OXIDATION
Things to know about oxidized jewelry
The oxidized layer on the silver piece will not last forever. I’m experimenting with different ways to make the oxide stay on for as long as possible, but wear and tear will eventually reveal the silver underneath on the elevated parts while the oxide will stay in the submerged parts. I think this gives a nice distressed look, a bit like a worn leather jacket.
Also, just like some peoples skin makes silver go black other peoples skin makes the oxide disappear faster than normal.
If you’re one of these people or you just prefer to have your jewelry black you can either go to a local goldsmith to get it re-oxidized or do it yourself.
It’s a very easy process, you just heat up some water, add the jewelry and a few drops of LOS and leave in for between 30 sec. and 2 min. (If you leave it in for longer the layer of oxide can be too thick and peel off) Then you take the jewelry out and rinse it under cold water, leave it to dry and rub it with a tiny bit of olive oil to give it shine and make the result last a bit longer.
The oxidized layer on the silver piece will not last forever. I’m experimenting with different ways to make the oxide stay on for as long as possible, but wear and tear will eventually reveal the silver underneath on the elevated parts while the oxide will stay in the submerged parts. I think this gives a nice distressed look, a bit like a worn leather jacket.
Also, just like some peoples skin makes silver go black other peoples skin makes the oxide disappear faster than normal.
If you’re one of these people or you just prefer to have your jewelry black you can either go to a local goldsmith to get it re-oxidized or do it yourself.
It’s a very easy process, you just heat up some water, add the jewelry and a few drops of LOS and leave in for between 30 sec. and 2 min. (If you leave it in for longer the layer of oxide can be too thick and peel off) Then you take the jewelry out and rinse it under cold water, leave it to dry and rub it with a tiny bit of olive oil to give it shine and make the result last a bit longer.
I sell 3ml jars of Liver of Sulphur gel here but you can also buy it from a lot of different craft and jewlery material shops.