[Jewelry making - Article 00554] - Re: [Orchid] Raising fine silver to the surface

[Noel]

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>     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. 

    Well, Beth, maybe one of our micro-metalurgy-minded members (say
    that 5 times fast!) can intervene here. What I posted, and believe
    to be true, is that if you do not heat very high on silver, you get
    (pink) cuprous oxide, which pickles off, leaving fine silver over
    sterling. If you heat higher (overheat, in my way of thinking) you
    get (puplish-gray) cupric oxide which does not dissolve away in
    pickle. 

    In my experience, you can get the fine silver to cover this layer,
    but as you say, it is still there and it is possible to break
    through to it. 

    The main issue here is, am I right that with more gentle heating,
    the oxide that is produced is actually removed by the pickle, or am
    I wrong and it is always still there under the fine silver surface?
    Inquiring minds want to know! 

Noel
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