Why might gold jewelry from the middle ages appear to be new while iron swords from the same time look ancient?

rons swords are made of iron and so they oxidize (a fancy word for rust), the process entails the metal absorbing oxygen from the air to create a new compound (rust).

Explanation:

Irons swords are made of iron and so they oxidize (a fancy word for rust), the process entails the metal absorbing oxygen from the air to create a new compound (rust).

On the other hand, jewelry would probably be made out of silver or gold and gems. These metals do not rust in the same way iron does. When silver oxidizes over time it form a protective barrier of already oxidized silver on the outside of the piece of metal -- this has a preservation effect. (And by the way, you should almost note that polishing silver actually removes a tiny bit of silver from the outside of the piece, thus removing the oxidized (tarnished) metal.)

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