Why does the silver in the ears turn black, and what to do?

How to clean silver at home

There are many ways to clean silver at home. Here are some of them.

Cleaning with soda

One of the most common and simple methods for cleaning silver from blackness is cleaning with soda. It does not require any cost or purchase of ingredients. The active ingredient is soda, you will need 1-2 tablespoons of it. You will also need water (0.5 l). Boil water and soda and immerse the decorations there. When the water has cooled, you can remove the products and wipe them with a dry cloth.

These same ingredients can be used in combination with foil. You also need to boil water with soda and immerse the decorations with foil there. Next, boil for 10-15 minutes and remove.

These methods will help restore the shine of silver and brighten the jewelry, especially a silver chain. Cleaning will occur due to the reaction of soda and aluminum with argentum sulfide, which is released under the influence of high temperatures.

Soda and salt

Combining the solution with soda and salt will be no less effective. For this method you will need 1-2 teaspoons of soda, 1 teaspoon of salt, water. All ingredients must be mixed, immersed in the decoration mixture and brought to a boil. Boil for 10-15 minutes.

The method will return shine and shine to jewelry.

Lipstick

Oddly enough, a piece of women's toiletry is perfect for cleaning any silver jewelry - rings, chains, earrings, pendants. The color of the lipstick is not important, but before you begin the procedure, look at the composition of the lipstick. It must contain titanium dioxide. This is the key ingredient. Another active ingredient is oils or fats. Titanium dioxide will help remove stains by reacting with argentum sulfide, and fat will polish the jewelry. This method is useful for decorating so that it does not darken for a long time.

Apply lipstick to the product and rub with a cotton pad. When the result is obtained, remove excess lipstick. The method only works for smooth products.

Toothpaste

Toothpaste is another daily use item that can help clean your silver. The paste usually contains chalk or other small particles that will effectively clean the metal of plaque. Due to the fact that all this has the consistency of a very soft paste, damage and scratches will be avoided.

The toothpaste method is perfect for cleaning black from a chain or ridding a cross of black. The cleansing process is similar to the process of brushing your teeth. Pay attention to the stiffness of the brush bristles. It should be as soft as possible. Rub the product, then rinse and dry.

A more drastic method is a mixture of toothpaste and ammonia. This method is effective if the toothpaste does not work or does not completely clean the stains.

Take precautions and do not allow the mixture to come into contact with water.

Ammonia and hydrogen peroxide

Many sources recommend this method as very effective and efficient. However, there are cases when the copper contained in the alloy reacts with a peroxide compound and ammonia. As a result, the silver is purified, but also acquires a red tint, which is almost impossible to get rid of. Therefore, before using this method with ammonia, carry out the procedure on an inconspicuous area of the jewelry and make sure that the silver has not changed color. Even 925 test is not always a guarantee of successful cleaning using this method.

Otherwise, this method is quite applicable to jewelry made of precious metal.

Ammonia

Ammonia without adding peroxide is a reliable and effective way to clean silver at home.

It is advisable to carry out the procedure in a cup that closes. Don't forget that glass is best. The decoration is immersed in a bowl of ammonia and closed. Leave for 10-20 minutes. If possible, shake several times.

This method is ideal for jewelry with stones. It will return shine and radiance not only to the metal, but to them as well.

This method is effective due to the reaction between ammonia and argentum sulfide, which is the pollutant. Ammonia removes this layer and returns the product to its original appearance.

For more intensive cleaning, use tooth powder. If you mix ammonia with tooth powder, you will get a paste that can be used to get rid of dirt.

Lemon acid

The method with citric acid requires minimal material costs and effort. In addition to citric acid, you will need water and copper wire. You will need powdered citric acid - 100 grams and half a liter of water. The solution must be placed in a water bath. You need to immerse the decoration and copper wire into the mixture. Boil for 15-20 minutes.

Citric acid has an active bleaching effect, due to which the precious metal is cleaned.

Vinegar

Vinegar will help get rid of light stains. It needs to be heated and wiped over the product. They also use the baking soda and vinegar method. Rub the decoration with this mixture.

Coca Cola

The powerful cleansing properties of Cola have long been known. Cola is used to clean teapots from scale and bathrooms from limescale. Some claim that it even removes rust. Cola contains adsorbent substances that will perfectly remove contaminants on metal.

For the procedure, you need to pour Cola into a cup and put in decorations. Boil Cola with decorations for 5 minutes. Cool, rinse jewelry and dry.

Professional cleaning

Of course, don’t forget about professional metal cleaning. This can be done in a jewelry salon by a master. There or on specialized websites you can buy special ready-made products for cleaning silver items. This way you are unlikely to save money, but you will get high-quality and quick cleaning of your jewelry.

The tooth under the crown has turned black

The fact that the crown of the tooth has turned black is not so scary. There is a more serious problem when the tooth itself darkens. This situation usually occurs after root canal treatment. There are often cases when clients experience blackening - this is a symptom of destruction of dental tissue, which requires surgical intervention by doctors.

However, you should initially understand the reasons for this development of events, but it is better to do this together with your doctor.

Causes of purulent processes

Poor oral care - insufficient or poor-quality cleaning leads to secondary caries and everything that is under the denture begins to collapse.
The integrity of the composite is compromised - pieces of food and saliva begin to get under the product, which leads to rotting.
Severe destruction even before the installation of orthopedic samples - if the prosthesis is installed on a material with thin walls, in the near future it will weaken even more and begin to darken.
Inadequate preparation and treatment even before installation of the structure.
Irresponsible procedure for implanting the product. If it does not fit well around the neck of the tooth, then free space remains under it and, as a result, access to saliva, food particles and infections opens.
Various diseases of the digestive system, including metabolism, high acidity and stomach diseases.

Symptoms

If a tooth begins to rot under the crown, then it is impossible to stop this process without removing the denture and removing the infected tissue. The destruction will continue until the product has nothing to support it and eventually the prosthesis itself will fall off and the remains of the rotted tooth will “come out.” How to understand that the process of decay has begun:

blackness begins to appear under the prosthesis;
a hole has appeared under the structure (you can feel it with your tongue), into which food particles and saliva fall;
the appearance of bad breath.

If you don’t catch it in time, then the rotting processes may go to the root and then it will definitely not be possible to restore it.

How to treat?

A specialist must remove the crown to assess the condition of the tooth. If a small part darkens, you can put a filling and make a new mold.

If the overwhelming majority is destroyed, the doctor will have to make an individual stump inlay, and then make a new sample. When the root is destroyed, it is no longer possible to heal and you will have to remove it, and then think about completely different types of prosthetics.

If a patient has a brown dental crown, this may indicate that decay processes occur not only in it, but also in the living tooth underneath it.

How to clean silver after hydrogen sulfide baths

If you had to take a hydrogen sulfide bath or swim in such a source, then most likely the silver jewelry that you were wearing became very dark. After hydrogen sulfide baths, a sulfur coating may even appear on the product. Of course, the best solution would be to remove jewelry before swimming, but if this does not happen, then here are several ways to clean silver from sulfur:

Despite the fact that the method with ammonia is the leader in efficiency in cleaning silver, in this case it may be pointless. Boiling in an aluminum pan will be most effective. If you don't have an aluminum pan, add a piece of foil. The rest are water, soda and salt. Decorations are placed in the pan, the water is brought to a boil, soda and salt are sprinkled on top, one teaspoon at a time. You need to boil for a few minutes. The jewelry should lighten in a matter of minutes. This method is also effective for cleaning cupronickel.
It's also worth trying brushing with whitening toothpaste. The main thing is that there is a whitening component present. Remember that the brush should have soft bristles.

Why silver turns black: signals from the body

It happens that your favorite silver jewelry suddenly suddenly begins to turn black. As a rule, there are no particular visible reasons for this, but the silver still turns black. Moreover, this happens regardless of how long ago the jewelry was purchased or cleaned. The country of the Soviets decided to figure out why silver on the human body turns black.

Humanity has known about the various properties of silver for a long time. Everyone knows that silver ions contribute to the death of bacteria, which is why silver cutlery is very valuable, and silver items are used in religious ceremonies.

To the question of why silver turns black, folk wisdom found a completely understandable answer - damage. Like, if your ring has darkened, it means you are wearing a crown of celibacy, the earrings are a strong evil eye, and if your pectoral cross has darkened, you don’t even want to think about it.

Of course, you can believe this interpretation, but there is a more scientific, and therefore more serious, explanation for why silver turns black.

The fact is that the silver jewelry that we are used to wearing contains copper. Under the influence of humid air, sweat and other external factors, copper oxidizes. Silver itself belongs to the noble metals. Under the influence of the same external factors (water, humid air), a coating of silver sulfide forms on the surface of the silver product , it gradually becomes denser, and the silver jewelry darkens.

The speed at which plaque forms on silver items can be associated with both external reasons, which include climate change, increased air humidity, frequent contact with water, and exposure of the item to certain substances, as well as with internal processes of the body. Especially if you wear silver jewelry all the time.

If not all the silver jewelry you wear darkens, but only some, it means that the problem is not in external factors, but in your body. There can be many reasons why a silver chain around your neck darkens, but you shouldn’t sound the alarm right away. Listen to your physical condition and pay attention to which jewelry has darkened.

Most of the sebaceous glands in humans are located on the chest. That’s why chains and crosses on the body turn black first. And this is due to increased sweating, and not to the evil eye and damage. Darkening of jewelry on the chest most likely indicates hormonal changes in the body. For example, during pregnancy. In this case, the chain can darken very quickly, in just a few days.

In addition, the cause may be severe stress, emotional stress or anxiety. All this also affects the functioning of the sebaceous glands, and accordingly increases sweating, which is why the silver darkens. It is possible that the silver has darkened due to taking any medication that contains sulfur compounds.

There is a version that darkening of silver indicates improper functioning of the kidneys or liver. The brightening of silver can also indicate this, since in this case, substances containing nitrogen are released with sweat, and this gives the silver shine. In addition, a change in the color of silver may indicate problems with the nervous system. And the darkening of silver items on certain parts of the body can indicate local disruptions in the functioning of the endocrine system.

There is also a more prosaic explanation for why silver on the human body darkens: physical activity, heat, contact with certain chemical compounds.

Try not to exercise, go to the bathhouse or bathe in silver jewelry. This will help prevent them from darkening. And if in this case the silver still turns black, you should pay attention to your health.

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How to clean radiated metal

Argentum coated with rhodium has a very attractive appearance and dazzling shine. In order for a product to last for a long time, it must be stored correctly and properly care for its appearance. We will answer the question of how to clean radiated silver below.

All types of cleaning that are suitable for ordinary silver will not work. The rhodium plating has a thin layer that is very easy to damage or wear off. Therefore, cleaning methods should be gentle and gentle.

As a preventive measure, just warm water will do, under which you need to rinse the jewelry. To add shine, rubbing should only be done with soft cloths, fleece, velvet or suede.

Soap solution. For it you need to prepare soap shavings and dissolve them in warm water. Bathe your jewelry in this solution. You can use a cotton pad.

Glycerol. Wipe the decoration with glycerin and a cotton swab. Then polish with a soft cloth.

What to do with a darkened tooth

First, if the darkening is caused by internal causes, such as pulp necrosis or improper endodontic treatment, the cause of the problem must be addressed.

An untreated tooth can lead to serious consequences, including complete loss and the spread of infection to healthy neighbors and gums. In such a scenario, treatment will be long and expensive.

Secondly, it is necessary to determine the reasons that caused the darkening. Correctly identifying the source of the problem is an important first step towards solving it.

Therefore, it is necessary to consult a specialist who, based on the anamnesis and clinical picture, will determine the course of action and offer treatment options.

The simplest treatment option in case of darkening due to the development of caries. Then, by completely removing the affected tissue and selecting the correct shade of restoration material, the tooth acquires its original color and does not stand out from others.

In addition, with this scenario, it remains alive, which has a positive effect on the strength of dentin and enamel.

The situation is slightly different in the case when the damage is such that it led to the death of the tooth. A dead tooth with removed nerves requires a special approach to treatment. Since its strength characteristics change, this affects the selection of treatment methods.

Fortunately, advances in dentistry make it possible to use various techniques to restore the whiteness of your smile. There are several main ways:

intracanal bleaching;
direct restoration;
veneer;
crown.

How to clean gold-plated silver

To clean gold-plated silver, it is best to use proven methods. Namely soda and ammonia. Soda (50 grams) must be diluted in 1 liter of warm water and the products should be immersed there for several hours.

In the case of ammonia, it must be diluted with water in a ratio of 1 to 1. Immerse and rinse jewelry.

Causes

Each of our teeth consists of roots and a visible crown. Under this crown there is a pulp chamber with a nerve passing through it. Many blood vessels and nerve endings pass through this pulp, which are responsible for supplying the tissues with necessary nutrients.

Even after the nerve is removed, the enamel continues to stand firmly in the gum bed and performs all its functions. But at the same time, useful substances cease to flow to it, so the volume of dentin begins to decrease, and the tissue gradually darkens. There is also another reason for changes in the shade of enamel - disruption of the blood vessels after removal of the nerve. In this case, the blood instantly stains the dentin, so superficial bleaching is useless.

Prevention of darkening

In order to avoid having to persistently search for an answer to the question: “Why does silver darken?”, it is important to follow some recommendations:

Wear the chain on a clean body without applying cosmetics to it . They can provoke and activate the occurrence of oxidation processes. We are talking not only about foundation correctors, but also regular moisturizing creams or products intended for everyday skin care.
The same applies to various , etc.
Remove jewelry during sports training, heavy loads, or in extreme heat, as sweating increases in such conditions.
Avoid contact with water (remove when swimming in the shower, pool, sea or river).
It is advisable not to wear a silver chain in places located near heavy industrial facilities.
Protect the metal from contact with fuel oil, gasoline, and diesel fuel.

You may be interested in: Which silver standard is better?

Darkening of a silver chain should not be a reason to get rid of the jewelry. There are many ways to return a product to its original shine.

Characteristics of blackened silver

Blackening is done using a special technology. Creation methods have been known since ancient times. Blackening gave the metal strength and decorated it with patterns of incredible beauty.

It is made by coating the metal on top with niello, consisting of alloys of lead, copper and silver sulfur oxides. The blackening solution is applied to clean metal. It is heated at high temperature to melt the niello.

Snuff boxes, dishes, and cutlery are made from blackened silver. The products depict cities and ancient hunting. And today you can find amazing masterpieces.

These works are highly valued. Blackened silver is as popular today as it was in ancient times. It adds extraordinary beauty and sophistication to any product. Jewelry made from it is durable and strong. They do not need to be cleaned often, and the jewelry retains its original appearance for years.

Description of the chemical reaction

Metal products, both silver and gold, are hallmarked. Silver is produced in 925 or 856 standard.

925 rings and chains contain 92.5% silver, everything else is impurities. The composition also includes copper. It reacts with sweat and air. This causes the metal to begin to darken.

Accordingly, the lower the sample, the more impurities the product contains, and the likelihood of it darkening increases.