Why Sterling Silver Turns Black or Green

Has your Sterling Silver ring become black or tarnished? Is the ring leaving a black or green mark on your finger? Here are some possible explanations, and some steps you can take to remedy the situation

1. Cosmetics

Make-up present on the skin or clothing is the most common cause of blackening or smudging. Cosmetics often contain chemical compounds which are harder than the jewelry itself. These compounds can rub off very tiny particles of metal which oxidize, in the same way an apple does once cut, and appear as jet black dust.

Solution: Remember to remove rings & jewelry while applying make-up. Using soap & water, clean the areas of your skin that will come into contact with the jewelry. If you forget and you already have tarnish, channel your inner Downton Abby staff member and get polishing with silver cloth.

2. Moisture & Humidity

Moisture in the air or on the skin can react with the copper present in all Sterling Silver jewelry, causing a green discoloration. This is a fairly common complaint in hot, humid climates and can also affect individuals with particularly moist skin.

Solution: Again, using a silver cloth, polish your jewelry frequently. You might also use an absorbent powder on those moist skin areas which come into contact with your jewelry.

Keep your silver jewelry out of the bathroom and shower area. Leave your silver jewelry at home when you go to the gym, pool, or steam room at a spa.

3. Contact with Sulfur Compounds

Sulfur compounds can also cause Sterling Silver to rapidly tarnish producing a layer of an unsightly black mineral called silver sulfide. Found in hot springs, some vegetables and seafood, cleaning products and some swimming pools, sulfur and silver should be kept well apart.

Solution: Avoid wearing your jewelry in heavily polluted environments. Remove your sterling silver when handling coal or oil, and when preparing foods containing sulphur such as eggs, onions, fish or shellfish. Some swimming pools also use sulfur in their water cleaning systems so again swimming with silver is a no go. Even some rubber gloves that are made using sulfur can ironically cause tarnish to silver rings or bracelets so it is best to remove them when cleaning.

4. Soaps and detergents trapped under jewelry

Soaps, detergents and other cleaning agents can build up under jewelry, especially rings, causing a type of contact dermatitis. Medications in the wearer's system, especially certain antibiotics, can also cause jewelry to blacken or discolor.

Solution: Ideally remove all rings before using soap or detergent, and clean the rings frequently. If you do have a reaction, remove your jewelry until the reaction has died down. You an then clean your jewelry before putting it back on and if your reaction was caused by a build up under the jewelry this should be problem solved.

Am I allergic to Sterling Silver?

If none of the explanations above are ringing any bells for you, you may consider the possibility that you are “allergic” to sterling silver. In some rare cases, the wearer's basic body chemistry reacts to the alloys in both gold and silver and cause tarnishing.

Prevention is better than cure!

As with most things in life it is better to prevent a problem rather than trying to fix it! Below are a few simple tips on how to help prevent tarnishing on your silver jewelry:

1. Keep sterling silver clean

After wearing your sterling silver jewelry, clean it with a dry soft cloth, or polishing cloth, before storing it away.

2. Keep sterling silver safe and dry

Store your clean dry sterling silver jewelry in a dry airtight container. Small zip-loc bags or Tupperware work very well. It is better to store pieces individually if possible decreasing the risk pieces scratching off each other. If you will be storing a piece for a significant period of time, adding an anti-tarnish strip with the silver jewelry in a zip-loc bag or airtight container can slow down the natural tarnishing process even further. And of course take off your silver jewelry before anything that might speed up tarnishing outlined above.