Why from silver? How to protect a silver item from tarnishing? Protection from negativity and the influence of dark forces
Silver is the noblest of metals. Unlike gold, which is designed to “drive you crazy,” silver is a light, almost holy alloy. It is not surprising that during baptism, crosses, icons and chains made from it are most often used. Another reason for the high popularity of silver jewelry is its fairly affordable cost. But there is one unpleasant feature - very often silver turns black on a person when worn for a long time. The situation is quite unpleasant, but fixable.
Version one, fictional
Why does silver on the body turn black? Let's try to figure it out together. Many people naively believe the misconception that silver is a holy metal and is very sensitive to spiritual changes in a person. So, if the silver on your body turns black, this is a sure sign that you have many ill-wishers, and one of them has definitely cast a spell on you. Most often, this explanation is used by superstitious or very religious people. You should not believe such misconceptions and panic, because then you can safely say that almost everyone who wears silver items is “spoiled.”
Version from scientists
Why does silver on the body actually turn black? The fact is that jewelry is not made of pure metal, but with the addition of some impurities, which to one degree or another are simply necessary to obtain the required shape, color and consistency. When interacting with the human body, an oxidation reaction occurs. Most scientists “blame” copper for this situation - it is copper that gives the jewelry an unpleasant dark color when oxidized. In such cases, experts advise submitting the silver product for examination to identify the presence of foreign impurities, because if it is 999 fine, then foreign metals should not manifest themselves so aggressively and actively.
A few more guesses
Another version of the answer to the question “why does silver turn black on the body” is the oxidation reaction of the metal itself, which is still nothing more than a chemical compound. Under the influence of external factors (humidity, temperature changes), a film of silver sulfide is formed on the jewelry, which increases over time and gives the product a dark color. It is worth refuting another misconception that can very often be heard as an answer to the question “why does silver on the body turn black” - health problems. It is believed that the jewelry begins to change color when the person wearing it develops kidney or liver disease. This is a false statement, so there is no need to become depressed and start taking medications. To make sure, contact a specialist and see that both your kidneys and liver are functioning normally. But it’s all in the product itself, or rather, in the metal. All the above judgments are only versions that, to some extent, have some justification. But today, neither scientists nor ordinary people can accurately answer the question asked, which is why such implausible explanations appear around this phenomenon.
Silver jewelry is a fairly popular gift option, due to the practicality and nobility of the metal in conditions of affordability. Unfortunately, very often when regularly wearing silver jewelry on the body, a person is faced with blackening.
Moreover, the appearance of a dark shade is not at all related to the duration of use of silver, which can turn black even from the first days of wear. Why does silver darken on the human body and how to prevent this process? You will find answers to these and many other questions in this article.
Since ancient times, changes in the shade of noble metals on the human body have been associated with the evil eye or damage. At the same time, people prone to mysticism claim that jewelry in this case takes on all the negative energy and protects a person from harm.
Silver has long been endowed with occult significance, because our ancestors attributed to it protective functions in relation to various unclean creatures. For example, there is a belief that werewolves can only be dealt with using silver bullets. Various amulets were actively made from silver not only for homes, but also for people.
Modern experts are quite skeptical about such views on silver, but they assure that this metal really has a positive effect on humans, promoting accelerated healing of wounds and the elimination of pathogens.
Medicines with silver ions are recommended for oral use in order to improve the condition of the cardiovascular system, as well as treat various diseases of the respiratory system.
It has been noted that darkening of silver items most often occurs against the background of various diseases affecting internal organs. As a rule, the appearance of blackness on jewelry is associated with diseases of the liver, kidneys, vascular, heart and other pathologies.
Hormonal disorders characteristic of the hormonal maturation of adolescents, the period of bearing a child, and treatment with potent hormone-based drugs can also play an important role in these processes.
The relationship between pathologies of internal organs and darkening of silver on the body is quite simple to explain. Pathological processes in the liver and kidneys lead to disruption of enzyme activity, resulting in increased sweating and an increase in the concentration of salts in the fluid released.
Substances such as enzymes, sweat and salt have a negative effect on many metals, including silver.
Experts say that in this case, the degree of darkening of the jewelry used directly depends on how severe the disease is. If you observe the appearance of blackness on silver items, it would be useful to undergo a comprehensive examination to check your overall health.
When talking about silver jewelry, most often we are talking about a composition in which the share of silver ranges from 92 to 95%. The remainder of the composition is represented by other metals used to maintain the shape. The fact is that silver in its pure form has a fairly elastic consistency and silver jewelry without admixtures of other metals very quickly undergo deformation.
Jewelry manufacturers often add a small amount of copper to silver-based alloys, which undergoes oxidation when in contact with air.
This may be the reason for the blackening of silver items. If the jewelry begins to quickly turn black after some time of use, perhaps the reason lies in the destruction of the radium film, which is often used to cover products to give them greater shine.
If you are faced with rapid darkening of silver products immediately after purchase, most likely we are talking about a low-quality product in which silver is present in minimal quantities, and the main part of the composition is allocated to various impurities.
Providing proper care for silver jewelry reduces the risk of blackening significantly. Experts recommend following these simple rules:
- minimize all contacts of jewelry with water (showering, washing dishes, wet cleaning, etc.);
- It is imperative to remove silver before swimming in open waters due to the high content of hydrogen sulfide in them;
- It is recommended to remove jewelry before visiting the gym;
- For the period of treatment of various diseases, it is better to remove all silver jewelry from the body.
Even if you are faced with a loss of shine in your jewelry due to their blackening, you should not be upset. Special means for cleaning silver products, which can be found in almost any jewelry store, will help you cope with the problem.
It happens that even after a short period of wear, your favorite silver jewelry takes on a black tint.
Several explanations why silver on the body turns black
Many older people claim that silver turns black when damaged or under the evil eye. This is especially often said in relation to people suffering from any diseases or pregnant women. But any superstition has a rational explanation.
If we rely on a scientific approach, it should be noted that silver is a noble metal with low reactivity. When it is exposed to air containing sulfur, a coating of silver sulfide forms on its surface, due to which the jewelry first turns brown and then black.
Any person sweats, releasing excess heat into the environment. The warmer the room, the more intensely a person sweats. Sweat glands in humans are located throughout the body and it is impossible to find a place that is not covered in sweat. Therefore, no matter what kind of jewelry you wear, it will always be affected by sweat.
Human sweat contains hydrogen sulfide, which acts as a catalyst (chemical assistant) in the oxidation reaction of silver. Silver oxide is black in color. Now it becomes clear why the silver chain on the neck turns black and why long dangling earrings or a silver keychain practically do not turn black. The chain lies directly on the sweaty skin, but the earrings and keychain do not.
Any hormonal changes, stress, emotional upheavals, i.e. conditions inherent specifically in pregnant women and the sick, enhances the work of the sebaceous glands, accordingly the body produces more sweat and the silver that these people wear turns black much faster.
Darkening of silver items is also observed during intense sports activities and frequent exposure to the sun, which is again associated with increased sweating; in addition, cosmetics and medications that contain sulfur can affect the level of oxidation.
Silver jewelry is deservedly popular. Almost every woman, and often a man, wears a cross and a chain or ring made of silver. But, unfortunately, this metal can change color and become darker over time.
Why does silver turn black? There are many hypotheses to explain this phenomenon. Some of them are associated with superstitions and folk signs. However, there is a scientific explanation that proves that the blackening of silver jewelry is nothing more than a common chemical reaction.
Signs and superstitions
Damage or evil eye
According to popular belief, a blackened cross on the body is a bad sign. Most likely, the person is under severe damage or the evil eye. When the curse loses its power, the decoration will return to its original color. Also, by the color of the plaque on a silver item, one can judge the strength of the damage: the darker it is, the stronger the curse.
To understand whether you have been jinxed or not, it is enough to listen to yourself, to your feelings. According to legend, the world around a person who has been damaged becomes “gray”, joyless, everything is annoying, and he is tormented by melancholy. He constantly feels someone's presence nearby, especially at night.
The type of negative magical effect can be determined by the decoration that has changed color:
- Ring. The girl is wearing a crown of celibacy.
- Earrings or chain. Blackening speaks of the evil eye.
- Cross on the body. A strong curse.
- Silverware. If it changes color, then there is evil spirits in the house.
Protection from negativity and the influence of dark forces
According to another sign, silver jewelry takes on all the negativity and protects its mistress or owner from dark forces and evil spirits. If the chain and cross on the neck have darkened, it means their owner has avoided serious trouble or trouble.
Health problems
Another popular belief says that silver turns black because the owner of the jewelry is ill. There is some truth in this explanation. In fact, silver jewelry on a person changes color because it oxidizes when interacting with sweat, which mixes on the surface of the body with the secretion of the sebaceous glands.
Since the metal in most cases touches the skin (the jewelry hangs on the neck, on the ears, or on the wrist or finger), a chemical reaction occurs, due to which the silver changes color. If the amount of sweat produced is normal, a person may not notice the oxidation of jewelry on the body, since it occurs slowly and the plaque appears gradually.
But if sweating suddenly increases, silver items on the body - most often a chain and a cross - begin to rapidly darken. And it is possible that the reasons for increased sweating are health problems. For example, such a reaction is observed during hormonal imbalances, pregnancy and endocrine diseases.
There is also an opinion that silver changes color if a person has kidney or liver pain. However, this superstition is not supported by scientific facts.
Scientific explanation
Why does silver actually darken? This is due to its interaction with sulfur-containing compounds. When exposed to oxygen, the metal reacts with hydrogen sulfide and a chemical reaction occurs called silver oxidation.
As a result, a dark layer of silver sulfide appears on the surface of silver items, which changes their color.
4Ag + O2 + 2H2S = 2Ag2S + 2H2O
Why did the silver chain and silver cross darken, although such a reaction had not been observed before? Perhaps the fact is that the owner of these decorations moved to an area where there is more hydrogen sulfide in the air.
But most often, as mentioned above, the cause is contact with sweat on the surface of the human body. The composition of human sweat includes sulfates - salts of sulfuric acid, therefore, when sweat and silver interact, a chemical reaction occurs, as a result of which the surface of the metal jewelry oxidizes and turns black.
What can increase the oxidation of silver?
Stressful situations, sports
The functioning of the sweat and sebaceous glands depends on many factors, but a person begins to sweat heavily due to stress or during active physical activity.
If you go to the gym or exercise at home, and you have a silver cross and a silver chain around your neck, then you shouldn’t be surprised that they have changed color. With increased sweating, the concentration of sulfates increases, which means the silver darkens more quickly.
Therefore, if you want to wear silver jewelry on your body and at the same time have to do difficult physical work or exercise regularly, be prepared to clean it regularly. How? We will tell you further.
Increased air humidity
What else influences this process? Air humidity! If you wore a chain and a cross on your chest in rainy weather or did not take them off in the sauna, then this is the reason why the silver changed its color.
With high air humidity, the evaporation of sweat slows down (since there is already a high concentration of water in the air, sweat evaporates less intensely on the human body). As a result, as in the previous case, the concentration of sulfur salts on the surface of the skin increases and jewelry on the body begins to oxidize.
Interestingly, over time, the same sweat can cause silver items to bleach, since in addition to sulfates, it also contains nitrates - salts of nitric acid.
By reacting with them, silver sulfide (dark coating on products) can be destroyed. Thus, silver on a person’s ears or body can again change color, only this time in the opposite direction - from dark to light.
Low standard of silver, the presence of a large number of impurities in it
These are not all the reasons why silver jewelry can turn black when worn on the body. The silver standard plays an important role: the higher it is, the less susceptible products made from this metal are to changing color, and vice versa.
Jewelry made from pure silver without impurities is practically not made, since it is very soft and can lose its shape. In order to make crosses, earrings and other items more durable, other metals are added to silver, including copper.
When copper in a silver item interacts with sulfur salts (in contact with sweat on the skin or in air rich in hydrogen sulfide), copper sulfide is formed on its surface. It, like silver sulfide, also looks like a black coating.
How to clean plaque from blackened silver?
We figured out why silver on the body turns black. But what to do when this has already happened?
If you believe in omens and think that the reason is damage or the evil eye, superstitious people advise going to church, confessing, taking communion, and praying more. If you feel unwell, we strongly recommend that you be examined by a doctor and begin treatment. A darkened silver ring, earrings or cross and chain just need to be cleaned.
How to remove blackness from silver items without stones or coating?
The simplest and safest thing is to go to a jewelry workshop for this. Also today there are products on sale that are specifically designed for cleaning silver products at home. They can be bought in jewelry stores and in stores that sell household chemicals.
Or use one of the traditional methods, for example, clean a silver ring or chain with a solution of ammonia (0.5 liters of water - 1 tablespoon of alcohol), soda or tooth powder.
Please note that not all silver jewelry can be cleaned with the compounds listed above! For example, rhodium plated silver items (and most of them are on sale today) from the methods listed above (ready-made composition, soda, powder and ammonia) with a high degree of probability can lose their appearance and become unsuitable for wearing.
Cleaning jewelry with rhodium and stones
To clean rhodium-plated silver jewelry, it is recommended to rinse it under running warm (not hot!) water, and then wipe it dry and polish it with a special cloth (you can buy it at a jewelry store).
Silver items with stones can be cleaned in the same way. If they are heavily soiled, you can pre-soak them for half an hour in warm water, adding a little laundry soap to it.
After cleaning, try to properly care for your silver items so that they do not darken again!
Silver jewelry is very popular among people. On many men you can find a massive silver chain with a large cross. Women also decorate themselves with exquisite rings, earrings and other items made from this metal. However, almost all lovers of silver jewelry are faced with an upsetting fact: when worn, silver very quickly darkens, losing its attractive appearance.
There are a lot of assumptions about the reasons for changes in the color of silver. Doctors say that the darkening of specific products located on certain parts of the body signals the onset of health problems. Among the people, there are many superstitious explanations for the darkening of silver when worn by a person. Chemists, in turn, give this process a scientific explanation.
Why does silver turn black on the body, what diseases can there be, what health problems does this metal warn of?
From a medical point of view, silver darkens if the person wearing it has health problems. When a person gets sick, his blood composition changes, as a result of which the pH balance of the skin also changes. In this regard, the sulfur content in human sweat increases, oxidizing with which silver begins to darken. Moreover, the more serious and neglected the disease, the blacker the jewelry becomes.
Most often, by its darkening, silver signals health problems such as dysfunction of the liver and kidneys, disruptions in hormonal balance, as well as problems with the thyroid gland and endocrine system. Products often darken for pregnant and nursing mothers - this is also explained by changes in hormonal levels. Definitely, if a person’s silver jewelry begins to darken, he should immediately consult a doctor.
Why does silver on the body turn black, what diseases can there be, as well as superstitious explanations for this process
If you ask our grandmothers why silver turns black, they will immediately answer that this is a bad sign, because... is a sign of the evil eye or damage. There are many popular beliefs associated with the darkening of this metal. So, if you believe the signs, then a darkened ring on a girl’s finger means that a crown of celibacy has been placed on her, the chain speaks of the evil eye, and the pectoral cross speaks of a powerful curse. Superstitious people claim that if there are any signs of blackening of silver jewelry, you should immediately contact “specialists” in removing damage and the evil eye. The belief says that if you cleanse a person’s aura of negative influences, the metal will immediately return to its original color.
In the East there is another superstitious version about silver. They believe that this metal protects its bearers from troubles and evil spirits. Thus, a darkened piece of jewelry indicates that it has taken on some kind of negativity intended for a person, thereby protecting him from impending disaster.
Why does silver on the body turn black, what diseases can there be, how science explains this phenomenon
According to chemists, the reason why silver turns black when worn is human sweat and the sulfur it contains. This substance, when interacting with silver, oxidizes it, and the oxide of this metal has a black color. Due to the fact that there are a huge number of sweat glands on the neck and chest of a person, we get an answer to the question why, most often, it is crosses and chains that darken.
However, it is worth noting that the reasons why silver jewelry darkens on all sides, and not just the one in contact with the skin, are not known to chemists. Also, scientists cannot explain the phenomenon that silver can not only turn black, but also, without any cleaning, return to its original appearance.
