People love to buy sterling silver jewelry because it is beautiful and affordable.  However, Sterling silver does tarnish over time.  It can go from being a bright silver to a dull yellow to brown and even black.

Silver tarnish is a naturally occurring chemical process that takes place on the surface of the jewelry.  The silver reacts with sulfur containing substances in the air or on your body and forms silver sulfide - which we call tarnish.   The tarnish doesn’t harm the silver but it changes the appearance so it is no longer bright and shiny.

Please note that the idea that tarnish only occurs on items made with low grade silver is simply not true.  The presence of hydrogen sulfide in any material that silver comes into contact with will create silver sulfide.  As stated above, silver tarnish is a natural process and will happen with silver of all grades and purities.  Sterling silver is 92.5%  pure silver with the balance being an alloy of other metals, usually copper.  (This is done to make the silver hard and strong enough to create jewelry.)  The tarnishing of sterling silver has nothing to do with the amount of silver in the item and eventually all silver will tarnish if not properly looked after.

Materials that contain sulfur and contribute to tarnish include wood, felt, rubber, fossil fuel, some types of paint, eggs, and onions.  A hot and  humid climate and air pollution  also contributes to silver tarnish.

So what is the solution to this ?

1. You can simply buff the item with a soft cotton cloth and do this as often as needed to remove the tarnish
2. There are special silver polishing cloths with a tarnish inhibitor that you can use.
3. When you are not wearing your jewelry keep it in a closed container so that it is not exposed to the air.  Little plastic bags are perfect for this.
4. You can buy anti tarnish strips of paper, which is made by companies such as 3M, and place it in a closed container with your silver jewelry.  The paper absorbs the sulfur and prevents the silver from being tarnished.
   
5. Place your jewelry on last and take it off first when you get back home.
6. Don’t wear your jewelry in saunas or swimming pools
7. Avoid getting hair spray and cosmetics on your jewelry which can contribute to tarnish.