Published: by Eddie Osterland |
permalink Have you ever reached into your jewelry box only to find pieces covered in a black film? I recently had a customer come to me concerned that her beautiful labradorite trillion stud earrings were ruined. They had become nearly black. Yes, black. Once gold, now not so much. Tragic, but all hope is not lost. These earrings are simply tarnished. If you have pieces of jewelry that look like this I'll show you my trick for restoring them to their beautiful gold or silver luster. Let's talk about why this happens. With gold vermeil jewelry (sterling silver with gold plate) its the silver that's causing the reaction. Sterling silver isn't 100% silver, its 92.5% silver and 7.5% alloys. The other alloys, primarily copper, is responsible for the tarnishing reaction. Tarnish can be described as a chemical reaction that happens when silver is exposed to oxygen and sulfur. Tarnish will accelerate when exposed to water, in high humidity areas, and with people who
