Why does silver jewelry tarnish?

Answer by  johnresa (2455)

Tarnish on silver is caused by silver sulfide. hat is silver's reaction to coming in contact with sulfur in the air. There are cloths you can buy to wrap your jewelry in that would prevent most of the tarnish from appearing.

Answer by  quisqualis (1756)

One of silver's properties is that it is prone to tarnishing. As it turns out, it is not the oxygen in the air that tarnishes silver, but rather it is sulfur. Since all air has at least a little sulfur in it, tarnishing is inevitable.

Answer by  CynthiaMintier (117)

Silver Jewelry oxides from the air and it gets dirty from the oils on your skin and or lotions or in contact with water.

Answer by  Michele13 (1188)

Silver jewelry is susceptible to tarnish because of exposure to certain chemical compounds found all around you,like sulphur.Also,different manufacturers use different metals in the silver alloy,allowing differences in the rate it can tarnish.

Answer by  KellyJo (26)

When your sliver tarnishes and you get those black spots, it's actually silver sulfide. It is the result of being exposed to sulfur which is a normal component in air.

Answer by  bean11 (2803)

The metal alloys present in silver cause this type of metal to tarnish more quickly than other metals, such as gold or platinum.

Answer by  Chiyamaka (846)

It is because of everything in the air, that is why most silver jewelry must be stored in a jewelry bog or a special bag. If you have to clean your often, the I suggest getting a special cleaning cloth which you can probably pick up at your local jeweler for $5