Does 925 Sterling Silver Tarnish or Change Color?
Silver jewelry has been around for thousands of years. Like gold, silver is used because it is the extremely durable. Silver is a noble metal, together with, henium, ruthenium, rhodium, palladium, osmium, iridium, platinum, and gold. Noble metals have a very outstanding resistance to chemical attacks. Silver also has unique properties such as being antimicrobial so you can’t get mold or bacteria growing on your jewelry.
Silver jewelry, unlike brass jewelry which many hip hop companies sell on today’s market, doesn’t tarnish. Brass turns green and leaves ugly green residue on your neck. Brass also contains nickel which gives many people allergic reactions. At Harlembling, we do not sell ANY brass jewelry. All our silver jewelry is nickel free!
Silver does however oxidize. Oxidation is a process by which when silver reacts with oxygen it forms a black patina. 999 silver oxidizes really fast and that’s the main reason jewelers use 925 sterling silver. 925 sterling silver is 92.5% silver and 7.5% a blend of other noble metals. 925 Sterling silver oxidizes when not worn for prolonged periods of time or left in storage. Think of your grandmas old silver spoons and forks.
Great news however is that by wearing the jewelry every day stops the oxidation!!! Yes you heard that right! With silver jewelry when you wear it oils from your body form a barrier between the jewelry and oxygen which prevents it from being oxidized. This is the main reason silver is superior to brass! While wearing a brass hip hop ring or moissanite pendant every day you ruin it, wearing a sterling silver one makes it better!
Silver is also one of the easiest jewelries to clean. There are tons of silver jewelry cleaners on the market. You simply wipe down the jewelry and it will look like new again. You can also use a toothbrush or simply baking soda.
At Harlembling we also use a specially patented coating that is like the ceramic coating you apply on a car. With this NASA formulated patented finish items that are worn at least several times a month wont oxidize for at least a decade, sometimes even longer!
Gold vermeil jewelry you also don’t have to worry about changing color because gold acts like a barrier and stops silver from oxidizing.
All in all, whether you want to buy moissanite earrings or a bust down Cuban link chain fully iced out, 925 sterling silver is the way to go. Buy brass and it will be garbage in a few weeks/months. Buy silver and it’s an investment that will be appreciated by everyone that sees you wearing the bling for years to come!