How to remove shine from silver?

Jewelry Discussion
21

Thanks, Janet. I’d never heard the term “blanching” before in relation to jewelry, though often in the kitchen.
I see that it is a term used in minting.

22

Popping in with a question rather than a suggestion-

If the silver is Blanched/Gilded/Depleted by repeated heating and quenching won’t it become annealed and vulnerable to disfiguring?

How would one toughen sterling silver up while also raising the the fine silver to the surface?

  • Puzzling

Thanks Janine

23

Hi Elliot!

This was one of my Bibles in the early 70s…:-)…
image

Janet in Jerusalem

24

Hi Janine,

If you use an oxidizing flame as opposed to a reducing flame, the temperature required is lower than for annealing and you reach the temperature much faster. There is of course the danger of overheating and consequently of unintentionally annealing the material in which case, yes, it would be more vulnerable to disfiguring. The item should be hardened as much as possible before blanching.

Janet in Jerusalem

25

You can also use pumice powder in a soft toothbrush and scrub to remove the shine.

26

Hi Elliott, Try polishing the discs with a polishing mop to get a professional shine firstly. Get them washed and ready to go. Male up a range of emery sticks from the sides of rectangular ice cream containers, glue the paper onto both sides. Slice up with a very sharp blade into strips and start developing the finish you want. As you go trim the sticks with a scalpel blade.

27

Thank you for everyone’s tips, advice, etc. It inspired me. I have found a way to remove the shine, it’s handy and result is good.

I cut small circles from Scotch-Brite Kitchen Scrub Sponge Heavy Duty, make a wheel, it produces a frosted look.

Thanks again

1 Like
28

@john911, yours is a great idea, but some folks might not realize that you intended to say “popsicle sticks” instead of “ice cream containers”.

29

@janetb Do you still use Henley’s recipes? I’ve been perusing it on Archive.org, and there are many scary ingredients. The Halloween season is certainly an appropriate time to read it!

30

You can get a similar effect by pouring sand from a good height (above your head) onto the piece. Check out @aspiringmetalsmiths on Instagram.