Silver turns black because it reacts with sulfur in the air. Traces of gases such as hydrogen sulfide build a thin film of silver sulfide on the surface, and on sterling, the copper in the alloy adds copper sulfide to that film. The Canadian Conservation Institute's guide to silver tarnish explains the chemistry. Real silver does this, copper does too, and some silver is darkened on purpose, so a dark film on its own can't tell you whether a piece is genuine.
Most of the silver we sell is black on purpose as well. Our pieces come from manufacturers in Thailand, and most of them are oxidized: the recesses are darkened so the detail stands out against the polished metal around them. Looking after one means keeping the shine on the raised silver without stripping the black out of the low parts.
Why Does Silver Turn Black When You Wear It?
Silver turns black faster in damp air. The Canadian Conservation Institute (CCI) notes that silver tarnishes faster at higher relative humidity, and nearby materials that give off tarnishing gases can add to it: rubber bands and other vulcanized rubber, wool felt, sulfur-containing adhesives, even eggs.
Skin plays a part too. CCI also notes that salt from fingerprints reacts with silver to form silver chloride, which is light-sensitive and can darken over time. And the Sheffield Assay Office advises keeping perfume, hairspray and body lotion off silver jewelry and taking it off for housework. Put your rings on last and take them off first.
What Is Oxidized Silver? Tarnish vs Our Oxidized Finish
Oxidized silver is silver that has been darkened on purpose, commonly with sulfur compounds, so the black is a surface patina on the metal. On our oxidized silver pieces, which are .925 sterling, the black sits in the recesses and the raised metal around it is polished bright. CCI's conservation notes describe this kind of intentional patina and warn that polishing can lighten or remove it.
With long wear, the black can fade slowly, and that's normal. Tarnish shows up differently: it dulls the bright silver, so an oxidized ring whose raised areas have gone flat and dull needs a gentle wipe, not a new finish.
| Tarnish | Our oxidized finish | |
|---|---|---|
| What it is | A thin film of silver sulfide that forms by itself from sulfur in the air | A dark patina applied on purpose |
| Where it sits | On any exposed silver, the bright raised parts included | In the recesses; the raised metal is polished bright |
| How it looks | Dulls the shine | Black detail against bright silver |
| What takes it off | The cloth, a silver dip or an abrasive | A dip or an abrasive takes it off too; hard rubbing lightens it over time |
How to Clean Oxidized Silver (What We Tell Customers)
To clean oxidized silver, use the cloth that came with your order. Every jewelry order we ship includes one SilverBlue silver polishing cloth, 11 × 16 cm, printed “Silver polishing cloth with Anti-tarnish.” It's what we recommend for our oxidized pieces: for light tarnish on the raised silver, a few light passes usually bring the shine back. Keep the pressure light and stay out of the recesses, since CCI notes that silver polishing cloths are impregnated with an abrasive, and hard rubbing can lighten the black over time.
Silver dips and toothpaste are a different matter. A dip dissolves the tarnish and takes the darker tones in the recesses with it, and an abrasive such as toothpaste wears the tarnish off along with a little of the silver: GIA warns that toothpaste abrasives can erode metal and scratch some stones.
Either way, the dark finish comes off with the tarnish and you're left with plain sterling. If that's the look you want, a silver cleaner is fine. The dark finish just won't be there afterwards.
For grime rather than tarnish, a rinse in warm water with a little mild soap is fine now and then. Dry the piece completely before it goes away.
Can Sterling Silver Get Wet? Water, Pools and the Sea
We don't recommend wearing sterling silver in water: take it off before the shower, a pool or the sea. GIA's jewelry care advice is to take fine jewelry off before diving into a chlorinated pool, and CCI notes that chloride salts, the kind carried in sea air, are a significant problem for metals. If a piece does get wet, dry it before it goes back in its pouch.
Storing Silver Between Wears
Every piece of jewelry we sell comes in a black drawstring pouch with our logo on it. Keep the piece in its pouch when you're not wearing it, one piece to a pouch, and keep the pouches away from rubber bands and wool.
Pouches aren't airtight, so for long storage CCI recommends sealed polyethylene bags, with extra protection from activated charcoal or a tarnish-inhibiting cloth.
Green or Dark Marks on Your Skin
Sterling silver is 92.5% silver by weight, usually alloyed with copper. Jewelry that contains copper, sterling and brass included, can sometimes leave a green mark on skin, and a dark mark can have other causes. Neither mark, on its own, tells you whether a piece is genuine.
Customers have rarely reported a mark to us. We can't certify our silver as nickel-free, so if you have a metal allergy, email support@bikerringshop.com before you order.
Does Cubic Zirconia Tarnish? Brass, Gold Plating and CZ in One Piece
Some of our two-tone pieces pair the silver with solid brass, like the cross set into our crusader cross ring; others are gold-plated sterling. Brass darkens with time as well, and so do our bare brass wallet chains such as the brass lion head wallet chain.
We don't know the thickness of the gold layer on our gold-plated pieces, so keep it gentle: a light wipe with a soft dry cloth, and no dips or polishing pastes.
Cubic zirconia itself doesn't tarnish. CZ, the stone in some of our designs, is a manufactured zirconium dioxide crystal that a 1981 Gems & Gemology article on refractometers describes as optically clear and chemically inert. The silver setting around it can still tarnish, so if a stone looks dull, wipe the stone and its setting with the cloth.
Want to know what's in the metal itself? Read how to tell real 925 sterling silver, or browse our gothic rings and skull pendants.