Hi GA Community :)

I've been having an ongoing problem when wearing my silver jewellery....

After a few hours of wearing it, the silver gets so tarnished it looks
almost black!
Please note, this only happens when I'm wearning REAL silver and not
the costume stuff.

I have purchased all kinds of silver cleaners and cloths and clean my
jewellery diligently before putting it on.
For example, I will put on a sparkly, shiny silver chain and within a
short period it will look awful :(

I've heard that there may be some kind of adverse chemical reaction
that my body may give off that causes the silver to tarnish????
Yikes...

Has anyone ever heard of this before???

Please note, this does not happen when wearing gold jewellery, which I
don't care for as much.

Thanks for any feedback or answer.

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Clarification of Question by steph53-ga on 24 Aug 2004 16:07 PDT

Thanks for all your comments:

Bryan: I will be waiting with *baited* breath for any solution
Samantha may have. I'd sure hate to de-gorgfy ;)

Pink: Thats close to what I heard about the "chemistry" reaction from
my body. So, short of buying new silver plated with rhodium, I guess
I'm doomed to wear the *cheap* imitation silver :(

Monroe: Thanks for your interest and comment, but that idea sounds too
messy and impractical....

Hi, Steph

Yes, one of my daughters has exactly the same problem.

There is a scientific study somewhere that says it only happens to the
most gorgeous people.

So, the solution may be to de-gorgefy.

All the Best

Bryan

Hiya Bryan....

Well, if that's the case, you better not be wearing silver jewellery either:)

Regards,

Steph53

The tarnishing of silver is generally a chemical reaction caused by
the presence of sulfur. Everyone's body chemistry is slightly
different; perhaps your perspiration has a higher sulfur content than
the usual. Acidity may also be a factor.

Silver jewelry that is plated with rhodium is less likely to tarnish.

Hiya, Steff

That's the very reason that I don't wear any silver jewellry.

But I will have a word with my daughter, Samantha, to see how she
solves the problem.

Bestest

Bryan

steph53: It may be possible to resolve the problem if your jewellery
has plane surfaces. You could coat the parts in contact (after
polishing) with clear nail polish and allow time to dry. Of course,
that isn't practical with some configurations, such as chains or fine
detail. And if needed the nail polish can be removed later with nail
polish remover. I can virtually guarantee it would prevent tarnish in
contact with your skin. Good luck.
monroe22

I'd like to put in a plug for a wonderful jewelry-maker, Simply
Whispers. They make hypo-allergenic jewelry. Although they sell real
gold and silver, most of the silvertoned items are made of stainless
steel, which stays bright and shiny and will not tarnish under any
normal conditions. This is very nice stuff, and attractively priced.

http://store.yahoo.com/simplywhispers/

Hi steph,

Silver will sometimes cause skin staining, usually black or green. In
most cases this causes no physical harm and is an aesthetic rather
than a health problem. Silver will naturally turn black when it
oxidizes. The amino acids in your skin can accelerate this. When it is
hot, two factors occur. The metal is more reactive to oxidation when
it is warmer and perspiration can cause a chemically reactive climate.
If the jewelry turns color you can polish it, if the skin turns color
you have to decide how much this bothers you. In cooler weather the
problem might go away but it could be that your chemistry is not
compatible with the material.


Best regards,
tlspiegel

Hi, Again, Steph

Samantha recommends nail varnish, as monroe22 advised.

She's tried everything and, yes, nail varnish is messy.

But it's better than having a black mark.

Try it!

All the Best

Bryan