Silver jewelry is a great way to complement any outfit with grace and elegance, be it an evening dress or a formal pantsuit. But, unfortunately, over time, silver jewelry can lose its shine and iridescent color and become covered with the so-called patina (dark coating).
Why does silver on the human body darken? This happens due to chemical reactions between silver and skin. However, in addition to the strictly scientific explanation of this phenomenon, there are many signs indicating the reasons for the darkening of the metal.
Why does silver on the human body darken?
If your silver has turned black, yellowed or oxidized, it means it's time to have your jewelry cleaned. Additionally, a silver product can be plated with rhodium – it prevents the metal from blackening. So, let's figure out why silver turns green on the human body, why a favorite piece of jewelry can turn black or oxidize - both from a scientific and a layman's point of view.
Causes of silver blackening
There are several versions explaining why silver on the human body turns black, many of which are associated specifically with folk superstitions. Since ancient times, it was believed that the alloy had miraculous powers and protected against negative influences, and silver items were used in religious rituals.
Science explains the reason for the darkening of the alloy by the presence of sulfur coming into contact with silver. Medicine, in turn, believes that the reason for the tarnishing of metal lies in the state of health, as it interacts with bacteria through a certain chemical process.
Tarnished silver earrings
Popular beliefs
Superstitious people, seeing a blackened piece of jewelry on a person or the skin underneath it, recommend immediately turning to healers. According to popular belief, silver changes color on a cursed person or when there is damage. It is the first to suffer from “black” energy, letting it through and becoming darker. The degree of darkening determines the strength or level of negative energy from the induced damage.
A common belief is that a darkened ring on the hand of an unmarried girl promises a celibate life, a chain speaks of the evil eye, and a cross indicates a strong curse. After eliminating all the negative things, the silver item brightens, that is, all the “dark” energy goes away.
In eastern countries there is a different opinion about tarnished silver items. There I believe that silver is a reliable protector from evil spirits and troubles. If a person’s jewelry has darkened, then he has successfully avoided dangerous troubles. The fact of protection is reflected in the color of the product. It was also believed that silver was a conductor to the world of spirits. On a long journey they always took something silver and looked after it carefully. If a dark coating formed, the route was changed or the trip was abandoned. If the silver turned completely black, then the trouble was over; when it was slightly dark, the danger had not yet passed.
Beliefs also speak of the protective functions of silver from evil spirits, ghosts and werewolves. In ancient times, silver was used to make amulets: an anchor for travelers, crosses on the body, a moon over the bed against nightmares, a bell to cleanse rooms from evil forces, etc.
In ancient Rus' it was believed that silver darkens after an evil and bad deed with serious consequences in the future. This especially applied to crosses and chains. The blackness of the act is reflected in the silver, which is ashamed to shine brightly and attract others to this person. If a person’s chain suddenly darkened for no apparent reason, then he was tested for possession. It was believed that only a possessed person could commit a bad act and hide it in confession. Such a person was not scolded, but helped. To test, we used holy and ordinary water. Holy water was poured into six glasses, and plain water into the seventh. It was believed that if a person constantly chooses a glass of plain water, then the demon takes his hand away, to which holy water is like a burn for people. This method was used quite seriously by the police when investigating cases. According to records and eyewitness accounts, the possessed constantly chose a glass of plain water, while an ordinary person did this alternately.
It is interesting that in Western Europe it was not recommended to remove darkened items, although they lost their protective power. It was believed that a repeated attack could be successful if the decoration that took the blow was removed. They sacrificed aesthetics, but did not part with their trusty silver objects.
Scientists tend to attribute mystical theories about the darkening of jewelry to the fruits of fantasy.
Impact of dark forces
Since ancient times, silver has been considered a symbol of spiritual beauty and purity, which is why church attributes were made from it. If you believe the legends, then with the help of noble metal you can fight evil spirits. Even today, it is believed that this unique alloy is a natural talisman against negative energy and protects against damage, love spells, the evil eye, and evil and envious people.
Signs and superstitions
Our ancestors believed that silver products have a unique ability to absorb negativity, thereby protecting its owner from the effects of evil spirits. If the silver jewelry has darkened, it means that the owner managed to avoid serious troubles.
Damage or evil eye
According to magicians, an indifferent attitude towards the world around us, malaise, lack of appetite, and irritation indicate that a person is under the influence of a dark force. The influence of black magic can be determined by the silver jewelry:
- Ring. Talks about big failures on the love front. For a girl this means the crown of celibacy, for a man it means a love spell.
- Earrings. Indicates the evil eye.
- Chain. Damage.
- Cross. A strong curse, sometimes even “to death”.
- Dishes. The presence of evil spirits in the house, perhaps some damage was done.
Thus, darkened silver seems to suggest that it took a negative blow and protected its owner from evil spells.
Signs about darkened silver
In folk legends, silver has a special place - it protects against evil spirits, protects against the evil eye and plays a large role in magical rituals. Blackening of silver signs are explained in different ways. Everything is important here - the part of the body on which the jewelry was worn, the gender and age of the owner, and even the type of item.
So, if a silver chain with a pectoral cross turns black on your neck, signs will say that you have been damaged, or have been very strongly jinxed. If the silver chain on a child’s neck becomes dark, you should go to the priest as soon as possible and once again consecrate both the cross and the chain in order to protect the child from evil spirits.
A chain with a pectoral cross turned black on the neck
If silver turns black on a man’s body, it means that someone’s evil intent condemns him to the life of a bachelor. It’s the same with a young girl - if her silver jewelry suddenly turns black, it means she’s wearing the crown of celibacy.
Not only jewelry, but also household products can turn black. So, if the silverware turns black, then according to signs, evil spirits have appeared in the house. To get rid of uninvited neighbors, sprinkle the house with holy water and read a prayer.
Health problems
According to doctors, silver can darken if the endocrine system is disrupted; this occurs, first of all, due to increased sweating. Sweat contains a large amount of hydrogen sulfide, upon contact with which a chemical reaction occurs in the alloy, and the metal begins to change its color. If sweating is normal, oxidation occurs unnoticed and dark plaque appears gradually.
Increased sweating does not always indicate any disease. Sweating can also be caused by physical activity and active sports. But if the silver quickly acquires a dark shade, it is, of course, better to contact a specialist.
According to science, there is no mysticism in the darkening of metal. Oxygen, interacting with sulfur compounds, enters into a complex reaction. Oxidation occurs as a result of this, so the color of the alloy changes.
Doctors' explanation
Doctors have their own explanation for the blackening of silver. From their point of view, a change in the color of jewelry occurs due to serious health problems. These include:
- improper functioning of the kidneys and liver;
- disrupted hormonal levels;
- disease of the thyroid gland, endocrine system.
Jewelry may turn black during pregnancy or breastfeeding, which is also associated with hormonal changes.
There have been documented cases of silver darkening while taking medications. Some of them lead to changes in the composition of sweat and an increase in the concentration of sulfur in it. To top it all off, the decoration changes color even in the vicinity of sulfur-containing drugs.
Pendants and chains that are in active contact with skin secretions darken the most. Their composition changes during hormonal imbalances, changes in the body, etc. In such cases, the product will darken in a few days.
Silver darkens if the diet frequently contains mayonnaise, onions, salty foods, eggs, and salad sauces.
The color of silver changes when the acid-base balance changes. A sharp lightening may indicate problems in the liver or kidneys, as nitrogen begins to be actively released. It gives silver shine.
We can conclude that if silver jewelry darkens, it is better to undergo a full medical examination. This will help identify serious diseases at an early stage.
Doctors also talk about blackening of products due to severe anxiety and stress, increased physical activity, and increased sweating. Before active sports, it is better to remove all jewelry. You should not take them to the sauna or bathhouse.
Silver really helps maintain health. This white metal has antibacterial and wound-healing effects, which can be easily tested using a silver ion patch.
Silver is administered intravenously for sore joints and inflammation of the respiratory system. Medicines for the treatment of certain diseases of the digestive system also contain silver.
What enhances the oxidation of silver?
Cosmetics such as shampoos, soaps, creams, when they come into contact with jewelry, accelerate the oxidation process of silver. Usually this happens slowly, and the alloy changes its color gradually, but there are factors that enhance this effect.
Darkened chain with a cross
Stress, sport and bath
Physical activity, stress, nervous strain, and going to the bathhouse increase the work of the sebaceous glands, which contributes to increased sweating. With an intensified process, the content of sulfide concentrate also increases, which means that the oxidation process occurs much faster, the result is that the jewelry loses its original appearance and darkens.
Low purity and impurities
Premature discoloration of silver items can occur due to the high content of impurities that are added to the alloy. Natural silver itself is too soft to make the product more durable; other noble metals are added to it. If more of a component is added than required, the alloy will turn out to be of poor quality, which means it will quickly darken.
For jewelry, 925 sterling silver with a small addition of copper is usually used. It is less prone to darkening, but copper, when in contact with sweat, interacts with sulfur salts, forming a blackish coating on the surface of the alloy.
Increased air humidity
Too much humidity can have a big impact on the appearance of your silver piece. With increased humidity, the process of sweat evaporation slows down and the concentration of sulfur salts increases. By entering into a complex reaction with them, silver sulfide oxidizes, and the jewelry quickly begins to darken.
Interestingly, sweat can also cause lightening of products, since it contains nitric acid. When it interacts with silver sulfide, it destroys it, that is, it changes the color of the alloy from dark to light.
Use of silver in the jewelry industry
The advantage of silver is its ease of processing. It is distinguished by plasticity and softness. Thanks to this, it becomes possible to produce a variety of products and create coatings. Features of the use of precious metal:
- a wide range of silver jewelry: they create rings, bracelets, earrings, chains, church and decorative crosses, the variety of jewelry models is due to the fact that this metal is easy to work with, you can give it a variety of shapes to improve the properties of pure Ag, alloys are added to the composition - additives, increasing hardness, thereby increasing the service life of jewelry;
- impurities and samples: silver is part of many alloys; it is used for various purposes, for example, to change the properties of platinum group metals, gold, to modify the composition to obtain a material of a lighter shade;
- popular standard: jewelry of several groups is most often produced (875, 925 and 960 samples), this means that 1000 g of the alloy contains a significant proportion of Ag (87.5%, 92.5% or 96%), the rest of the volume is the alloy, The fewer additives, the higher the value of jewelry; among the existing ones, 925 sterling items are especially in demand.
Silver popular standard 925
Wedding rings are most often made from the popular standard metal (925), it is distinguished by moderate hardness, but with frequent wear it is necessary to periodically restore the product, since the surface is damaged (an alloy with a low content of ligatures), it is necessary to ensure regular care of the jewelry.
How to avoid tarnishing of silver?
To avoid darkening of silver jewelry, you must follow simple recommendations:
- do not wear them in a bathhouse or sauna;
- do not wear products when sick;
- remove silver when cleaning at home;
- store jewelry separately from others.
It is not recommended to wear a silver product immediately after cleaning; it is necessary to let it sit for several days so that the surface of the alloy is covered with a natural protective film.
Silver cleaning
Why does a silver chain turn black?
The scientific explanation for this phenomenon comes down to the fact that you were sold or given a low-quality product that contains alloys of cheap metals. This explanation of the fact why a silver chain turns black does not always work. Indeed, hydrogen sulfide leaves black spots on silver, but, as is known, this substance does not appear just like that.
If you have been subjected to an energy attack, after the blackened silver, more obvious signs of damage, the evil eye or a curse will appear over time. First it is insomnia, tormenting nightmares, and then - serious problems in your personal life and destructive events in business and at work. In such cases, even regular cleaning of silver jewelry does not help, but a health diagnosis by a clairvoyant can reveal damage, the evil eye or a curse.
How and with what to clean?
You can easily clean silver yourself, using special products that are sold at a household chemical store. But if the jewelry contains expensive stones, then it is better to take it to a jewelry workshop so as not to accidentally spoil it.
Cleaning products
Before cleaning, the product must be rinsed under a thin stream of warm water, dried and polished using a woolen cloth or a special napkin. For more severe contamination, soak the jewelry in warm water with some laundry soap for several hours, then rinse, dry and carefully polish.
Folk recipes
An effective means for cleaning silver jewelry is tooth powder. Apply a small amount of it to a slightly damp soft cloth and clean the products with very careful movements so as not to scratch them.
Ammonia is a good way to remove blackness from silver. Add a little laundry soap and a tablespoon of ammonia to a half-liter container of warm water. The product is left for 20 minutes, rinsed, then wiped dry with a napkin.
Unfortunately, nature works in such a way that it is impossible to rid silver of dark deposits forever. It is very important to properly care for your silver jewelry after cleaning to prevent tarnishing for as long as possible.
If you believe that the darkening of silver is associated with damage or the evil eye, it is advisable to go to church. And if you have health problems, it is recommended to consult a doctor. Tarnished silver items simply need to be cleaned, and proper care will help maintain their proper appearance for a long time.
Jewelry turns black on the body
This phenomenon is observed quite often. The silver chain turns black on the neck because there are many sweat glands in this place, and the darkening of the chain may indicate changes in the body at the hormonal level. The owner of the jewelry needs to be tested for hormones .
Products darken after using a new body care cream. Experts advise removing rings and chains when performing cosmetic procedures.
The cause may also be changes in room temperature or air humidity. Sometimes the product cleaner causes a reaction. Silver can turn black from contact with household chemicals, as well as foods: onions, raw eggs, salt.
