How to Prevent Jewelry From Tarnishing

A couple of weeks later you open your jewelry box and see it  a dark, dull, and sometimes greenish coating on a favorite piece. Your silver necklace lost its shine, your gold-plated ring is altered around the edges, and your summer bracelet isn't the same anymore.

Welcome to the club of people who struggle with tarnishing jewelry.

The bright side is that tarnishing is often preventable and is related to how you store, wear and clean your jewelry pieces. As soon as you learn why this process takes place, it will become much simpler to protect your jewels.

This article provides information on what causes tarnishing, which precious metals are most likely to become discolored, how to avoid this problem, and where lab grown diamond jewelry comes into play.

 What Is Tarnish? Why Does It Occur?

Tarnish is not just dirt or natural wear. It occurs through chemical reactions where specific metals react with humidity, oxygen, sulfur or some other chemicals, forming a dull or dark coating on the surface of the metal.

 Which Jewelry Metals Tarnish the Most?

Sterling silver: Tarnishes quickly, developing a dark gray or black tint.
Brass, bronze: Develops a greenish or brownish tint.
Copper: Develops a natural brown or green patina due to chemical reactions with air and moisture.
Gold-plated jewelry: Gold coating does not usually tarnish, but the base metal beneath can become tarnished due to gradual wearing out of the plating.

 Which Metals Tarnish Least Often?

Solid 14K and 18K gold: High resistance to tarnishing. May appear dull due to buildup of oils or other products, but such discolorations are removable by cleaning.
Platinum: Great resistance to tarnishing and oxidation. The natural patina on platinum occurs due to minute surface scratches, not tarnish.
Lab-grown diamonds: Diamonds do not tarnish or develop any color. However, they tend to accumulate soap, lotion or oils on their surfaces, reducing their shine but easily removable by cleaning.

To have the easiest maintenance of jewelry over a long period of time, the best choice would be lab-grown diamond jewelry in solid 14K or 18K gold and platinum.

The Six Main Causes of Tarnish — and How to Neutralize Each

Cause 1: Sulfur in the Air

Air itself can cause your jewelry to turn black. The metal in your jewelry combines with sulfur compounds present in the air, forming a thin layer of dark coating on the jewelry even when it’s safely kept inside a drawer.

Prevention: Store your silver jewelry in air-sealed bags along with anti-tarnish strips that will help absorb any sulfur from the surroundings.

This becomes relatively less of a problem for lab-created diamond jewelry as these are often made using metals that are very difficult to tarnish.

Cause 2: Moisture and Humidity

The presence of moisture could cause the process of tarnish to occur faster, especially for silver, brass, and copper jewelry. This may include bathrooms, kitchens, and humid weather conditions.

Prevention tips:

•  Do not wear jewelry during showers, baths, or swimming.
•  Do not store jewelry in places that are warm and moist, such as the bathroom.
•  Place silica gel packs in the jewelry box if living in humid weather conditions.
  
•  Ensure the complete drying of the jewelry before storing it.
  
  

Cause 3: Skin Interaction and Body Chemistry

Your skin could be one of the factors contributing to the tarnishing process. Your skin’s oils, moisture, and sweat could interact with metal jewelry and cause tarnishing more rapidly.

How to prevent this:

• Clean your jewelry to get rid of any oils and sweat on the jewelry.
• Apply any lotions, perfumes, and makeup prior to wearing your jewelry.
• Take off your jewelry when exercising to avoid sweating on them.
  
• If your silver is very prone to tarnishing on your skin, go for solid gold and platinum jewelry.

Cause 4: Cosmetics, Perfumes, and Lotions

Cosmetics such as perfume, lotion, makeup, and hair products tend to hasten the process of tarnishing once they interact with particular metals. That is the reason why the “last on, first off” tip becomes very important.

How to avoid it:

• Apply jewelry last after all the cosmetics have been applied.
• Take off the jewelry first before removing makeup and applying lotion.
• Clean the jewelry to get rid of the accumulated products.
  

When it comes to lab-created diamond jewelry, none of these products would cause any tarnishing, but they would leave the surface of the diamond dull and take away its luster.

Cause 5: Household Chemicals

Cleaning agents, bleaches, and chlorine may cause harm to your jewelry if repeatedly exposed to them. They have the capacity to cause discoloration, deteriorate some metal alloys, and affect jewelry settings.

Ways to avoid it:

•  Remove jewelry when you clean your house.
•  Remove them when you go for swimming in swimming pools or jacuzzis.
•  In case there is an encounter between your jewelry and any chemicals, wash them thoroughly with clean water.
•  Stay away from cleaning agents and any other harmful chemicals.
  

In the case of valuable lab-grown diamond jewelry, staying away from harsh chemicals is the best way to preserve them.

Cause 6: Inadequate Storage – This Overlooked Issue

The way in which you store your jewelry is quite important. Jewelry left exposed to the air, stored in bunches or in a moist environment such as a bathroom will result in the jewelry getting tarnished and scratched sooner.

How to avoid this problem:

•  Store individual pieces of jewelry separately in a cloth or velvet pouch.
•  Use an anti-tarnish jewelry box or anti-tarnish lined drawers.
•  Keep jewelry in a cool and dry area.
•  Use anti-tarnish strips/silica gel packs for silver jewelry.
•  Do not use rubber-lined boxes or products containing sulfur.
  
  

Metal-by-Metal Tarnish Prevention Guide

The different metals require different care as well. Below is a brief rundown on how to maintain your different types of jewelry.

Solid Gold (14K and 18K)

Risk of tarnishing: Low.

Solid gold does not tarnish, but it will become dull from soap, lotion, and oils from the skin.

Cleaning tips:

Polish weekly if worn everyday.
Use warm water, dish soap, and a soft toothbrush.
Pat dry with a soft cloth.
You can have it professionally polished every 1 to 2 years.

White gold: The rhodium plating will wear off after a while, showing the gold underneath. This is not tarnishing and can be easily fixed with professional re-plating.

Platinum

Risk of tarnishing: Virtually non-existent.

Platinum does not tarnish, but normal wear will give it a slight matte appearance due to micro-abrasions. 

Cleaning tips:

Clean with warm soapy water and a soft brush.
Get it professionally polished if you would like to return it back to its original shine.

Sterling Silver

Tarnish risk: High.

Silver is highly reactive to many materials found in the environment, making storage vital.

Storage advice:

Always store sterling silver pieces in a sealed bag or anti-tarnish bag.
Include an anti-tarnish strip or a packet of silica gel.
Tarnish can be cleaned using an appropriate silver polish.
Do not use abrasives near lab-created diamonds.

Pro Tip: Wear your silver jewelry often to prevent any visible tarnishing since wearing it will provide some polishing.

Gold Plated Jewelry

Tarnish risk: Medium to high as the plating fades.

Gold is not likely to tarnish; however, as the gold layer wears off, the base metal becomes visible and subject to tarnishing.

Storage advice:

Never expose it to water, fragrances, lotions, and other chemicals.
Always store the item separately.
Limit its use whenever possible.

Daily use jewelry should always be made of gold or platinum rather than plated gold.

The Anti-Tarnish Storage System: Store Jewelry the Right Way

Proper storage is the simplest way of protecting your jewelry from getting tarnished. It is important to minimize the presence of air, moisture and contacts with other pieces.

Store in Separate Bags

Each piece of jewelry should be stored separately in soft bags or pouches made of cloth or velvet to minimize possible scratches, tangles, and air exposure.

When storing silver jewelry, use anti-tarnish bags.

Purchase Anti-Tarnish Jewelry Case

You can also use an anti-tarnish lined jewelry case for better protection. Place it in a cool and dry area and change the lining according to the manufacturer's recommendations.

Add Anti-Tarnish Strips

It is useful to put an anti-tarnish strip in your jewelry box or drawer to neutralize the substances in the air that cause silver jewelry to tarnish. Change them according to the product recommendations.

Use Silica Gel

Silica gel packets will help to keep the environment dry inside the storage for your jewelry. It is especially helpful if you live in humid areas.

Simple advice: keep your jewelry dry, separated and covered when you do not wear it.

How Lab-Grown Diamonds Fit Into the Tarnish Conversation

Lab-created diamonds do not tarnish. This stone does not oxidize, change color or react with moisture and air. Should the stone become dull after wearing, it means there is some kind of dirt on its surface – soap, body lotions, oil or other substance.

What About the Setting?

Depending on the metal the diamond is set in, you will need different amount of maintenance:

• 14K or 18K gold: very resistant to tarnishing
• Platinum: extremely resistant to tarnishing
• Sterling silver: requires anti-tarnishing treatment regularly
• Gold plated: this metal might wear off, leaving metal behind, which might be vulnerable to tarnishing.
  

For the everyday wear of lab-created diamonds jewelry, solid gold or platinum setting provides the best option.

How to Restore the Dullness of Lab Created Diamond

When you see that your diamond is not as bright as before, you can restore its shine with cleaning:

• Soak it in warm water with a little dish soap for 15-20 minutes.
• Brush it with a soft-bristle toothbrush.
• Rinse it with clean water.
• Dry it with a lint free towel.
• Dry it in the air.
  

Diamond didn't lose its brilliance it was just covered with some dirt that prevented it from shining.

Common Tarnish Prevention Mistakes

Even the smallest habits can have a huge impact on the preservation of jewelry.

Putting jewelry in the bathroom :  Humidity may accelerate the process of tarnishing, particularly for silver. Instead, try to keep your jewelry in a cool and dry place.
Keeping your pieces in an open dish : Being constantly exposed to air may speed up the tarnishing process. Instead, store your pieces in separate pouches where possible.
Wearing your jewelry in swimming pools : Chlorine may damage certain metals and weaken the settings in general, even if the particular metal does not tarnish.
Using perfumes with jewelry : Spray your perfume, apply lotion and cosmetics prior to wearing your jewelry.
Not cleaning your jewelry regularly : Cleaning will prevent any buildups from happening and make further maintenance easier.
Never changing storage products : Anti-tarnish strips and silica gels become less effective with time. Change them in accordance with instructions.

A simple tip: Avoid exposing your jewelry to humidity, aggressive substances, and unnecessary air exposure.,

Frequently Asked Questions

Q1: Does lab-grown diamond jewelry tarnish?

No, lab-grown diamonds themselves do not tarnish.

Q2: Why does my gold jewelry look dull if gold doesn't tarnish?

Q3: What is the best storage method to prevent jewelry tarnishing?

Store jewelry in a cool, dry place inside an individual soft pouch or airtight jewelry box

Q4: How do you clean tarnished silver jewelry at home?

For lightly tarnished silver jewelry, gently clean it with a soft polishing cloth or a mild jewelry-cleaning solution designed for silver

Q5: Does solid gold tarnish over time?