# Aged Silver



## arthur kierski (Oct 29, 2018)

I need a product to make aged silver( black silver)---maybe a formulation---thanks all in advance-------


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## cosmetal (Oct 29, 2018)

arthur kierski said:


> I need a product to make aged silver( black silver)---maybe a formulation---thanks all in advance-------



Old school answer is:

Liver of Sulfur
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Liver_of_sulfur

Then polish and burnish to get your highlights with a cloth such as:

Sunshine Polishing Cloths:
https://www.amazon.com/Sunshine%C2%AE-Polishing-Cloths-Sterling-Jewelry/dp/B004ILV1B4/ref=sr_1_8?ie=UTF8&qid=1540857001&sr=8-8&keywords=sunshine+polishing+cloth

Peace,
James


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## rickbb (Nov 8, 2018)

Even older school method.

Make some hard boiled eggs, really hard no runny at all. Put them in a zip lock bag, put your silver in a small dish on top of the eggs. (Don't let the eggs and silver touch.)

Seal bag really well, double bag it is better. Wait a few days or week, violoa "aged" silver.


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## Shark (Nov 8, 2018)

rickbb said:


> Even older school method.
> 
> Make some hard boiled eggs, really hard no runny at all. Put them in a zip lock bag, put your silver in a small dish on top of the eggs. (Don't let the eggs and silver touch.)
> 
> Seal bag really well, double bag it is better. Wait a few days or week, violoa "aged" silver.



Does the silver go in the bag with the eggs or just sit on top of the sealed zip lock bag?


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## rickbb (Nov 19, 2018)

Sorry it took so long to get back, been out of town.

Silver goes in the bag but not touching the eggs. It's the off gassing from the eggs that causes the black/tarnish/oxidation you're looking for. 

Hydrogen sulfide from the decomposing egg I believe is the active gas doing the work.


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## Shark (Nov 19, 2018)

rickbb said:


> Sorry it took so long to get back, been out of town.
> 
> Silver goes in the bag but not touching the eggs. It's the off gassing from the eggs that causes the black/tarnish/oxidation you're looking for.
> 
> Hydrogen sulfide from the decomposing egg I believe is the active gas doing the work.



Thank you. The main reference I had been able to find mixed the silver into the crushed eggs. It didn't look like what wanted to try.


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## rickbb (Nov 28, 2018)

I've used the method when my wife had a bracelet repaired and the local jeweler decided, without asking us, to "clean" it for her. 

It was nice and bright shiny clean. They removed all of the black shadows that made it look good. Wife was not happy and the jeweler didn't know how to put it back. 

Google to the rescue!

The longer you leave it the darker it will get, for really dark you may need 2 teatments.


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## stella polaris (Dec 4, 2018)

Quite suspicious question. If you are going to make fake antiqvites stop reading here.

An old "dirty" trick to get an old look is to dig it down in or close to horse mature. Works on most materials. 
Otherwise its sulfur that gives the dark stain thanks to our air pollution.


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## butcher (Dec 4, 2018)

Liver of sulfur is used on jewelry.


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## FrugalRefiner (Dec 4, 2018)

stella polaris said:


> Quite suspicious question. If you are going to make fake antiqvites stop reading here.


stella polaris, if the question was from some new member with few posts, it might be suspicious. Arthur is a respected member who has been here for over ten years and has made over 1,000 posts. I can assure you his intentions are honorable.

Dave


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## Shark (Dec 4, 2018)

As for my interest, I had a necklace pendant I wished to give to an old friend. It had become shiny and had a polished look to one side from wear. Now it has an even toned looked thanks to rickbb, and my friend really enjoys it since it is from his favorite baseball team.


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## Syn (Dec 5, 2018)

As this is a refining forum, do you want to recover the silver by slowly turning it into a sulfide?


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## g_axelsson (Dec 6, 2018)

Syn said:


> As this is a refining forum, do you want to recover the silver by slowly turning it into a sulfide?


No, he's just helping a friend to put some nicer patina to some jewellery.

A refining forum talks mainly about refining, but the forum part means that we are a large community of friends, and friends asks each other about more mundane things too. It is what builds a community and not just a list of questions and answers.

Göran


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## snoman701 (Dec 6, 2018)

It's also a niche part of the business. You maintain your client list by solving problems for them.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


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## grainsofgold (Dec 10, 2018)

Im a jeweler - there are several methods used to blacken metal-

The egg method is one
liver of sulfur applied to a heated item is another
high temp bbq paint is another
model paint flat black is another
ceramit 
black rhodium plating over nickel plate
and time with the item being exposed to air 

take your pick


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