Stabilizing bLacked silver
Hi,
I blackened a necklace with JAX silver blackener. After a while the blackened necklace wore off and became gray. Also, I had an incident were parts of the blackened silver got an. Orange colour. Any idea what to do in order to maintain a a lasting black color on the silver?
Thanks,
Ruth
Stacy's Answer:
Hi Ruth! Finding a good blackening agent can be a challenge! JAX silver blackener is a solution of hydrochloric acid and tellurium. Because a patina is a film or fine layer of surface oxidation, it is susceptible to damage, ie., rubbed off or altered with exposure to other compounds such as sweat, air, water, etc. Unless you add a protective coating over the patina to preserve it, the metal will continue to oxidize or the original patina may wear off.
There is a product called Gosiba Oxidizer which produces a black, very durable and long-wearing black color on silver. It is produced by the Fisher Corp. in Germany and is available from AllCraft USA in New York city.
