Silver Plated Jewelry Turning Copper

Silver plated items are items that have gone through a process called silver plating a process that involves applying actual silver or sterling silver to the surface of the base metal such as copper nickel brass pewter or white metal.

Silver plated jewelry turning copper.

These compounds speed up oxidization and aid in transferring oxidized metal to your skin leaving a green or bronze stain. As a result people with nickel allergy may develop itchy skin rash wearing silver plated nickle. 7 when the tarnish is nearly all gone remove the jewelry from the mixture. It s copper that s been plated with silver.

There is also an alloy metal that is sometimes added to gold jewelry and sometimes to silver. Silver plated jewelry has an extremely thin layer of silver measured in microns covering a base metal commonly copper brass white metal or nickel. It s common for silver to have a reaction on skin when it s used as plating for less expensive jewelry. In this step the salt baking soda and water mixture should oxidize the tarnish off the jewelry.

Copper jewelry can make skin darken and discolor. The layer of silver is very thin so it will also wear off with time and usage. To correct this problem silver jewelry is plated with a thin layer of pure silver. Your silver jewelry is turning a copper color because it s not actually solid silver.

Acids cause the silver to oxidize turning the jewelry dark and producing tarnish. Sterling silver is an alloy composed of 92 5 percent silver and 7 5 percent copper. A small drop of nitric acid a harsh industrial chemical will turn a non sterling item green due to high copper content items that are silver plated brass nickel silver or low quality silver will turn green. Be aware that nitric acid will leave a permanent discoloration on your item so make sure it is applied in an inconspicuous spot.

Sterling silver utensils and decorative objects show an attractive color. This may take a few seconds. This prevents oxidization of the metal. Over time as the silver wears away the copper underneath becomes exposed.

6 place your jewelry in the mixture. Avoid applying sunscreen cosmetics or perfume to areas near imitation silver jewelry. Sterling objects are marked with the number 925 the fraction 925 1000 or the word sterling. It will also make jewelry hypoallergenic and will help prevent metal allergies.

Metal clay jewelry needs protection. Normal wear and polishing will gradually rub the silver layer away revealing the reddish color of the copper alloy. Copper brass silver and wire wrapped jewelry needs protection from tarnish and fingerprints. Other than have it re plated there s nothing you can do to fix the problem except ensure you buy real solid silver next time.

They may also bear the maker s name or trademarks. The complete process involves electrically charging the object first to make sure it attracts the silver particles. If you have a silver ring that is turning copper you can restore its silver appearance using a simple chemical solution. Ask a jeweler to plate imitation silver jewelry in rhodium.