Does 925 Sterling Silver Tarnish In Water

Silver plated items are made of a lesser quality metal and then covered with a thin layer of silver making them less valuable than objects made of sterling silver.

Does 925 sterling silver tarnish in water.

Oxygen and moisture alone will not result in silver tarnish without the presence of sulfur compounds. While pure silver is not very reactive and does not tarnish easily the addition of copper makes sterling silver prone to tarnish. But pure silver is also incredibly soft so it cannot be used to make jewelry utensils or serving pieces. Sterling silver jewelry can be identified by a 925 marking.

Water generally does not damage sterling silver. Usually the other 7 5 percent is added copper to give strength to the metal. Next scrub your silver in a back and forth motion with a cotton ball or sponge dipped in soapy water then rinse the silver in warm water and dry it with a soft cotton cloth. However fortunately there are many ways to keep sterling silver from tarnishing.

Since about the 1300s sterling silver jewelry as well as household items have been made using silver and other metals like copper for added strength in a ratio of 92 5 percent silver and 7 5 percent other metals known as 925 sterling silver. But water does cause silver to oxidize darken more quickly and what type of water and the chemicals in it has an impact on how much it will cause your silver change color. Instead metalworkers create an alloy combining pure silver and a small amount of copper to produce a metal that is stronger and more durable than silver on its own. Sterling silver tarnishes turns black as a result of a reaction with sulfur or sulfur compounds in the air producing silver sulfide black.

Pure silver like pure gold does not rust or tarnish. Sterling silver even real 925 sterling silver will always tarnish. While pure 99 9 silver does not tarnish any sterling silver will tarnish over time as a result of the metal mixed in. Sterling silver will last for a long time if cared for properly whereas silver plating generally does not last longer than 20 years.