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Author	Topic: Tarnish
ahwt Posts: 2334 Registered: Mar 2003	posted 12-26-2018 02:08 PM It was mentioned to me that one of the major causes of tarnish was just the number of pollutants in the air and that before 1700 silver did not tarnish. I think the only pollutant that matters to silver is sulfur. It could be with the increase in heating with coal in the 1700s a major increase in sulfur and sulfur compounds were released into the atmosphere. Maybe as the use of coal decreases the tarnishing of silver will be slower. [This message has been edited by ahwt (edited 12-26-2018).] IP: Logged
Scott Martin Forum Master Posts: 11520 Registered: Apr 93	posted 12-26-2018 03:17 PM ....and that before 1700 silver did not tarnish. I just don't think so ... I suspect there was a lot less sulfur in the air before coal became a major fuel source but I also believe anytime organic fuels are burned there is some quantity of airborne sulfur produced. When animals/microflora bacteria consume dietary sulfur-containing amino acids found in plant life they produce flatulence which then into the air contains sulfur. Also egg yolks have a lot of sulfur. Depending on where ground water is sourced it also contains sulfur. I suspect there are many sources for airborne sulfur....one of our chemistry or EPA members might be able to speak with a more experienced/scientific view. quote: ucsusa.org ucsusa.org ...... All types of coal also contain sulfur, which, when burned, releases toxic air pollution. Sulfur content is determined by the conditions under which the coal is formed. Low-sulfur coal deposits develop in freshwater environments; high-sulfur deposits come from brackish swamps or marine-influenced environments [1]. In the United States, the sulfur content of coal varies along geographic lines, with most—though not all— eastern coal containing high levels of sulfur, and western coal containing much less. ....... IP: Logged
seaduck Posts: 350 Registered: Dec 2006	posted 12-26-2018 09:49 PM The 1700s comment intrigued me, because I wondered about that very thing while I was polishing an 18th c cann. If silver tarnished easily and quickly back then, would it have been so prized? Or, put another way, how was it polished in 'olden' times? I believe that sulfur is a leading culprit, but I also suspect, like Scott, that it is found more commonly than we think. I assume it's a by-product of natural gas -- I've noticed that club trophies in cases near a gas fireplace tarnish more quickly than those farther away. I have no idea if there is more sulfur in sea air, but I once saw a silverplated pitcher tarnish over the course of an afternoon spent on a seaside deck. IP: Logged
doc Posts: 728 Registered: Jul 2003	posted 12-27-2018 07:58 AM When I moved from a home that had oil heat to one that was heated with natural gas, I noticed that my silver tarnished a lot faster. IP: Logged
ahwt Posts: 2334 Registered: Mar 2003	posted 12-27-2018 01:02 PM The process of silver developing the patina that most enjoy seems very mysterious. Sterling seems to age differently than silver plate so the addition of copper may make a difference. Several websites say tarnish is a result of the copper in silver reacting with sulfur. Copper may react to sulfur, but silver plate also tarnishes and it has no copper in it. So silver also reacts to sulfur. Old Sheffield Plate (OSP) has sterling on the outside, but it seems to me that 250 year old OSP looks different than 250 year old sterling as the blueish tinge on OSP seems more intense. Some writers suggest that is the copper base for OSP that makes the difference. One site on the internet said that while silver is very reluctant to join with oxygen that it does happen very slowly and after several hundred years this reaction adds to the patina. This same site said that the reaction can be hastened by heat in an atmosphere having high concentration of oxygen. IP: Logged
Polly Posts: 1970 Registered: Nov 2004	posted 12-27-2018 03:31 PM Some things that tarnish silver and aren't fossil fuels: -Garlic, onions, and the gases they release when chopped, cooked, etc -Fumes arising from wetlands -Salt and sea air -Cow farts -Cheese IP: Logged
asheland Posts: 935 Registered: Nov 2003	posted 12-28-2018 10:27 AM I collect bullion bars alongside coins and antique silver, the bars are .999 and some are .9999 fine. They tarnish similarly to sterling, perhaps a little slower... IP: Logged

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