Silver jewelry alloys have a faded color. Products made of such metal darken quickly and ugly, so it is customary to first artificially blacken them and then polish them. Blackening masks the natural darkening process of the metal and gives the decoration an antiquity charm. To blacken silver, jewelers use special chemicals, which are quite difficult to buy. But you can use the means available to everyone: an egg, iodine or a pharmacy sulfuric ointment.
It is necessary
- For blackening with an egg:
- - an egg;
- - a plastic container with a lid (like a container for freezing);
- - thin fishing line (thread or rope).
- Blackening with iodine:
- - iodine;
- - Toothpaste;
- - woolen fabric.
- Blackening with sulfuric ointment:
- - 30-33% pharmacy sulfuric ointment;
- - hair dryer;
- - sanding cloth for silver.
Instructions
Step 1
Blackening silver with an egg. Clean your silver piece well. Remove all dirt from it. Boil a hard-boiled egg, refrigerate and cut in half (peeling is optional). One egg is enough for blackening 3-4 products. Place the egg halves in a container. Apply (hang) a silver product on a fishing line or thread, place it in a container and seal it with a lid. The first blackening result will be noticeable in 20-30 minutes. Rotate the product from time to time for an even coating. After 3-4 hours, a stable black-brown coating forms on the silver. In this way, products with stones can be blackened, while they do not darken or fade.
Step 2
Blackening of silver with iodine. Clean the silver product from prints and dirt and thoroughly smear it with iodine with a cotton swab or swab. Then leave the silver to dry, ideally in the sun. When the product darkens and dries completely, take a toothpaste, squeeze a little onto a woolen cloth and start wiping the silver. The toothpaste replaces the abrasive agent, and where the product has bulges, silver will shine, and blackening will remain in the depressions. Then rinse the product well and dry with a clean cloth. The procedure can be repeated until the desired color is obtained. This blackening method is suitable for grooved items with a pattern and is not suitable for flat rings and earrings.
Step 3
Blackening of silver with sulfuric ointment. Thoroughly coat the silver item with sulfuric ointment. Turn on the hair dryer and heat the composition to a fluid state. When it moves in drops over the metal, see what color the silver has acquired. It should be a uniform black-violet color. Turn off the hair dryer, wash the silver product with soap and dry. If necessary, the blackening process can be repeated. To accentuate the relief of the decoration, polish the product with a brush or sandpaper.
