we see silver jewelry turning black, so it is a normal natural phenomenon for silver jewelry to turn black. Now we know that silver jewelry turns black because it reacts chemically with certain substances in the air, so general washing cannot remove the black on the surface of silver jewelry.

What to do if your silver necklace turns black

Generally, if silver jewelry turns yellow, it can be restored to its original silvery white luster by simply treating it with a silver polishing cloth or silver cleaning water. However, if the silver jewelry turns black after sulfur reaction, it will be difficult to be effective, and you must go to a jewelry store to clean it. Therefore, you should pay attention to keeping the silver jewelry dry during normal maintenance. Don't wear it when swimming, and don't go near hot springs. Seawater contains sulfur and chlorine. After each wearing, you can wipe the surface with a silver polishing cloth to remove moisture and dirt, store it in a sealed bag, and keep it away from light; the best way to maintain silver jewelry is to wear it every day, because the oil in the human body can make the silver jewelry produce a natural and warm luster.

1. Scrub with toothpaste and toothbrush.

2. Apply lipstick to the cloth, wipe the silver jewelry, and finally rinse with water.

3. Apply correction fluid on the silver jewelry and wipe the silver jewelry with a cloth before the correction fluid dries.

4. Soak in Coca-Cola. Coke contains carbonic acid and the soaking time is 12 hours.

5. Use cooking vinegar to scrub, as vinegar contains acetic acid.

6. Soak in overnight tea, which contains oxalic acid.

7. Wipe with a silver-polishing cloth, which contains chemical ingredients that can remove silver oxide.

Why does the silver necklace turn yellow?

It is normal for silver to turn yellow. All metals will oxidize in the air. Water, sulfur and chlorine in the air are the culprits that accelerate its oxidation. Sulfur is the main factor that makes silver turn black. Silver will react strongly when it comes into contact with sulfur-containing substances.

Tips for maintaining silver necklaces

1. Add baking soda to clean water, then clean and wipe the silverware (ornaments), and then wipe off the water.

2. Use silver polishing cloth and silver polishing paste to wipe [it should be available in general jewelry stores. It is especially important to point out that the silver polishing cloth contains special medicine and cannot be washed with water].

3. Use a soft cloth with some toothpaste to scrub the jewelry, then rinse with clean water and wipe with a cotton cloth. (Recommended)

4. Boil strong tea water (preferably green tea), dip a soft cloth in the tea water and wipe the silver jewelry repeatedly. This method is suitable for jewelry with a relatively flat surface, such as bracelets.

5. Soak the silverware or silver ornaments in silver cleaning water, then wash with clean water, and finally wipe them with cotton cloth and keep them dry. However, it is recommended to use silver cleaning water as little as possible, because silver cleaning water is a chemical product, which uses the corrosiveness of the silver cleaning water itself to clean silver ornaments. Long-term use will cause damage to silver ornaments.

6. When silverware is not in use, it is recommended to seal it with a sealed plastic bag to reduce contact with air and slow down the darkening. If the silver necklace you are wearing turns yellow, it must be oxidized. At this time, you'd better use a silver polishing cloth or silver washing water to simply treat the silver necklace, and the silver necklace will become shiny again. The usual maintenance work for wearing a silver necklace must be done properly.