[Jewelry making - Article 00524] - Re: [Orchid] Oxidation or patination?

[Zen Sojourner]

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>     It seems to me that you are saying in your post that the term
>     "oxidize" is not correct when talking about the formation of black
>     silver sulfide on silver metal because an oxide is not formed.
>     Maybe that is not what you intended to say? Chemically speaking the
>     term "oxidize" is correct under the conditions given. 

    Wow!  That was impressive. 

    But what I was actually asking in the original question, which I may
    have worded badly because I do natter on at times, is this: 

    Is it more likely that the gold, blue, and red irridescence that I
    saw on the COPPER metal I had painstaking polished and then dropped
    in a bucket prior to cleaning the polishing compound off with a
    toothbrush and dish soap.... Is it more likely that this was caused
    by acid and other chemical residues (which there are a LOT of, most
    involving sulfur) on and inside the copper pieces that diffused
    through the water resulting in patination of the copper surface.... 

    OR is it more likely that this sort of irridescence would be caused
    by "oxidation", which when used by these folks means exposure to
    plain water or humidity (but which when used by ME means exposure to
    oxygen or normal atmosphere that results in a usually  gradual change
    to the surface of the metal, typically greenish for copper and ugly
    black/grey for silver)? 

Thanks.
Sojourner

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