The fact that this Symposium has published eight papers on the subject of tarnish in recent years is an indication that this is an important topic to our industry. A survey of the existing literature clearly points to a lack of uniformity in test methods for tarnish. Is there a better approach to tarnish testing and can the jewelry industry look to other industries for answers? This paper will review standards and techniques used in the electronics and telecommunications industries for accelerated corrosion testing and how these methods can be better predictors of how metals used in jewelry will tarnish and age in actual use and storage conditions. Through more enhanced testing using the actual gases that cause corrosion at levels that can be used to predict future behavior, we can have a better understanding of what our creations will face in the real world, and we will be in a better position to determine how best to protect the pieces from the ravages of tarnish and corrosion.

Authors: Keith Donaldson, Marc Rothenberg