We've discussed in several articles the effects of sulphur on sterling flatware resulting in tarnish. Here's an interesting case regarding more serious tarnish.
In the news media recently, there have been many reports regarding a problem with drywall material manufactured in China. It seems that the drywall emits a gas containing sulphur. Copper pipes and appliance components containing copper are being affected.
The web site, Chinese Drywall Complaint Center, contains information about the problem. We have no idea who actually manages the web site but the information seems reasonable.
Click on any picture to see a larger version. By clicking on "Comments/Questions" below, you can see posted comments and add your own questions and comments. Or, you can send us an email by clicking on "Email Silver Jim" in the right column.
Showing posts with label Tarnish. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Tarnish. Show all posts
Tuesday, October 27, 2009
Sunday, October 11, 2009
Patina in a Jar
We've mentioned in several posts that French gray and patina are desirable attributes that develop over time on sterling pieces. We've also talked about cleaners that remove these attributes resulting in a bland looking piece, in our opinion. Finally, we've suggested ways to restore patina and French gray in a shorter period of time than it takes under natural conditions.
Here's something we've not mentioned: Liver of Sulphur. This is a product that can quickly tarnish a sterling piece. We have never used it so we will not attempt to explain how to use it nor do we over any opinion regarding the pros and cons of its use.
Based on what we've read, the concept is simple but care must be taken to get just the effect you want. Here is a review article we found on the eBay web site that describes how to use this product: How to use Liver of Sulphur for Metal Patina. Do your own Google search - you'll find all sorts of reference articles.
Click on any picture to see a larger version. By clicking on "Comments/Questions" below, you can see posted comments and add your own questions and comments. Or, you can send us an email by clicking on "Email Silver Jim" in the right column.
Here's something we've not mentioned: Liver of Sulphur. This is a product that can quickly tarnish a sterling piece. We have never used it so we will not attempt to explain how to use it nor do we over any opinion regarding the pros and cons of its use.
Based on what we've read, the concept is simple but care must be taken to get just the effect you want. Here is a review article we found on the eBay web site that describes how to use this product: How to use Liver of Sulphur for Metal Patina. Do your own Google search - you'll find all sorts of reference articles.
Click on any picture to see a larger version. By clicking on "Comments/Questions" below, you can see posted comments and add your own questions and comments. Or, you can send us an email by clicking on "Email Silver Jim" in the right column.
Thursday, September 10, 2009
An "Eggciting" Tarnish Experiment
We've mentioned several times the effect certain foods can have on sterling. We decided to have a little fun with one of the primary culprits - eggs! We boiled an egg, cut it into small pieces and placed them in a bowl. We placed a silver plate piece next to the bowl and kept them overnight inside a cake container. You see the before and after pictures below along with a picture of the cake container.
BEFORE
AFTER
The "after" picture really does not show how dramatic the change was. The sulphur in the egg caused significant tarnish in just 12 hours. The moral of this story is to wash your sterling soon after being exposed to eggs!
Click on any picture to see a larger version. By clicking on "Comments/Questions" below, you can see posted comments and add your own questions and comments. Or, you can send us an email by clicking on "Email Silver Jim" in the right column.
Sunday, May 10, 2009
I Want My Sterling to Tarnish!
What? Why in the world would you want your silver to tarnish? Well, there actually is at least one valid reason.
Many people who own patterns with intricate designs appreciate the effect of slight tarnish buildup deep within the crevices of the design. This enhances the lines of the design and adds some visual depth. This type of tarnish actually has a name - "French gray".
A problem arises when someone adds a brand new piece to an older set. The new piece may look somewhat bland compared to the old pieces because the French gray has not had time to develop on the new piece. One solution is to let the new piece sit out in the open air for a while. We performed a test on a like-new piece of Gorham Buttercup by letting it sit on an open shelf in the kitchen area for about three months. After that time, it began to match older pieces of Buttercup with French gray. We cleaned the smooth surfaces.
Now if you are in a real hurry to develop some tarnish, you can use the boiled egg trick. Hard boil an egg, cut it into pieces and place it in a plastic bag. If you place a piece of sterling in the bag, it will tarnish dramatically in a few hours. The problem is that this tarnish will not be embedded deeply in the crevices of the design as it would have been had it developed over a long time.
If you want French gray, we recommend letting it develop naturally over time.
One word of caution - chemical dip cleaners will remove your French gray.
Click on any picture to see a larger version. By clicking on "Comments/Questions" below, you can see posted comments and add your own questions and comments. Or, you can send us an email by clicking on "Email Silver Jim" in the right column.
Many people who own patterns with intricate designs appreciate the effect of slight tarnish buildup deep within the crevices of the design. This enhances the lines of the design and adds some visual depth. This type of tarnish actually has a name - "French gray".
A problem arises when someone adds a brand new piece to an older set. The new piece may look somewhat bland compared to the old pieces because the French gray has not had time to develop on the new piece. One solution is to let the new piece sit out in the open air for a while. We performed a test on a like-new piece of Gorham Buttercup by letting it sit on an open shelf in the kitchen area for about three months. After that time, it began to match older pieces of Buttercup with French gray. We cleaned the smooth surfaces.
Now if you are in a real hurry to develop some tarnish, you can use the boiled egg trick. Hard boil an egg, cut it into pieces and place it in a plastic bag. If you place a piece of sterling in the bag, it will tarnish dramatically in a few hours. The problem is that this tarnish will not be embedded deeply in the crevices of the design as it would have been had it developed over a long time.
If you want French gray, we recommend letting it develop naturally over time.
One word of caution - chemical dip cleaners will remove your French gray.
Click on any picture to see a larger version. By clicking on "Comments/Questions" below, you can see posted comments and add your own questions and comments. Or, you can send us an email by clicking on "Email Silver Jim" in the right column.
Friday, April 24, 2009
Testimonial: Wenol Metal Polish
We have avoided endorsing products but we have had such good success with Wenol Metal Polish when dealing with severely tarnished or poorly maintained pieces that we thought a testimonial was in order. We buy two or three tubes at a time! It's good.
We were not asked to do this by the the Wenol people nor are we being compensated by them. We just appreciate a good product.
Be aware that Wenol contains a mild abrasive and might remove traces of silver during the polishing process. Be especially careful with silver plate pieces.
We don't sell this product but you can find it simply by typing "Wenol" in the search window in the right column and clicking "Search".
Click on any picture to see a larger version. By clicking on "Comments/Questions" below, you can see posted comments and add your own questions and comments. Or, you can send us an email by clicking on "Email Silver Jim" in the right column.
We were not asked to do this by the the Wenol people nor are we being compensated by them. We just appreciate a good product.
Be aware that Wenol contains a mild abrasive and might remove traces of silver during the polishing process. Be especially careful with silver plate pieces.
We don't sell this product but you can find it simply by typing "Wenol" in the search window in the right column and clicking "Search".
Click on any picture to see a larger version. By clicking on "Comments/Questions" below, you can see posted comments and add your own questions and comments. Or, you can send us an email by clicking on "Email Silver Jim" in the right column.
Thursday, April 23, 2009
How Do I Remove Rust From Sterling Flatware?
Rust on sterling flatware? I question the fact that you actually have sterling flatware. Tarnish, maybe, but rust?
Perhaps there might be some rust issue with silver plate knife blades or with the joint where the blade meets the handle but this is just a guess. I never have seen rust on sterling pieces. I welcome comments from readers who have different information.
Click on any picture to see a larger version. By clicking on "Comments/Questions" below, you can see posted comments and add your own questions and comments. Or, you can send us an email by clicking on "Email Silver Jim" in the right column.
Perhaps there might be some rust issue with silver plate knife blades or with the joint where the blade meets the handle but this is just a guess. I never have seen rust on sterling pieces. I welcome comments from readers who have different information.
Click on any picture to see a larger version. By clicking on "Comments/Questions" below, you can see posted comments and add your own questions and comments. Or, you can send us an email by clicking on "Email Silver Jim" in the right column.
Wednesday, February 4, 2009
Uneven Spoon Tarnishing
Note: This post was created while we were on the road in Luxor, Egypt.
We rejected in error a comment from a reader so we have created a post here to repair the error.
The reader asked why his/her soup spoon bowls tarnished faster than the spoon handles.
We can only guess at the answer. Certain foods cause tarnish much faster than others. These include eggs and vinegar. We add vinegar to some Chinese soups we prepare from time to time so maybe that's what this reader was doing. We suggest prompt hand washing after use to help alleviate the problem.
We will be interested to hear comments from other readers on this subject.
By clicking on "Comments/Questions" below, you can see posted comments and add your own questions and comments.
We rejected in error a comment from a reader so we have created a post here to repair the error.
The reader asked why his/her soup spoon bowls tarnished faster than the spoon handles.
We can only guess at the answer. Certain foods cause tarnish much faster than others. These include eggs and vinegar. We add vinegar to some Chinese soups we prepare from time to time so maybe that's what this reader was doing. We suggest prompt hand washing after use to help alleviate the problem.
We will be interested to hear comments from other readers on this subject.
By clicking on "Comments/Questions" below, you can see posted comments and add your own questions and comments.
Wednesday, October 22, 2008
When is Tarnish a Positive Thing?
We are asked occasionally if we "professionally polish" pieces of sterling flatware that we sell. Our standard answer is, "No."
Before proceeding, let's define what tarnish is. Sterling silver, by definition, is 92.5% pure silver. This silver reacts with gases in the atmosphere to form corrosion known as tarnish. Sulfur dioxide is particularly corrosive. You can demonstrate this by placing a piece of sterling into a plastic bag with a chopped boiled egg. The sterling does not have to touch the egg but the gas given off by the egg will tarnish the piece within a few hours. So, tarnish is bad, right? Well, yes and no!
Of course, no one wants sterling pieces to be black with tarnish. Sterling is supposed to be silver in color! However, the tarnishing process coupled with hand polishing causes pieces to develop a rich patina over the years. And many argue, myself included, that intricate pattern designs like Gorham Buttercup and Wallace Grande Baroque are enhanced by light tarnish. In fact, there is a term, French gray, that implies that this is a desired thing.
So, back to the original question regarding "professional polishing". This process will remove much, maybe all, of the patina and French gray. Therefore, we only polish as much as we think necessary to have a nice-looking piece.
Below are two pictures. The first is of a Gorham Buttercup fork that has very little tarnish. The second is of a Gorham Buttercup teaspoon with some tarnish. Note how the tarnish brings out the details of the design. I'm not saying which is best because it's a matter of personal taste.
Click on any picture to see a larger version. By clicking on "Comments" below, you can see posted comments and add your own questions/comments.
Before proceeding, let's define what tarnish is. Sterling silver, by definition, is 92.5% pure silver. This silver reacts with gases in the atmosphere to form corrosion known as tarnish. Sulfur dioxide is particularly corrosive. You can demonstrate this by placing a piece of sterling into a plastic bag with a chopped boiled egg. The sterling does not have to touch the egg but the gas given off by the egg will tarnish the piece within a few hours. So, tarnish is bad, right? Well, yes and no!
Of course, no one wants sterling pieces to be black with tarnish. Sterling is supposed to be silver in color! However, the tarnishing process coupled with hand polishing causes pieces to develop a rich patina over the years. And many argue, myself included, that intricate pattern designs like Gorham Buttercup and Wallace Grande Baroque are enhanced by light tarnish. In fact, there is a term, French gray, that implies that this is a desired thing.
So, back to the original question regarding "professional polishing". This process will remove much, maybe all, of the patina and French gray. Therefore, we only polish as much as we think necessary to have a nice-looking piece.
Below are two pictures. The first is of a Gorham Buttercup fork that has very little tarnish. The second is of a Gorham Buttercup teaspoon with some tarnish. Note how the tarnish brings out the details of the design. I'm not saying which is best because it's a matter of personal taste.
Click on any picture to see a larger version. By clicking on "Comments" below, you can see posted comments and add your own questions/comments.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
![[Most Recent Quotes from www.kitco.com]](http://www.kitconet.com/charts/metals/silver/t24_ag_en_usoz_2.gif)