[Jewelry making - Article 00082] - Re: [Orchid] Silver Oxide/Sulphide (was silver tarnishing)

[Dave Sebaste]

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>     I recently started making fine silver chains...  After awhile of
>     wear they appear a little dingy, 

    Hi Anastasia, Tarnish is not the only thing that will impair a
    bright, glistening look on silver. Abrasions, tiny scratches and such
    will also affect the polished brilliance. Fine silver is much more
    soft (and susceptible to scratching) than sterling. The hardness is
    why sterling is usually used in functional items more than fine
    silver. 

    One plus is that tumbling the chains will work harden the fine
    silver to a degree, but still not as much as sterling. Tumbling with
    steel shot will not really do anything for scratches and abrasions
    except give you burnished scratches and abrasions. 

    I have a Speed-Brite ionic cleaner that hangs on my ultrasonic as an
    accessory. I can either ultrasonically clean, ionically clean, or
    both at the same time. That really rocks! I know an either/or
    decision is more cost effective, but both is a great solution, too.
    Ionic cleaning is certainly worth a shot. 

    If you determine the lack of like-new brilliance is due to the
    abrasion of the polished surface, buffing is probably the best
    answer. It will not do much for the inner surfaces of the links.
    Polishing chains on a buffer is one of the more challenging, and
    potentially dangerous (to you and the chain) polishing tasks, and
    could be covered in another thread all by itself. Some jewelry people
    adopt a, "Just don't do it!" attitude, but I've done it carefully and
    successfully by wrapping the chain tightly around a wooden block. 

    I hope this is of some help! 

All the best,
Dave
Dave Sebaste
Sebaste Studio and
Carolina Artisans' Gallery
Charlotte, NC (USA)
dave AT sebaste.com 
http://www.CarolinaArtisans.com 

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