Everyone loves summer, right? And we’re all pretty sad that the mornings and evenings are feeling that little bit colder now. But hot summers can cause issues for a number of people who wear silver wedding rings; turning their finger a black/green colour where the ring is worn. Silver is a soft metal that is easily scratched or tarnished, as individuals we all have very different skin types which don’t react in the same way to substances that it comes into contact with.
The acids will vary in your skin which can affect the speed at which the silver will tarnish when it comes into contact with you. What you eat, drink and smoke or products you use such as perfumes, soaps, hairspray, cosmetics can affect your skins acidity levels. Another reason for such a quick reaction could be the hot weather, as we will naturally sweat more, and use products such as sun tan lotion. For this reason the way the ring ages depends a lot on the wearer.
If this is happening to you the black that you can see is the sterling silver oxidising. If you have worn silver before without it tarnishing, it could be that it is imported silver which is different to UK silver or it is possible that the jewellery may have been plated or coated with something to prevent tarnishing.
All precious metal rings should be hallmarked by an independent body, known as the Assay Office. There are four in this country that legally hallmark every UK made precious metal item. During this process, the ring is tested in a lab to ensure its quality is up to standard, and is then only hallmarked if it passes these tests. All our Silver rings are UK Stirling Silver 925 as hallmarked.
In order to prevent this natural process from occurring, your ring can be rhodium plated which would protect it from the elements. The majority of time Rhodium plating is used as a standard on all White Gold to give it it’s silvery white finish, as naturally white gold is in fact quite dull and yellowy. Rhodium is also hypoallergenic.
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