[Jewelry making - Article 00018] - [Orchid] Silver tattoos

[John Burgess]

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    G'day;    

    I have been reading about one or two Orchidians who have 'tattoos'
    caused by sharp things producing wounds which go black due to silver
    on the sharp thing which did the damage. Also some of you use ferric
    nitrate or nitric acid for etching or dissolving silver which
    produced silver in solution.  You may have noticed that a little
    while after the solution contacted some part of your body it
    suddenly seemed to turn black. 

    Well, the 'black' is silver and/or silver suboxide  which eventually
    wears off, taking at least ten days, but due to Murphy's Law, happens
    just when you need to look your best. Rejoice, for succour is at
    hand!   Go to your nearest pharmacy and buy a small bottle of
    tincture of iodine and a small amount of photographic hypo.    

    Rub the iodine well into the stain (cotton bud?) then rub it with a
    strong solution of the hypo. The black stain will go grey with the
    iodine, (silver iodide) and then vanish completely with the
    application of hypo. 

    Donkey's years ago a colleague managed to get black silver stains all
    over his face due to performing an illicit experiment with silver
    which exploded in his face but no real damage occurred. Big black
    patches developed when he went out into the sunshine to do some tests
    as part of his job. He looked a bit strange.  He was scared the Boss
    might see. And the Boss would in those days certainly have presented
    him with a week's wages and The Sack.  But the rest of his loyal
    colleagues worked hard to discover the cure mentioned above and the
    Boss never knew. And it didn't hurt or cause other damage. 

    But if your 'tattoo' has healed, then this won't work; you have to do
    it as soon as it happens. Moral: 'When the cats away the mice will
    play' But a knowledge of practical science (generally) wins. PS:
    iodine is an antisceptic too. 

-- 
Cheers for now,
John Burgess;   johnb AT ts.co.nz of Mapua, Nelson NZ


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