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Advice on Antiquing silver or gold

2003

Hi,

I am making my own line of jewelry using either a sterling silver or 9 kt gold base. However, I would like to change the silver or gold into an antique bronze look. Is this possible? I read in a previous letter that it is not possible to plate silver or gold with anything else but I just wondered if anyone may have come across a way of doing this by accident (or otherwise)? The type of jewelry I am making does not suit a sterling silver or gold look - it needs to look like an antique heirloom. Unfortunately, the only chains I can source here in NZ come in either sterling silver or gold!

I am willing to experiment and will share any success stories with you through this site.

Thanks,

Shalinee Perera
hobbyist - Auckland, New Zealand

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2003

Dark gray for silver:

2 teaspoons copper sulphate
1 teaspoon kitchen salt
1,5 dl of water(1 cup)

Cold immersion! Only for grease and oxide free objects!Good luck!You can also work with liver of sulfur ⇦ this on eBay or Amazon [affil links] but it is malodorous and is very corrosive(2% water solution)!

Goran Budija
- Cerovski vrh Croatia