Liver of sulphur removal

Hi All

I was experimenting with liver of sulphur and now I need help. How
can I COMPLETELY remove the liver of sulphur oxidation from a snugly
woven sterling silver box chain necklace? Is there a chemical
solution to this problem? I’ve tried ammonia, pickle, tumbling. I’ve
used steel wool and a buffer. I’ve read the archives… (This is an
example of when reality didn’t match the vision.)

Marilyn Gardiner

Just heat it and pickle it.

Daniel R. Spirer, G.G.

I find liver of sulphur comes off best with pickle after you give
the piece a quick lick with the torch.

Cheers,
Norah Kerr
www.besmithian.com

Have you tried one of the silver dips like Ellenar? Seems to work
really well on old jewelry, cleaning up the tarnish…Perhaps I’ll
"liver-up" some silver and give it a try myself.

MFDunker

Marilyn, Whenever I want to remove liver of sulphur from a piece - I
just heat it slightly with a torch — It’s always worked for me,
since it’s a chain and a box you may not want to try it that way,so
do a test piece.

Leona
www.goldcreations.org

An ionic cleaner would remove it completely. I have one to clean my
woven pearl chains which cannot be cleaned any other way. The most
popular brand is SpeedBrite. You should google it to find the best
deal on one. I bought mine from Metaliferous in NYC via the web for
about $90 bucks.

Good luck! Elizabeth

1 Like

Marilyn,

Heat it gently with the torch… Nowhere NEAR soldering or annealing
temp. Quench it and pickle it and the LOS will be gone. You may have
to do a little repolishing (toss it in the tumbler) but it will be
fine.

Good luck!
Karen Goeller

Try this link for an electrolytic stripping formula:
http://educ.queensu.ca/~science/main/concept/chem/c03/C03DEEA1.htm 

The link provides a formula and an explanation of how it works.
Professor Dr. Bropohl’s book, Theory and Practice of Goldsmithing,
provides a similar formula on page 357. I am reluctant to reproduce
an entire formula from copyright material, however, Dr. Bropohl’s
formula differs in that table salt (sodium chloride) is also used in
the formula.

Howard Woods
Eagerly awaiting cherry blossoms in Eagle Idaho

1 Like

Hello Marilyn,

... How can I COMPLETELY remove the liver of sulphur oxidation....

Heat and pickle, voila! LOS is history.

Sorry, don’t know a chemical solution to this and haven’t ever found
the need for one either.

Cheers,
Trevor F.
in The City of Light
Visit TouchMetal.com at http://www.touchmetal.com

My sister turned me onto something that blasts away even the most
difficult tarnish. She’s an avid QVC shopper. QVC sells a product
they call Precious Jewelry Cleaner. I wouldn’t get it on soft stones.
But it works, and stinks to high heaven. Better than Tarn-X.

My sister turned me onto something that blasts away even the most
difficult tarnish. She's an avid QVC shopper. QVC sells a product
they call Precious Jewelry Cleaner. I wouldn't get it on soft
stones. But it works, and stinks to high heaven. Better than
Tarn-X. 

The reason Tarn-X isn’t as good as it could be is that it’s way too
dilute. The manufacturer is making it as dilute as possible, and
still work, sorta, to maximize profit, I suppose, or perhaps to
reduce potential toxicity or irritation to uneducated users. The
actual manufacturer of the chemical they market as Tarnex, recommends
a mix four times as concentrated (Tarnex mixes what the manufacturer
intends as a gallon of mix, into four gallons, or thereabouts. That
info came from that manufacturer’s sales people, by the way, when I
last ordered it. I have no reason to suspect it’s veracity…

The product is called CQ-2 (quick cleaner 2, I guess). It’s sold as
a dry chemical. Fifteen years ago or so, a pound of the stuff cost me
about ten bucks. (that pound has lasted a long time.) The maker is
the Vin-Rock company in Cleveland Ohio. Mixed as they direct, removal
of a nice deep back sulphide (what we call oxidized finish) tarnish
layer takes mere seconds, and a batch of the stuff lasts a long time.
The main (maybe the only, I don’t know) ingredient, at least the only
one listed on the label, as part of the caution’s statement, is
Thiourea, which does indeed stink sulphurously… Use ventilation
and rubber gloves.

Peter Rowe

1 Like

Um try goo gone citric cleaner removes it fast and is natural oh and
it removes the greasy polishing compounds with harmingn the finish
and old tooth brush and hater water and goo gone are all i need

Teri
Currently Under Construction…
Silver & Cameo Heritage Jewelry
www.corneliusspick.com

Hello marilyn

When I have to remove all my liver of supher I just anneal my work
again. as you mentione that your working on a fine woven stering
necklace be shure not to make it to hot so it melts. Heat it allover
and pickle. I repeat the proces if not all of it is gone.

Good luck
Nicky