Sterling silver is considered a precious metal, and consists of 92.5% pure silver. (Which is why sterling silver is sometimes referred to as “925 silver.”) The other 7.5% of the alloy is usually copper, which strengthens the silver without compromising its appearance.

It’s possible that your sterling silver could tarnish over time due to a natural chemical reaction that happens when it’s exposed to air. Luckily, sterling silver is a solid metal, so unlike gold-fill jewelry (which has a jeweler’s brass core), you can polish and clean it to your heart’s content and have it looking just as good as when you first got it without worrying about removing the outer layers of precious metal.

Note: When you receive your piece, you might notice that there’s not a “925” stamped on your jewelry like with most sterling silver pieces—this is because all of our jewelry is handmade and doesn’t require a stamp of authenticity. But rest assured: We only use the highest quality, authentic sterling silver in our pieces.

When you are trying to decide what type of gold you want to purchase in jewelry, it really comes down to two main factors:

• how much you want to spend
• how long you want your jewelry to last

14k gold jewelry will last virtually forever, but they are the most expensive option due to the amount of gold in the piece

14k gold filled jewelry is a step down from solid gold. For many customers, they offer the ideal balance of price and quality.  Price is lower than solid gold but quality is still top notch.

Gold-plated pieces (which I do not sell)  are typically the least expensive option, and offer much lower quality. These pieces could easily chip or flake and there are few standards about what base metal can be used.

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Have you ever had a gold ring that after wearing it for a while, your finger turned black or green? Did you think the reason was bad manufacturing or under karating? Well, that’s not the problem. I will discuss what the causes can be and how you can prevent this from happening.

The most common reason your finger gets discolored when wearing a gold ring is ‘metallic abrasion’. This is caused by makeup, or other cosmetics, on the skin. Cosmetics contain compounds that are harder than the gold (remember gold is soft). So the makeup will rub off very tiny particles of the metal. Very small particles of metal appear black in color rather than metallic, so it looks like black dust. When this dust comes in contact with surfaces that are absorbent, such as your skin or clothing, this dust sticks and forms a black smudge.

Another reason that that your finger may discolor is corrosion of the metals in your ring. The gold does not corrode, but the alloys that are mixed with the gold. (Remember, 14K gold means the ring has 58% of pure gold and 42% of non gold alloys.) The alloys that can corrode are silver and copper based, and they can form dark chemical compounds under moist conditions.

When you sweat, fats and fatty acids are released which can cause corrosion on your gold ring. This problem is worse in semi tropical locations (like when you go on vacation to Hawaii) and near the ocean where salt is in the air.

A third reason is chlorine in your pool or spa. Chlorine will eat away at gold and the alloys. So if you are wearing your rings in the spa or pool corrosion is happening.

How to prevent the discoloration:

Metal abrasion – Try switching cosmetics and see if the problem goes away. Remove your rings and jewelry while applying cosmetics. Then wash your hands to remove any makeup residue before you put on your jewelry.

Corrosion of metals – If you are in an area that is causing you to sweat, remove your jewelry often and use an absorbent powder (make sure it does NOT have abrasives in it) on your fingers or any part of the skin that has jewelry on it.

Remove rings before using soap, cleaning compounds and detergents. Clean your rings often.

If the situation still has not improved consider switching to a higher karat gold, such 18K. 18K gold is 75% pure with 25% comprised of alloys, while 14K has 42% alloys. Less alloy in your ring will help with the corrosion. Or go with platinum. Discoloration will probably never happen with a platinum ring.

Lastly, some people will apply a coating to the inside of the ring such as nail polish. This acts as a barrier between the metal of the ring and your skin.

Summer is upon us and beach season is quickly approaching. If you live in Hawaii like me, beach season is year around!  On another note, even when the weather isn’t warm, we’re (hopefully) showering.  This raises the question : can I get my silver or gold-filled jewelry wet?

The short answer to this question is yes, you can (if you know it’s sterling silver or Gold-Filled). Water generally does not damage sterling silver.  *But* water does cause silver to oxidize (darken) more quickly, and what type of water and the chemicals in it has an impact on how much it will cause your silver to change color.  Here are the dos and don’ts of exposing your silver and 14k gold filled jewelry to water.

Can I shower in my Jewelry?
is generally fine – there aren’t any super harsh chemicals in our tap water that would react significantly with your sterling silver or 14k gold filled jewelry.  The soap and water can even help wash away any residue from your skin and dirt in the air that can also cause your silver to look dull.

Can I go swimming with my jewelry on or dip in the hot tub?
. . . eh.  Swimming pools are usually treated with chlorine, and chlorine reacts with sterling silver and 14k gold-filled.  So depending on how much chlorine is in the pool, you’ll probably have to clean your silver if you’re swimming frequently and I would avoid all harsh chemicals for 14k gold-filled jewelry.

Hot Tubs? 
Try not to.  There’s even more chlorine in hot tubs, and it’s hot.  Chemical reactions generally speed up at higher temperatures, so I’d definitely try to take off your silver or 14k gold-filled jewelry before getting in the pool.  You might notice a definite color change afterwards that could take a lot of cleaning.

Salt Water
Not the end of the world, but possibly the end of your life.  Salt can be corrosive and can also leave residue on your jewelry which should be cleaned off.  If you can, take it off before going in the water.  If you forget, try to rinse it and dry it off with some clean water afterwards.

Hot Springs  
Please don’t.  Hot springs often contain a lot of different minerals, specifically Sulfur.  Jewelers use Sulfuric acid to intentionally oxidize silver jewelry so . . . you could be in for a big color change here.  I’d advise against wearing your silver jewelry in any kind of hot spring.

This is a lot of information I’m not sure what to do with it . . . 

Here’s the moral of the story : water itself does not damage sterling silver, it’s the chemicals in the water that can cause it to change color.  Your silver is going to change color over time, but how quickly it changes depends on how often you wear it and the chemicals you expose it to.  It’s the chemicals in different types of water that can react with the silver.

My advice is to wear your silver jewelry (the oils from your skin help keep it clean), and do the best that you can to avoid exposing it to harsh chemicals.  If you slip up it’s probably not the end of the world – most color changes that occur do not imply “damage,” and can be cleaned at home, and worst case can be cleaned professionally.  If you’re on vacation and not getting in the pool or ocean every few minutes means not you aren’t going to wear it at all, store it in a sealed plastic bag in a dry place.

Hope this helps, and feel free to comment with any questions!

Gold filled (sometimes labeled “GF” by jewelers) is a metal composed of a solid layer of gold that is bonded to a core base metal through heat and pressure.  Gold filled jewelry will not wear off over time, and if taken care of properly it can last a lifetime.  Gold fill is indistinguishable from solid gold but costs significantly less because of its base metal core.  

It differs from gold plate in that gold plate consists of a thin, microscopic layer of gold that will wear off over time.  The gold on gold filled is around 15 times thicker than gold plated jewelry. Unlike gold plate, it’s safe to get your gold filled jewelry wet.  All of the jewelry here at HIWire Jewelry uses 14k gold fill.  You can wear it to bed, in the shower, and while you exercise.  It’s safe to swim in gold filled (though I generally suggest avoiding pools and hot tubs for any type of jewelry. Chlorine is very harsh and can cause discoloration.