Does Ruthenium Tarnish? Does it Corrode, Rust and Oxidize?

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Does ruthenium tarnish?

No, ruthenium doesn’t tarnish. It’s a highly resistant metal, especially to corrosion and oxidation, even at high temperatures.

Ruthenium’s resistance to tarnishing makes it a popular choice for various applications, including electrical contacts, resistors, and jewelry finishes.

Ruthenium oxidizes at temperatures above 800°C. But this early oxidation forms a thin oxide layer that protects the metal from further degradation.

So, ruthenium doesn’t easily tarnish, rust, corrode and oxidize. But, is your ruthenium bullion and jewelry completely safe?

Can you clean it with any substance without worrying of inflicting permanent damage?

Learn it below!

Here’s an awesome quiz about ruthenium tarnishing and corroding. Take it after you’ve read my guide below.

Does Ruthenium Tarnish? Does it Corrode, Rust and Oxidize?

Table of Contents

Does Ruthenium Tarnish? Does it Rust, Corrode and Oxidize?

No, ruthenium doesn’t tarnish.

Tarnishing is a discoloration of a metal surface due to a chemical reaction, that creates an undesirable film or coating on the metal.
Ruthenium as a noble metal is fully resistant to tarnishing and this property makes it a staple in expensive jewelry making.

Jewelry made with ruthenium-containing alloys maintains its shine longer than pieces made from traditional silver or gold.

Similarly, ruthenium is highly corrosion and oxidation resistant, especially under normal day-today circumstances.

Below I list out all the potential tarnishing-causing substances and their effect on ruthenium objects.

Water. Ruthenium doesn’t tarnish in water. Water molecules have no effect on ruthenium-made jewelry or bullion. Saltwater and chlorinated water also don’t tarnish ruthenium.
Fire. Fire doesn’t tarnish ruthenium. However, ruthenium oxidizes at temperatures above 800 degrees Celsius (1472°F) and this process results in a dark color change and the release of toxic fumes.
Hydrogen peroxide. Ruthenium doesn’t tarnish, oxidize or corrode when exposed to hydrogen peroxide. Hydrogen peroxide is an oxidizer, but it doesn’t react with ruthenium, even at elevated temperatures.
Vinegar. Vinegar doesn’t tarnish ruthenium. Acetic acid from vinegar is too weak to tarnish, corrode and oxidize pure ruthenium or ruthenium-containing objects.
Lemon juice. Lemon juice doesn’t tarnish ruthenium. It also doesn’t oxidize and corrode it. The acids found in lemon juice are too weak to do any visible damage to solid ruthenium objects.
Makeup. Makeup doesn’t tarnish ruthenium. It also doesn’t corrode and oxidize it.
Nitric acid. Nitric acid doesn’t tarnish ruthenium. It also doesn’t corrode and oxidize it.
Bleach. Bleach tarnishes and corrodes ruthenium. In fact, ruthenium will dissolve in bleach, especially when alkaline conditions are present.
Alcohol. Alcohol neither tarnishes nor corrodes ruthenium. In chemical lab settings ruthenium can form complexes with alcohols, and certain ruthenium compounds can catalyze the oxidation of alcohols. This won’t ever happen in your home though.
Toothpaste. Toothpaste neither tarnishes nor corrodes ruthenium. The abrasive elements in toothpaste are built to clean teeth and not damage it and ruthenium is much harder than your teeth.

Bottom line is that it’s incredibly hard to get ruthenium to tarnish, oxidize and corrode.

Bleach is the only exception as it dissolves ruthenium and produces toxic ruthenium tetroxide gas.

Bleach dissolves ruthenium and forms a toxic ruthenium tetroxide gas

Does Pure Ruthenium Bullion Tarnish? Does it Corrode and Oxidize?

No, pure ruthenium bullion doesn’t tarnish. Ruthenium as a noble precious metal is highly resistant to both Earth’s elements and anything you can throw at it in your kitchen.

Bleach is the only exception and bleach can dissolve pure ruthenium coins and bars.

But, pure ruthenium bullion is rare and extremely expensive.

There are also black ruthenium coins.

Black Ruthenium coins are collector’s editions of existing gold and silver coins that have been coated with a layer of black ruthenium.

Black ruthenium coins don’t tarnish if they’re made of an alloy of pure gold or silver and ruthenium. This is because pure gold doesn’t tarnish. And pure silver doesn’t tarnish too.

However, black ruthenium coins could tarnish over time if they’re made of an alloy of ruthenium and gold or silver that’s not pure, but alloyed with some other metal.

For example, silver alloyed with copper can tarnish in the right conditions, as so can gold when it’s alloyed with copper, zinc, nickel…

Black ruthenium coins made with gold and ruthenium- source

Does Ruthenium Jewelry Tarnish? Does it Oxidize and Corrode?

No, ruthenium jewelry doesn’t tarnish.

There are two types of ruthenium jewelry, plated ruthenium jewelry and pure ruthenium jewelry.

Pure ruthenium jewelry doesn’t tarnish under any circumstances.

Plated ruthenium jewelry tarnishes if the underlying base metal is made of tarnish-prone metals.

For example, ruthenium-plated gold jewelry will tarnish if the plating is damaged and gold is exposed to water or air.

The same goes for silver jewelry coated with ruthenium. And the bigger the damage to plating, the bigger the tarnishing effect.

Note: both pure ruthenium jewelry and ruthenium-plated jewelry are safe from rusting, corrosion and oxidation as long as they aren’t exposed to bleach.

Bleach is the only substance that can permanently destroy all forms of ruthenium jewelry.

Pro tip: platinum/ruthenium jewelry also exists. It’s very rare and expensive and you won’t find it available in most places where you can buy jewelry.

Platinum doesn’t tarnish, rust or oxidize so a piece of jewelry made of platinum/ruthenium alloy is going to be perfectly safe from everything except bleach.