Silver issue, melting oxide

[Hartbar]

I just did a batch of sterling silver. Nitric and distilled dissolving went very well. No excess nitric issue, filtered the nitrate.
I wanted to check quality difference between processes: cemented w copper. Salt/lye/sugar. Salt/lye but no sugar.
Salt/lye/sugar went well, so did cementing with copper, both melt into metal nicely.
I thought I could melt the silver oxide after the lye stage by rinsing well and drying, without adding the sugar. It won’t melt, just turns to a thick syrup? Also has a blue/purple look.
Thanks for any input.

 

[Lino1406]

The reaction of silver nitrate to silver oxide was not completed, also blue hue suggests copper

 

[Hartbar]

Thanks Lino,
After adding lye to the chloride and mixing till my arm fell off, it turned jet black. I then took some of the oxide and put in new beaker, rinsed to neutral and clear, then dried.
The oxide remaining in original beaker, I then added sugar/Karo to. This batch was rinsed to clear and neutral, dried, then it melted very well.
Is it the lye and sugar that form oxide or just the lye itself?
I’ve seen where users claim they can melt after lye and not have to add sugar.

Thank you

 

[Lino1406]

Sugar turns silver oxide to silver. Heat decompose silver oxide to silver + oxygen

 

[Hartbar]

With that in mind, what is the best way to recover the oxide I have that I didn’t add sugar to, is it simply add sugar and heat?
I realize from this that cementing is by far the best process. Less waste, lot less rinsing and probably better yield.

 

[Lino1406]

Silver oxide melting should be the fastest. Other possibilities may give higher purity. Whatever method you choose, it needs learning and optimizing