If you wear sterling silver, it's not a question of “if” your jewelry will tarnish but of “when”. Fortunately, solutions exist to help you protect your sterling silver jewelry. To better understand what is happening, you need to know the causes of dullness: sulphur, humidity, pH of the skin and sunlight. In this guide, you'll get an overview of what tarnish is, how to prevent it from spreading, and some techniques for removing it once it's formed. Be proactive and you can maintain the shine of your silver jewelry.

Tarnished sterling silver has a yellow, brown, or black film that masks the silver's characteristic shine. Tarnishing of Sterling Silver is not pretty on the surface - making what was polished and shiny look dull and bland - but does not cause significant physical damage like rust does to iron.

You can attribute it all to sulphur, humidity and sunlight. When one or more of these agents come into contact with the outermost layer of certain metals, it triggers a chemical reaction. The reaction leaves a thin, discolored layer on the surface of the metal. It is oxidation. (The copper in sterling silver is very reactive, which is why sterling silver tarnishes so quickly.)

Tarnishing is a fact of life here on our sunny, watery planet. Sulfur is present in small amounts in the atmosphere and in the air we breathe. It is even more concentrated and more corrosive in cities and industrial areas. The problem is that higher levels of exposure to sulfur, humidity, or light cause tarnish to spread rapidly. Time is also not in favor of silver: the longer the metal is exposed to these agents, even in relatively small amounts, the more it tarnishes.

• Sunlight, as well as light bulbs that give off gas.
• Water, especially sulfur-rich well water, sea water and sea air, spas and swimming pools.
• Natural gas, often used in heat sources and stoves.
• Smoke of any kind, including tobacco, car exhaust, chimneys and candles.
• Fabrics and leathers treated and tanned with sulfur compounds.
• Paper, which is treated with water and chemicals containing residual sulfur.
• Fingerprints and other forms of contact with body oils.
• Cosmetics and body products, such as lotions and perfumes.
• Food and wine, especially foods containing eggs, onions, salt and oil.
• Storage under glass, in display cases or plastic bags, where exhaust gases can accumulate.

• Wash your hands thoroughly before touching your silver jewelry.
• Store your jewelry in a cool, dry place away from direct sunlight.
• Make sure storage cabinets are airtight.
• Store jewelry in tarnish-resistant bags or organizers.

First, check to see if your metal is dirty. Clean the part with a little hydra-alcoholic hand gel and scrub with a cotton swab, cotton ball or cotton makeup pad, you can also scrub lightly with a natural bristle brush.

If this does not fix the discoloration, the Flibustier Paris technical team advises you to use a polishing cloth which generally removes light tarnish. A soft cloth has been given to you for this purpose with your jewel in order to be able to clean it and protect it against tarnishing. Once the wipe is finished, you can buy more on our site.