I crochet with 18 K wire. I have about 6 pieces where the gold is
getting darker/browner. It really stands out in my case when I am
doing a show, and you can really tell that it is “tarnishing” ?
Customers question if it is gold. I purchase all of my gold from one
supplier. And the tarnishing seems to be coming from older pieces. I
tried to clean it with a Q-tip and some Tarn.x, and it didn’t go back
to the bright yellow color, but is more pink.
Help!! I would rather not take apart all these pieces to either
clean or recycle. Any suggestions would be gratefully appreciated.
Joan
Joan: your problems may arise frome just the intense light or from
acidick reactions from papers, cardboards, or a number of things.
Take your project back to the pickel pot and remove ths oxides and
steam it off and it should be clean. If you continue to display this
item under the lights it will need to be continueing on the cleaning
and eventually a polishing prosses. the gentle wear of golds is what
keeps it prety, if you lay it in an oxydizing invernment it will
turn colours
My last studio mate crocheted silver and gold pieces and had the
same problem. The solution turned out to be quite simple. She
invested $85 or so dollars in an ionic cleaner. 15 to 30 seconds in
the cleaner and the pieces looked like new. I have since used the
cleaner on pieces that were case tarnished with great results. No
polishing needed just the ionic cleaner.
Frank Goss