Many women know the disappointment that hits when a favorite piece of jewelry loses its shine and grows dull. Jewelry and other silver plated items often tarnish over time, especially with consistent use.
Tarnishing
Silver plated items, from jewelry to products in industrial applications, will tarnish over time. When silver comes into prolonged contact with ozone, hydrogen sulfide or sulfur, it loses its luster and begins to look dull and murky. Silver plated items tarnish just as easily as solid silver and sterling silver items.
Tarnishing Agents
Some agents speed up the tarnishing process. Perspiration, household chemicals, industrial chemicals, lotions, hairsprays and perfumes all have the potential to speed up the oxidation of silver plating. Wear from daily use can also rub off any protective anti-tarnishing coatings and further expose the silver.
Tarnish Prevention
Silver plated items need a protective coating in order to prevent long-term tarnishing. Several tarnish resistant coatings exist, including rhodium plating, a common coating for silver plated jewelry. Rhodium does not tarnish and has a shiny silver appearance that mimics polished silver. Rhodium, along with many other tarnish-resistant coatings, wears off if over-polished, however, so excessive polishing must be avoided.
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