Help! My Silver tarnished!

 

 

We have been asked this question very frequently, “My Silver tarnished. Would it affect the buyback value?” Today we will discuss about this topic and try and answer this question.

 

Why does Silver tarnish?

Tarnishing, also called toning is a natural reaction between Silver and hydrogen sulfide that is naturally present in the air and this causes the metal to become discoloured. Besides, touching Silver with our bare hands may cause tarnishing too, due to the oils, sweat or moisture from our skin. Thus, if you are storing your Silver in a place with high humidity, tarnishing is to be expected.

 

In Singapore, chances of Silver getting tarnished is way higher. This is due to Singapore being situated near the equator and has a tropical climate that has frequent rainfall, high temperatures and humidity all year round.

 

 

Does Silver tarnish affect its value?

No. Tarnishing does not affect the value or cause devaluation of the Silver bullion. Silver bullion like bars and coins are usually valued by the weight, hallmark and purity. That being said, many dealers do take a discount off the Silver price for tarnished Silver bullion as it cannot be resold and have to be sent for melt. This would incur additional costs that the dealer will have to bear, this explains the discount quoted.

 

 

How to better store your Silver?

To avoid quick tarnishing on Silver, they best approach is to store it in a cool dry place. For example coins, you can keep them in a tube or capsule and as for bars in zip lock bags. If you do not have tubes or capsules, fret not as you can also store them in a plastic food container and keep them in a cool dry place. Any protection against moisture in the air would help slow the tarnishing process, remember not to keep them next to a humidifier or in a warm area such as in a kitchen.

 

Besides, you can also place some dehumidifying crystals packet in the storage location to absorb the excess moisture and this too helps to slow down the effect of tarnishing.

 

As mentioned earlier, handling Silver with bare hands will cause tarnishing. Hence, we advise clients to wear cotton hand gloves when touching Silver to make sure your Silver will not expose to the sweat, oil or moisture.

 

Here is a simple explanation about Silver and tarnishing. Hope it helps to ease your concerns. If you still have any doubt and questions in purchasing Silver, feel free to contact us at +65 62229703 or [email protected].

 

Fun fact: We do have a client who actually bought a large Silver bar (1000oz) and placed it at the garden as a seat!

 

Evonne