Causes of darkening of the pectoral cross

Evil eye

The consecrated pendant darkens in the presence of the evil eye or induced damage. In this case, the cross suddenly turns black, and one gets the feeling that it is in the way, suffocating.

Cleaning does not solve the problem; after a short time, the material changes color again.

Moreover, the blacker the metal, the stronger the negative impact. Over time, a person begins to get sick and feels a loss of strength.

In the event of an evil eye or damage, a deliverance ritual should be performed: light three candles for saints in three different churches. Afterwards, the cross must be thoroughly cleaned and kept in holy water for at least a day. You can ask the priest to re-bless the pendant.

Detergents and cosmetics

Silver items are negatively affected by the composition of decorative cosmetics, shampoos, soaps, cleaning products, detergents and other household chemicals. The alkalis and acids they contain gradually change the color of the cross.

Attention! If, after using household chemicals, your silver suddenly turns black, it means that the PH balance in the detergent or cosmetic product is imbalanced. Don't use this anymore.

Health problems

In the initial stages of some diseases, characteristic symptoms do not immediately appear. First of all, the composition of sweat changes, especially with impaired metabolism and diseases of the genitourinary system.

With the liquid, chemically active substances are released from the body that can react with the metal from which the cross is made. As a result, the pendant darkens.

The composition of sweat changes in stressful situations, with increased body temperature, intense physical activity, and eating large amounts of foods containing protein and iodine. If you are sure of the reason for the darkening of the cross, you should not worry.

Otherwise, it is advisable to undergo a full medical examination, especially if you suddenly notice that you are sweating more or getting tired more often than usual.

How to clean tarnished silver at home?

There are several tips that will help give your jewelry its former shine and cleanliness:

The most effective method is special wipes, liquids and pastes designed for silver products. They are sold in most jewelry stores; you just need to ask the seller what exactly you need and follow the instructions.
Jewelers' recommendation is boiling water, soda and foil. Take a dish with thick walls, cover it with foil so as not to decorate it, add soda at the rate of 50 grams per liter. Place the decoration on the bottom and place it on the stove that is turned on. It takes at least 10-20 minutes for the plaque to boil away, after which all that remains is to wash off the residue.
The recipe, tested by several generations, is ammonia with water (1 tablespoon per 500 ml). Simply place darkened jewelry in the solution for 30-40 minutes, carefully remove it with tweezers and rinse under running water.
Toothpaste – Squeeze a small amount onto an old, unused brush and gently apply to the problem area. The main thing is that the composition does not contain abrasive bleaching particles, so as not to scratch the surface.
Soap solution – items made of blackened or shiny rhodium plated silver can only be cleaned with it using a soft cloth. If the process does not bring results, it is better to entrust the task to a professional jeweler.

Silver jewelry with a precious stone should never be cleaned with any aggressive chemicals, boiling water or dry abrasive. Each pebble has its own, optimal composition of cleaning agents that will not lead to cracks and clouding.

Climate

A pendant made of copper and silver quickly turns black under certain climatic conditions: high humidity near the sea, the presence of hydrogen sulfide in the air.

Chlorine content in drinking water can also cause color changes. Copper and silver ions oxidize, reacting with sulfur and chlorine compounds, which causes darkening of the metal.

If you have taken a swim in a pond and the cross suddenly turns black, it means that the water contains harmful impurities. When a liquid evaporates, chemically active sulfur and chlorine compounds enter the air.

Rain in such a climate zone will also contain substances that contribute to the blackening of the metal. Often harmful impurities in water bodies and sediments have an adverse effect on the human body. Perhaps, in the presence of aggressive climatic conditions, it is worth thinking about changing your place of residence.

Chemical composition

Crosses are made from alloys of different metals, so the color change is an oxidation reaction. Most often, objects made of silver, bronze, brass, low-quality gold and copper turn black (a large percentage of copper with a greenish coating appears on the cross). Alloys of base metals simply darken.

Tip: Don't panic if your cross turns black. Silver items can be cleaned, replaced with another material (gold, wood, leather) or purchased a blackened cross.

Weakening the biofield

Each person is surrounded by a biofield that protects from external negative influences. People believe that a darkening of the cross can signal a weakened aura.

In this case, the owner of the pendant often experiences melancholy, stops enjoying life, and begins to get sick.

The first sign of a weakened biofield is considered to be intolerance to communication with people who have strong negative energy. After such contact, a person with a depleted aura is able to lie down for a long time.

Positive emotions restore a weakened biofield well. Try changing your surroundings, for example, going on vacation. Try to solve problems as soon as possible. Avoid stressful situations.

Alternatively, you can turn to witches and traditional healers for help.

Main reasons

It happens that a piece of jewelry quickly loses its shine and golden color, turning into something like an antique. A few centuries ago, in these cases they would have said that this was the result of damage to the owner of the jewelry; such misinterpretations still occur today, but science explains this phenomenon in a completely different way.

Let's look at the composition of gold in jewelry. If you purchased a model from 750 fineness, then you have a better chance of not getting a darkened surface, because there is 75% pure gold, and only 25% is copper, silver and other additives. Alloys of 585 purity are already included in the risk group, but it is better to refuse specimens with even lower gold content and save up for something more worthy. The secret of a high-quality alloy is in the process of its manufacture. Some unscrupulous jewelers change the original formula by adding more base metals in order to keep the extra grains of gold for themselves.

This violation of norms leads to gold turning black. This happens because the components of the alloy react with the external environment - air, water, secretions from your skin. As a result, the skin where you wear the jewelry will also turn black. This reaction of the product to wear is unacceptable, and you can safely contact the jeweler and demand the return of the product. To prevent such a situation, you should buy jewelry only from jewelry houses that have proven themselves in the market, where product quality is a priority. However, be careful not to confuse blackening of the item with darkening of the skin underneath if it is new. This effect can be from the top polishing layer, which is applied to ensure the shine and presentation of the product.

The change in color of your gold jewelry may be due to your body. Gold jewelry can get dirty, just like an ordinary item. The properties of the metal do not change; it does not enter into an oxidative reaction, but becomes covered with dirt and dust. At risk are jewelry that is worn on the body and worn every day - wedding rings, body chains and crosses, and stud earrings for children. Our skin releases various substances to the surface in the form of sweat.

This is an absolutely natural process that cannot be stopped or corrected. The composition of sweat depends on the individual characteristics of a person, on what he eats, what he is sick with. Some elements reflect worse on the state of gold, which is why the surface darkens. Gold accumulates a layer of sediment and dust, resulting in a crust of dirt that looks like a darkening. Fortunately, cleaning the product can be quite simple.

There are substances that have a special effect on gold alloys. They contribute to the appearance of gray spots that are difficult to miss. First of all, these are mercury and iodine. They destroy the top layer of gold, that is, they are much more aggressive than ordinary pollution. It will no longer be possible to restore the top layer, so such exposure should be avoided. Mercury can be found in cosmetics and medicinal substances. Even a small dose can cause harm to the product, for example, if you apply cream or ointment with your finger on which the ring is placed, you risk soon seeing stains on its surface.

There are very interesting cases involving the effects of iodine. In addition to direct exposure to medical iodine, exposure to it is possible, for example, in a swimming pool. When going for a swim at a fitness or spa center, a rare woman takes off her jewelry, but sometimes iodine is added to the water, which can destroy the surface of the gold alloy.

Having received answers to the question of why your ring or chain has darkened, the gold will still have to be “reanimated”. If your option is the first, and the too cheap alloy begins to oxidize, nothing can be done. The easiest way would be to sell the product at a pawnshop as scrap, and save the proceeds for a higher-quality model. If you see gray spots, you can contact a jeweler in the workshop and find out what can be done. The simplest option is the second, when the question of why the decoration turned black received a simple everyday answer. In this case, the gold can be cleaned.

Sins

A sudden strong darkening of the cross may indicate bad deeds of the owner. This is especially true for pendants made of silver, since this metal has long been endowed with all sorts of mystical properties, including deliverance from evil spirits. With the accompanying blackening of the chain, the person was threatened with inspection in the dungeons of the Inquisition.

There is also a belief that a gold item darkens when a serious sin is committed. A noble metal can change color if a person is at a crossroads, degrades or forgets about moral principles.

Even if you haven’t noticed any wrongdoing, before cleaning your pectoral cross, it won’t hurt to go to church and pray, asking God for forgiveness for conscious or unconscious sins.

How to avoid darkening of a silver cross

The darkening of the pectoral cross can only be avoided using traditional methods or chemicals. If the doctor does not find any health problems, the person feels great, then the reason for the blackness is in the silver sample. Therefore you can use:

white boiling using hydrochloric acid;
cleaning with laundry soap or tooth powder (paste);
soak the product in a mixture of laundry soap and soda;
use irradiation or galvanic coating.

Each option whitens the cross or chain for a certain time. Therefore, it is worth determining the period of time through which manipulations must be carried out.

You can avoid problems with the appearance of a Christian symbol not only by regularly visiting doctors, churches or healers. It is much easier to remain a believer, positive towards others. You should also be more careful about the quality of the product.