I've been working on some 14gauge 3/8" ID chainmail, but just yesterday I ran into a problem. I'd been recently storing it inside a large jar with sealing lid, since now it's large enough to cover my shoulders and upper chest and takes up a lot of desk space. Today upon retrieving it from the jar, I noticed the zinc coating had lost its shine, and has tons of white spots on it, as well as smelling quite foul. The exposed steel from the cuts has not rusted, or been affected in any way.
Does anyone know what this is, what caused it, or how to treat it? This piece already has a significant amount of time invested into it, and I don't fancy the thought of restarting it.