[Jewelry making - Article 00531] - Re: [Orchid] Raising fine silver to the surface

[Beth Rosengard]

========[ Invite a Friend - http://www.ganoksin.com/invite.htm  ]========

Hi Noel,

>     One more point-- you don't need to heat the piece to black, and I
>     don't recommend it. If you pickle as soon as any discoloration
>     appears (it may be yellow) it may take more repetitions, but the
>     oxide will pickle off quickly and easily. If you overheat, you
>     *will* get firescale, which may not really pickle off. 

    You're right about the color differences when depletion gilding
    silver. It's been so long since I've done it with silver, that my
    memory is faulty. However, heating to black *initially* does work
    very well. The key is to avoid heating *beyond* black until the metal
    turns red. 

    I don't know what happens metalurgically when you do that but it
    seems on occasion as if the layer of pure metal burns off leaving
    just the firestain on the top surface. If that happens, you have to
    start the depletion process again. Is that what you meant by "if you
    overheat, you will get firescale"? 

    I ask because you're going to get firestain regardless of whether
    you overheat or not. The difference is that when the metal is
    properly depleted, the firestain lies underneath the layer of pure
    metal and isn't visible. When done improperly, with overheating, the
    firestain will resurface and become visible again. 

    There's another downside to overheating while depletion gilding and
    I made the mistake just *yesterday*. Since depletion gilding is the
    very last step you'll do (with the torch, that is), if you're not
    careful you can unsolder a finding or, in my case, a bezel! 

    By the way, there's a wonderful heat patination/patterning technique
    I learned years ago in a workshop with Rachelle Thiewes. First you
    thoroughly depletion gild a piece of silver till it's as white as it
    can get. Then you selectively abrade through the white "skin" till
    you get down to sterling silver. Heat one last time till the bare
    sterling is black and DON'T pickle. The result will be a striking
    black on white pattern (which can be maintained by using a sealer).
    To anyone who tries this, note that you *must* keep the metal clean
    at all times. Even fingerprints will inhibit the process. 

Beth
____________________________________________________________________
T h e   O r c h i d   L i s t
Open Electronic Forum for Jewelry Manufacturing Methods and Procedures
____________________________________________________________________
Orchid FAQ:
~ http://www.ganoksin.com/orchid/faq.htm
Orchid Archives:
~ http://www.ganoksin.com/orchid/archive
Orchid Galleries:
~ http://www.ganoksin.com/orchid/gallery.htm
Invite a Friend:
~ http://www.ganoksin.com/invite.htm
____________________________________________________________________
Tips From The Jeweler's Bench - Article Archive
~ http://www.ganoksin.com/borisat/tip_sear.htm
The Jeweler's Selected Bibliography List
~ http://www.ganoksin.com/jewelry-books
Buy Orchid Jewelry:
~ http://www.ganoksin.com/shop
____________________________________________________________________
-Unsubscribe:
-Email: orchid-request AT ganoksin.com Body=unsubscribe subject=blank
____________________________________________________________________