Hi all, I’m a new member, looking forward to being part of this community! I’m a mostly self-taught jewellery from New Zealand, and there are some things you just can’t learn from books.
On that note - does anyone know of a way to create a stable dark patina on aluminium, similar to sulphur dioxide on sterling silver or bronze?
Thanks,
Emily
** I have a note in my notebook about a product called Insta-Black. But no experience with it.
Aluminum sulphide to my knowledge is clear and so there shouldn’t be a way to do so. Sterling isn’t that expensive I would recommend you use that instead. You will prefer working with it much more.
I’ve tried JAX Aluminum Blackener on some experimental pieces and it works. I recall it works. I can’t speak to its durability though.
Not at the size I’m working at!
Thanks, I will look out for it. Did you have to roughen the surface very much?
Look on Youtube for videos on anodizing at home. Aluminum can be colored any color you want. It’s a process different from plating bur similar. It’s very widely used industrially (you can send your jewelry out to be anodized in some countries, but don’t know about New Zealand. The main reason professional anodizers avoid jewelry is that it’s too easy to lose small parts) but you can also rig up some tanks to do it at home also.
I just happened to look at Youtube right after I wrote the post about anodizing, and saw that this video on home anodizing was on my channel Small Scale Aluminium Anodising in the Home Workshop - YouTube