Hello,

I was wearing a silver necklace that I purchased in Peru and I rushed into the shower at our vacation home in Sarasota, Florida.  I mention Sarasota because when we bought there, the real estate agent told us that the sulfur content in our water was very high and that caused the awful "bad egg" smell in the water.  I forgot to remove my necklace and when I got out of the shower it was the most awful color of orange rust!  It took me hours of polishing to get the neckace back to its original silver shine.  Does anyone know if this was really a reaction between the silver and the sulfur in the water?  Also, would it happen again or with any silver jewelry?

 Thanks!

 If your water has a high sulfur content then I'm sure it was the sulfur in your water that oxidized your silver.   The chemical reaction between the metal and the sulfur seems to happen faster with warm (hot) water, but your metal will oxidize in cold water too - it will just take longer.  There are some non-toxic homemade recipes to remove tarnish, but with your water I don't know if you can get the results you are looking for....maybe a gentle commercial cleaner would be better suited - ask your neighbors.