Why does silver darken on the human body

With current prices, gold items are not available to everyone. Silver attracts with its availability and wide assortment. But sometimes the joy of shopping passes quickly - for some people, the silver chain can literally darken before their eyes, for others it happens a little later.

Do not rush to the store to make claims for a low-quality product to the seller. Not always the reason is non-observance of the technology of making silver jewelry. Then why does silver darken on a human body?

Those who believe in superstition will take seriously the assurances of "smart people" that a person is being corrupted. Moreover, it is considered the worst omen if the cross is blackened. The blacker it is, the more terrible the curse on the person.

Signs say:

• the ring has darkened - the girl is wearing a crown of celibacy;
• the chain on the man's neck changed color - he was jinxed. The darkened earrings in the ears will also say the same;
• the cross on the body of the baptized person became black - the most powerful curse, which not every magician can remove;
• the silver dishes have darkened, tarnished - the house is unclean.

Someone believes in these signs, begins to listen to themselves, someone is in a hurry to "remove the damage" to fortune-tellers. They are unlikely to help, because the reasons for the darkening of silver jewelry are not the influence of otherworldly forces, but the influence of completely earthly factors.

You should not listen to idle arguments about how silver "takes" all negative energy from a person, and therefore it is covered with a bloom. The chain has darkened - it means that it protected its owner from evil spirits, dark forces.

Much more often one hears the argument that silver jewelry turns black if a person is sick. But you really need to listen to him. Only there is nothing supernatural here - the oxidation of silver, which has entered into interaction with sweat, is a natural process. It only manifests itself in everyone in different ways: in some, oxidation occurs slowly, only with active sports, swimming in sea water, in others, the new chain may darken before our eyes.

A scientific look at strange things

Silver darkens over time, even if a person does not wear it. And this is a fact that can be explained by the fact that ordinary chemical reactions occur, as a result of which silver reacts with hydrogen sulfide, oxidation occurs, and a layer of silver sulfide appears on the surface of a ring or other jewelry.

Hydrogen sulfide is in the air, only its amount may vary depending on various factors: the presence of emissions from industrial enterprises, the composition of the air in different regions. It is enough to change your place of residence and see how your favorite ring is covered with a bloom.

On the human body, oxidation processes occur faster. Sweat contains sulfuric acid salts (sulfites), which react with silver during active perspiration. When playing sports, active physical work, sweat is released more, respectively, and the silver jewelry will darken faster. Therefore, it is recommended in the gym to remove chains that are in close contact with the body.

How quickly the oxidation reaction takes place will depend on the composition of the alloy from which the jewelry is made. It is no secret that earrings and rings are not made of pure gold or silver. Alloys are used in production: copper, palladium and other metals are added to silver 999.9 ("four nines"). If there is a lot of copper in the composition - it also tends to oxidize - the jewelry will darken faster, but palladium or platinum will slow down the reaction. Protects silver from rhodium oxidation, which is why most jewelry is rhodium-plated.

Stress, sports and ... sauna

Exercise and active movement increase sweating. Fright, stress cause the same reactions in the body.

In the bath, sauna, high humidity, which does not allow sweat to quickly evaporate from the body, as a result of which the concentration of sulfur salts on the skin increases. They react with silver, and the result is that the silver chain turns black after visiting the steam room.

However, sweat can provoke the opposite reaction: it contains nitric acid salts that destroy silver sulfide.

Let's talk about health

Is the statement justified that silver darkens on the body of a person suffering from some kind of disease? Yes, and the explanation for this reaction is simple: the sweat of a person suffering from kidney disease, liver disease, and problems with the endocrine system changes its composition. Therefore, some people suffering from cardiovascular diseases cannot wear silver: it quickly begins to turn black on their body, literally before their eyes.

With hormonal changes in the human body (in adolescents, pregnant women, people taking hormonal drugs), similar reactions to silver are possible. Certain medications can also affect the composition of sweat and, consequently, how it interacts with silver jewelry.

Based on all that has been said, it becomes clear why silver does not darken in the same way:

How to get rid of plaque

If you notice that a beautiful chain, bought just recently, has darkened, do not rush to the fortuneteller to remove the damage. You can remove plaque from the product at home. Some begin to complain: “I clean, I clean the chain, and it darkens again. Probably not silver? "

To get rid of dark plaque on jewelry at home, you can clean them with a solution of ammonia: 1 tbsp. a spoonful of ammonia (sold in a pharmacy) for half a liter of warm water. Dissolve the ammonia, dip the silver there, and as soon as you see that it has returned to its original color, rinse with warm running water.

Important: this method is not suitable for cleaning rhodium-plated items, they will not only lose their shine, but become unusable. It is recommended to rinse such products in warm water, and then polish with a special napkin. This will give them their original look and shine.

You can also restore beauty to silver jewelry in other ways, for example, with the help of soda. Make a gruel out of baking soda and water and spread it on a ring or chain. Clean until the jewelry is light and shiny. Rinse with water, removing the baking soda.

Video on the topic: If silver turns black on a person

You can dissolve citric acid in water and add a piece of copper wire to it. Place the container with the solution in a water bath, after boiling, immerse the jewelry in water, after 15 minutes, rinse with water and polish.