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Britannica Sources used in this answer

Why does freshly cut zinc look silvery but older zinc look grayish white?

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A labeled diagram of the periodic table entry for zinc, showing its atomic number 30, symbol Zn, atomic weight 65.38, electron configuration, name, hexagonal crystal structure, solid state at room temperature, and classification as a transition metal.
zinc

Freshly cast zinc exhibits a bluish silver surface. However, when exposed to the atmosphere, the metal slowly oxidizes to form a grayish, protective oxide film. This layer of zinc oxide is impervious, which helps the metal resist further corrosion in ordinary atmospheric conditions.1