Beautiful jewellery is designed to be worn and enjoyed, but over time you may notice that certain metals begin to look darker, less luminous, or slightly different from when they were new. This is often a natural part of how jewellery responds to everyday wear and its environment.
So, why does jewellery tarnish?
Tarnish is a surface reaction that can occur when certain metals are exposed to air, moisture, naturally occurring compounds, skin oils, perspiration, cosmetics, and other environmental factors. It doesn't necessarily mean that your jewellery is poor quality or damaged.
Understanding why these changes occur—and how different materials should be cared for—can help you preserve the beauty of your favourite pieces for years to come.
At Carabella by Cheryl, I work with a variety of materials, including sterling and fine silver, gold-filled and gold-plated elements, freshwater pearls, Swarovski® Crystal Pearls, gemstones, Murano glass, and artisan details. Each material has its own characteristics, which is why thoughtful, material-specific care matters.
For detailed recommendations for each of these materials, you'll also find additional guidance in the Carabella Jewellery Care Guide.
What Causes Jewellery to Tarnish?
Tarnish occurs when certain metals react with substances in their surrounding environment. Depending on the metal, exposure to air, moisture, sulphur-containing compounds, perspiration, cosmetics, household products, and humidity can contribute to changes in the surface over time.
Your individual body chemistry and environment can also influence how quickly these changes appear. A piece worn frequently in a humid climate, for example, may respond differently from the same piece stored carefully in a dry environment.
Everyday products can play a role as well. Perfume, hairspray, lotions, sunscreen, cosmetics, soaps, and household cleaners may leave residue on jewellery or affect certain metals and finishes.
One of the simplest habits I recommend is:
Put your jewellery on last and take it off first.
Allow perfume, lotions, sunscreen, and other products to dry or absorb before putting on your jewellery, then remove your jewellery before showering, exercising, swimming, or going to bed.
Does All Jewellery Tarnish?
No. Different metals and jewellery finishes behave differently, and not every change in appearance is technically tarnish.
Sterling silver, for example, can naturally develop tarnish as it reacts with compounds in the environment. This surface discolouration can generally be removed with appropriate cleaning and polishing.
Plated jewellery behaves differently. Because a layer of precious metal is applied over another base material, gradual changes in appearance may result from wear to the plating rather than tarnish alone.
Gold-filled jewellery has a substantially thicker layer of gold mechanically bonded to a base metal than conventional gold plating and is valued for its durability. Even so, thoughtful care helps protect its finish and the other materials incorporated into a jewellery design.
Understanding what your jewellery is made from is therefore one of the most important parts of caring for it properly.
Why Does Sterling Silver Tarnish?
Sterling silver is traditionally composed of 92.5% silver combined with other metals to give it greater strength and durability.
While beautiful and enduring, sterling silver naturally reacts with sulphur-containing compounds in the air and surrounding environment. This can gradually create a darker surface layer known as tarnish.
Tarnish doesn't mean your sterling silver is ruined.
In many cases, its original brightness can be restored with an appropriate sterling silver polishing cloth or cleaning method. The correct approach, however, depends on the complete piece. Jewellery containing pearls, gemstones, crystals, decorative finishes, or other delicate materials may require more careful treatment.
For that reason, I recommend checking the appropriate section of the Carabella Jewellery Care Guide before cleaning a mixed-material design.
What About Fine Silver?
Fine silver contains a higher percentage of pure silver than sterling silver and generally tarnishes more slowly, but it can still develop surface changes depending on wear, storage, and environmental exposure.
Because fine silver is softer than sterling silver, it also benefits from careful handling and storage to help protect it from scratches, dents, and unnecessary abrasion.
As with all Carabella jewellery, gentle care is preferable to aggressive cleaning.
Does Gold-Filled Jewellery Tarnish?
Quality gold-filled jewellery is designed to provide excellent durability. Unlike conventional gold plating, gold-filled material contains a significantly thicker layer of gold mechanically bonded to its underlying metal.
This makes it particularly well suited to jewellery intended for regular wear.
However, gold-filled does not mean completely maintenance-free. Perspiration, cosmetics, chlorine, cleaning chemicals, environmental conditions, and improper storage can all affect jewellery over time.
After wearing gold-filled jewellery, gently wiping it with a clean, soft cloth can help remove oils and residue before storing it.
Does Gold-Plated Jewellery Tarnish?
With gold-plated jewellery, it's important to distinguish between tarnish and plating wear.
Gold-plated components have a layer of gold applied over another metal. With repeated friction and exposure to moisture, perspiration, chemicals, and cosmetics, that surface layer may gradually wear and reveal more of the underlying metal.
This is different from the natural tarnishing process associated with sterling silver.
To help extend the life of gold-plated jewellery, avoid unnecessary exposure to water, perfume, lotions, household chemicals, and abrasive surfaces, and store each piece carefully when it isn't being worn.
How to Help Prevent Jewellery from Tarnishing and Discolouring
While you can't prevent every natural change that occurs with jewellery over its lifetime, a few simple habits can make a meaningful difference.
1. Put Jewellery On Last
Apply perfume, hairspray, lotions, sunscreen, and cosmetics before putting on your jewellery. Give these products time to dry or absorb first.
2. Take Jewellery Off First
Remove your jewellery before changing clothes, showering, bathing, swimming, exercising, or going to bed.
This reduces unnecessary exposure to moisture, perspiration, chemicals, friction, and accidental pulling.
3. Wipe Jewellery After Wearing It
A gentle wipe with a clean, soft cloth can remove skin oils and everyday residue before you put your jewellery away.
Avoid aggressive rubbing, particularly on plated finishes, pearls, gemstones, crystals, and decorative elements.
4. Keep Jewellery Away from Chemicals
Chlorine, household cleaners, perfumes, hairsprays, cosmetics, and other chemicals may affect metals and finishes.
Jewellery should also be removed before swimming in pools or using hot tubs.
5. Store Jewellery Separately
Jewellery pieces can scratch one another when they're stored together.
Whenever possible, place individual pieces in soft pouches or separate compartments within a lined jewellery box. Keeping chains separated also helps prevent tangling and friction.
6. Keep Jewellery Dry
Avoid storing jewellery in bathrooms or other consistently humid environments.
A cool, dry location away from direct sunlight is generally a better choice for long-term storage.
How Should You Clean Tarnished Jewellery?
There isn't one cleaning method that's appropriate for every piece of jewellery.
A polishing cloth may be suitable for an unembellished sterling silver piece, for example, while that same approach could be inappropriate for a plated surface, pearl, gemstone, crystal, or decorative finish.
This is why I don't recommend treating every piece with the same jewellery cleaner or relying on aggressive DIY cleaning methods.
Instead, first identify the materials in your jewellery and choose a cleaning method appropriate for every component in the piece.
If you're uncertain, start with the gentlest option: a clean, soft cloth.
For detailed instructions covering sterling silver, fine silver, gold-filled and gold-plated jewellery, freshwater pearls, Swarovski® Crystal Pearls, Murano and artisan glass, mother of pearl, gemstones, and crystal, visit the Carabella Jewellery Care Guide.
Caring for Jewellery with Pearls and Gemstones
Extra care is especially important when a design combines metal with pearls, gemstones, crystal, or artisan glass.
A cleaning method that is appropriate for the metal may not be appropriate for the other materials in the same piece.
For example, pearls should not be cleaned using abrasive polishing products or harsh jewellery cleaners simply because the clasp or other components are made from sterling silver.
If your jewellery features Swarovski® Crystal Pearls, you can also read How to Care for Swarovski® Crystal Pearls for specific guidance on protecting their beautiful pearl coating and luminous finish.
The safest approach is always to care for the entire design according to its most delicate component.
Frequently Asked Questions About Jewellery Tarnish
Does sterling silver tarnish?
Yes. Sterling silver can naturally tarnish as it reacts with sulphur-containing compounds in its environment. This is a surface reaction and doesn't mean the silver is poor quality. Appropriate cleaning can generally restore its brightness.
Why does my jewellery turn dark?
Darkening may be caused by tarnish, oxidation, accumulated residue, or changes to a plated finish. The cause depends on the materials used in the jewellery, how it's worn, and the conditions to which it's exposed.
Can perfume cause jewellery to tarnish?
Perfume and other personal-care products can contribute to surface changes, residue, or deterioration of some jewellery finishes. Apply perfume before putting on your jewellery and allow it to dry first.
Does gold-filled jewellery tarnish?
Gold-filled jewellery is highly durable because it contains a substantially thicker layer of gold than conventional gold plating. However, environmental conditions, perspiration, chemicals, and residue can still affect its appearance over time, so appropriate care remains important.
Can tarnished jewellery be restored?
Often, yes—but the appropriate method depends on the material. Sterling silver tarnish, for example, can generally be polished away. Changes caused by worn plating are different and cannot simply be polished away as tarnish.
How should I store jewellery to help prevent tarnish?
Keep jewellery clean and dry, store pieces separately in soft pouches or lined compartments, and avoid prolonged exposure to humidity, direct sunlight, and household chemicals.
Thoughtful Care for Jewellery You Love
Fine jewellery doesn't need to remain untouched to stay beautiful. It's meant to become part of your life—to be worn to work, out to dinner, while travelling, and during the moments that become memories.
A little thoughtful care simply helps it remain at its best.
Understanding the materials in your jewellery, protecting them from unnecessary exposure, cleaning them appropriately, and storing each piece carefully can make a meaningful difference to its appearance and longevity.
Every Carabella design is individually assembled by me in Canada with careful attention to its materials, construction, balance, and finish. Caring for your jewellery with the same consideration helps preserve the qualities that made you choose it in the first place.
For material-specific care recommendations, visit the Carabella Jewellery Care Guide, where you'll find detailed guidance for caring for the materials used throughout the Carabella collection.