Why do some of my silver bullion coins tarnish? Is there a way to prevent this from happening and if so how?
Why? The presence of Hydrogen Sulfide in any material that silver comes into contact with, is one of the prime reasons for silver tarnish. Sulfur containing materials generally cause silver to tarnish and Hydrogen Sulfide is just one of these. What you can do to prevent tarnish Materials like wool, rubber bands, fuels derived from fossils, a few types of paints and rubber (latex) gloves are some of the common materials that cause tarnishing of silver. Certain foods like eggs and onions also hasten the silver tarnish process. You can therefore realize that, touching silver jewelry with oily hands or after a meal could also stain your silver jewelry with tarnish. The extent and speed with which your silver jewelry tarnishes is also related to the climate and in general, high humidity would result in silver tarnishing much faster. How to clean tarnish from your silver: Take a plastic or non-reactive dish. Place aluminum foil in the bottom. Add warm water, and some dishwasher powder. Add the silver item, make sure it is ON the foil. Wait a few minutes, up to 15, take the item out. The slimy slippery feel is the tarnish! Rinse and wipe under running water, and marvel at the difference!
