Why Does Silver Tarnish?

As the purity of the silver decreases, the problem of tarnishing increases.

Chemically, silver is not very reactive.  It does not react with oxygen or water at ordinary temperatures, so does not easily form a silver oxide.  However, other metals in the alloy, usually copper, may react with oxygen in the air.  This forms a compound called silver sulfide.

There really isn’t much you can do about silver tarnishing.  That’s why most sterling silver sold today is plated with a thin layer of metal protection.  This process is called “flashing” and they use either silver or rhodium to coat the outside of the rings or jewelry to make them look whiter, brighter, and to keep the tarnishing down to a minimum.  So until that plating wears off, your silver will actually hold up pretty well.

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