Patina with stones

Jewelry Discussion
1

I was wondering if anyone knows the effects of liver of sulfur
patina on a stone such as carnelian (or any stone for that matter). I
have to reapply the patina to the sterling silver, but the stone is
already set in the piece. Will it effect the stone?

Thanks!

2 
I was wondering if anyone knows the effects of liver of sulfur
patina on a stone such as carnelian

You would have to do a lot more than that to damage carnelian. Liver
of sulfer will have no affect on the stone. Some chemical patina
formulas it’s a different story. I use some stuff which is a home
brew of a fellow silversmith. Nasty stuff but it puts a nice black
patina on silver. I just checked the label but it is unreadable. I
know it contains some sort of acid. It smokes a little when you open
the bottle and when you apply it to the silver. I neutralize it by
dipping the piece in water with baking soda dissolved. He sells it to
some of the silver and tool suppliers in New Mexico. His brand name
is the Horizon Tool Co.

I of course use this chemical with caution. I have a well ventilated
(drafty) garage that I work in. So I don’t believe there is another
chapter to the “How Did Rick Hurt Himself Now” book in the making…

Rick Copeland
Silversmith and Lapidary Artisan
Colorado Springs, Colorado
rockymountainwonders.com

3

It wont affect carnelian or any of the other quartz Do not
let it near malachite, turquoise rhodochrosite or lapis lazuli
though.

Nick

4

Hi Jessica

In response to your query: " I was wondering if anyone knows the
effects of liver of sulfur patina on a stone such as carnelian (or
any stone for that matter). I have to reapply the patina to the
sterling silver, but the stone is already set in the piece. Will it
effect the stone?"

For carnelian- just make sure the patina doesn’t seep in under the
stone…(then you would have a darkening of the bezel floor, thus
changing the color of your stone) . With other stones, my advice
would
be to consult a book or chart that tells you the porosity and/or
hardness of a stone. and then make an educated decision (or just
experiment with cheap stones)

I think the BIG answer is in the APPLICATION of the patina ( and
what patina you use- some are more caustic than others) I would
choose to PAINT on the liver o’ sulfur instead of dipping- just to
have more control over where I have a patina.

I hope this makes sense and helps- Happy smithing!- Maureen BZ

Don’t worry, B. Zappy

5 
Do not let it near malachite, turquoise rhodochrosite or lapis
lazuli though.

Was going to respond yesterday but forgot – If LOS or any of the
others touch turquoise and I believe the others above are correct,
too, it will instantly destroy the stone. It will go right into the
pores and turn it yellow, and the stone will smell, too. As many have
said, carnelian and many others are perfectly safe, though. Another
on the “do not” list would be pearls.