Blackened silver: what does it look like and where is it used?

How to clean blackened silver, which is one of the most noble and famous metals? Since ancient times, people have believed that blackened silver has magical properties. Our ancestors believed that silver protected them from evil spirits and evil spirits.

Methods for creating this metal became known and widely used in Ancient Rus', five hundred years before our time. Rich people of that time considered it very prestigious to buy blackened silver. This expensive metal was used to make cutlery, jewelry and household items that have survived to this day. Nowadays, silver blackening is being replaced by other blackening methods. This method is called oxidation. The metal is covered with a special film, which gives a blackening effect. This method is not durable. Silver wears off quickly. Therefore, it is better to use old proven methods.

Various methods of blackening silver

Blackened silver is gaining popularity among buyers, since jewelry made from this type of precious metal has an unusual appearance that is distinguished by sophistication and looks like an antique.

Blackened silver ring

The following types of silver are used in jewelry:

• Sterling. This term refers to plain 925 sterling silver without additional plating. Therefore, sterling silver items require care and cleaning to remove tarnish. The test is popular in the manufacture of not only jewelry, but also cutlery.
• Blackened. Outwardly it looks like darkened silver, but the effect is achieved artificially. Does not require special cleaning.
• Oxidized. It looks like a blackened precious metal, but the effect of applying a dark layer is cheaper and short-lived.
• Rhodinated. Applying a layer of rhodium to a product without changing its color. This is done to protect the jewelry from scratches and darkening.

Blackened silver: features

When choosing a product, buyers usually wonder how craftsmen turn ordinary jewelry into rare works of art.

Blackened silver is silver that has niello applied on top. It consists of alloys including copper, lead, and silver sulfide oxides.

The ancient notes recreated in this way significantly increase the cost of the final product compared to other jewelry. This is due to the high uniqueness of the work, long and painstaking work.

When buying products made of blackened silver, it is important to know the main points that affect its price:

• metal sample;
• absence or presence of precious stones;
• what kind of master did the work and how long has he been engaged in such a craft;
• the complexity of the pattern, its individuality.

It is not for nothing that pure silver metal has many admirers, because finishing with it has a number of undeniable advantages:

• the product does not change its original appearance for a long period of time;
• does not require too frequent cleaning and maintenance;
• the coating has bactericidal properties;
• Such products are credited with magical powers.

The only drawback, perhaps, was the fact that it is not recommended to boil items made of blackened silver in a soda solution. It negatively affects the coating, leading to its disintegration.

Many people who are not knowledgeable in jewelry matters often confuse blackened silver with ordinary metal. And not without reason. Any silver jewelry will darken over time if it is not properly cared for. However, regular cleaning will easily remove such deposits.

Blackening technique

But blackened silver is considered the most aristocratic. This technique flourished in the seventeenth century. Then, with the help of blackening, they gave the products elaborate patterns. It was considered prestigious to have objects made of this type of precious metal in the house, for example, cigarette cases, cutlery and even furniture.

Due to the difference in the colors of ordinary and blackened silver, maps, engravings depicting nature, and animals were drawn. Sometimes the cost of such products reached several thousand dollars. They are still valued, especially the old handmade ones, and are sold at auctions for incredible amounts of money.

Therefore, buyers today are still interested in the question: what is blackened silver and what is the essence of the technique? The answer is very simple: blackening is a technique in which silver sulphide is deposited on the product. This, of course, can be achieved if you simply do not clean the jewelry, but such blackening will be uneven and cheap. But jewelers carry out this procedure in two ways:

• Mechanical blackening of silver involves mixing graphite with iron oxide and adding turpentine to this mixture. Next, the substance is carefully applied to the silver item or its parts, wait until it dries, and then wipe with a suede rag soaked in alcohol. A variation of the mechanical method is the use of galvanization. In production, solutions with reagents are poured into special baths and two electrodes are placed there. A decoration is attached to one of them, and current is passed through the other. The process is called electrolysis and allows you to evenly apply a layer of blackening to the product. True, this layer will be more superficial and susceptible to abrasion. And also it cannot be applied to individual areas of the decoration; the product turns out to be completely blackened.
• The chemical procedure involves using a powder consisting of a mixture of metals: silver, zinc, lead, sulfur. This powder is poured into parts of the product and then, together with the decoration, is heated to the desired temperature. Next, the powder melts and eats into the product, coloring it black. The procedure involves polishing and polishing the product.

Blackened silver bracelet

The main thing is to remember when choosing jewelry that blackened silver and oxidized silver differ from each other. Oxidized jewelry is a product on which a layer of oxide film has been applied. This method is cheaper and was invented for additional protection of jewelry. The oxide film quickly wears off when worn and is cheaper than a blackened product. They can be distinguished by their appearance: the shade of oxidized silver is darker than that of blackened silver and the details of the decoration have a non-uniform color.

Oxidized and blackened silver: differences

In addition to blackened silver, oxidized noble metal is also available on the market. And it's quite difficult to tell the differences between the two unusual darkening techniques.

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The principle of creating oxidized silver is based on coating the metal with an oxide film. It creates additional protection for the product from tarnishing, but it does not add quality or durability. After a short period of time after purchase, the item begins to fade. In order for your purchase to leave a pleasant impression, you need to take a close look at the product:

• Oxidized silver has a smooth and only slightly dark surface. Blackened silver is a rich black color that blends harmoniously with light parts.
• The patterns on blackened silver are executed very carefully.
• The cost of blackened silver is much higher than other types of this metal.
• If you clean oxidized silver, white areas will appear on it almost immediately due to friction. Blackened silver is not afraid of polishing and cleaning. Only boiling or exposure to acid can spoil the appearance of such decoration.

Self-blackening

Blackening silver at home is not difficult. Moreover, this can be easily done using available tools, and your decoration will take on a new look.

1) So, for the first method you will need:

• a container that is hermetically sealed;
• egg;
• thread.

The egg should be hard boiled. Next, peel it and cut it into two parts. Place the halves in a container, and hang a silver item from the lid of the container. Blackening will be formed due to the action of hydrogen sulfide on the jewelry, but the blackening of silver may be uneven, so it is recommended to change the position of the jewelry from time to time. If there are stones on the jewelry, wipe them while blackening. The method itself is harmless, but the inlay may darken slightly if it is not wiped.

2) For the next method you need to purchase sulfur ointment. Then apply it to the product or those fragments that should later turn black. Apply a hairdryer with warm air to the jewelry and you will see how it changes color, becoming black. After the procedure, polish the product.

3) You can also apply blackness using iodine. This technique is only suitable for jewelry with relief. Iodine is applied with a cotton swab and dried in the sun. It is best to polish finished blackened silver using a brush and toothpaste.

Blackening of silver with iodine. MK

Blackening of silver with iodine.

Not every grandmother passes on an antique silver ring. A new product may also look like it was inherited from your grandmother. To do this, I blacken silver rings with regular iodine.

To work we need iodine, silver rings, a cotton swab, toothpaste and a soft cloth. First, lubricate the rings with iodine. It is better if the rings are exposed to the sun's rays, but you can just do it on the table.

Let's wait until the rings take on a darkened appearance.

When the rings have dried and darkened. Let's take toothpaste, it will be a mild abrasive. Squeeze a little toothpaste onto a soft cloth and begin to wash and wipe the rings. Where there are indentations on the ring, the black color will not be erased, but where there are bulges, they will shine.

This way the design on the product is obtained and highlighted.

When we have wiped the product well enough, rinse it and dry it with a cloth.

There are several ways to age silver; jewelers know better, but this is what I use.

You can blacken a product that has a pattern; if the product is flat, there is no point in blackening it. If there is a pattern or bulges, then the pattern of the product will stand out.

Darken silver: blackening silver at home

Silver is a beautiful noble metal. Products made from it are simply mesmerizing - they shine, shimmer in the light and look like a real work of art. But as soon as you pick up silver or put on jewelry made from it, a rapid oxidation process begins. The metal becomes dull and loses a fair share of its attractiveness.

Therefore, many people prefer to darken silver. On the one hand, such products become like antiques, covered with a layer of patina. On the other hand, shiny silver with dark inclusions looks more attractive.

Blackened silver jewelry: how and with what to wear it?

When choosing one or another jewelry made of blackened silver, you should take into account the skin color of the future owner: for dark-skinned women it is preferable to buy light jewelry with dark designs, for fair-skinned blondes it is preferable to buy a pattern of an icy silver shade on a dark surface.

Such jewelry will perfectly complement an elegant evening outfit for a special occasion. At the same time, such products go well with office classics in the form of dresses or suits. If you plan to wear these jewelry every day, then you should limit yourself to one item so as not to look ridiculous.

Blackening and oxidation

How to darken silver at home? There are two ways to do this: oxidation and traditional blackening. And the difference between these two methods is colossal.

During oxidation, silver is covered with a thin film of oxides, so the product receives a dark coating. But the coating is short-lived and easily erased. The difference is especially noticeable when cleaning - if you polish oxidized silver, it becomes covered with a network of lighter spots.

Blackening is the coating of a metal surface with a mixture of silver, copper and lead sulfides. This coating is resistant to abrasion and completely disappears only with prolonged boiling or exposure to acid.

Blackening on an industrial scale is carried out in various ways. But, as a rule, they all involve applying a powder from a mixture of silver, copper and lead sulfides to the product. The patina is fixed using the “dry” or “wet method” - in the first case, the product is fired after applying the powder, in the second, the metals are diluted with water to a creamy state, and the silver, after applying the mixture, is heated in a muffle furnace.

If we talk about how to darken silver in general, then experts identify the following methods:

• galvanic - this technology requires the presence of special equipment, so it is not used at home;
• mechanical - using graphite;
• chemical is the most reliable blackening method.

Blackening technology

Blackening is a process that results in the deposition of silver sulfide on the surface of the product. Jewelers use two most common processing methods: mechanical or chemical.

Mechanical blackening

This is a simple way to blacken metal, requiring only graphite, iron oxide and turpentine. All ingredients are mixed to a paste and applied to a ring covered with a pattern. Then you need to wait and remove excess mixture from the product. At the end, all the protuberances are wiped with alcohol or another antiseptic and the effect of old noble silver is obtained.

One of the varieties of the mechanical method is electrolysis. In large industries, a special chemical solution is poured into the container where the silver items are stored and two electrodes are lowered into it. Although this type of processing is faster and more profitable for production scales, it also has disadvantages. After such blackening, the coating cannot boast of durability and will wear off much faster than when using the first method or the chemical method, which is described below.

Chemical method

This is a reliable and durable, and at the same time simple method for blackening silver. Its essence: a silver ring and metal powder from a special mixture are taken and heated together to the required temperature. When exposed to heat, the powder eats into the ring and turns it black. After completing the procedure, the master polishes and grinds the surface of the protruding parts and all necessary parts, making them silver again.

It was this method that has long been used by craftsmen to tarnish silver, creating stunning works that have been preserved for centuries and still stand in some homes. There is no point in talking about the strength and durability of blackening; it is obvious that in this regard, chemical treatment is the best option.

Mechanical method

How to darken silver at home with graphite? This is a fairly simple technology, and its result is due to the same processes that occur with lunar metal over time. That is, dust particles stick to it and firmly “eat” into the recesses. Using graphite you can simply speed up this process.

To blacken the product, they are lubricated with a mixture of graphite powder, iron oxide and turpentine, diluted to a pasty state. Then wait for it to dry completely and wipe the silver with a soft cloth. The older the product, and the more uneven its surface, the more noticeable the result will be. But in general, such blackening is less durable than that obtained by chemical or galvanic methods.

Metal oxidation

Currently, many products similar to natural blackening are made using oxidation. Today it is difficult to buy real blackened silver. The jewelry offered on jewelry store shelves is mostly created by coating a silver item with a thin oxide film. Over time, it wears off and the jewelry loses its shine. Real earrings made of blackened silver have a fairly high price. When the cost of 1 gram of ordinary silver is 30-40 rubles, the price for 1 gram of blackening increases 10 times. Such jewelry has a high cost due to manual labor and individual work of the master.

Blackening with an egg

How to darken silver at home with an egg? The technique is quite simple and you do not need to buy any additional funds. Everything you need is already in the refrigerator. So, to blacken with an egg you need to do the following:

1. Boil an egg or two if you have a lot of silver jewelry.
2. Separate the protein - it can be eaten, as it does not participate in the creation of a noble coating. All the substances needed for blackening are concentrated in the yolk.
3. The yolks must be placed in an airtight container and crushed.
4. Next, you need to place the silver in the same container, but so that the metal does not touch the yolks, otherwise the blackening process will take place too quickly and unevenly. Therefore, decorations must either be hung or laid out on a wire rack, or, as a last resort, insulated with a paper towel.
5. The products should be left with the yolks in a tightly sealed container for a day. If after 24 hours the result does not look very impressive, then you can leave the silver for another 1-2 days.
6. Remove the items and wash them with soap.
7. Polish all protrusions with a soft cloth.

Sulfuric ointment

You can quickly and effectively darken silver using sulfur ointment. This is a medicine that is mainly used to combat scabies pathogens in both humans and animals. Therefore, it is sold both in veterinary and regular pharmacies.

Sulfur ointment is thick, yellow in color and has a rather unpleasant odor. It must be applied to the product, and then heated to a fluid state using a hairdryer. After the ointment has transformed into a more liquid state, it can be more carefully distributed on the surface of the silver. When heated, you will see how the metal acquires a rich black-blue or purple color. Afterwards, the product can be wiped dry; if necessary, the procedure can be repeated.

Also at home, in order to darken silver, they use “sulfur liver” - a sintered mixture of sulfur and soda, which is thrown into water with silver. But it is not recommended to use this blackening technique at home, since the process will release hydrogen sulfide, a dangerous gas with an unpleasant odor.

How to clean blackened silver?

Applying dark plaque is much easier than removing it later. In order to get rid of blackening, you will have to make a lot of effort, and most likely you will turn to specialists for help.

But if you need to clean blackened silver while preserving the noble dark coating, then such a procedure will require special care. First of all, you need to give up brushes and use only soft cloths for polishing. This way the relief will remain darkened and the protuberances will remain shiny. Toothpaste can be used as an abrasive. The blackened product cannot be boiled or cleaned with caustic substances.

And in cases where you take a patinated piece of jewelry to a workshop for cleaning, you need to warn the jeweler that you need to preserve the noble patina.

Source

History of the origin of silver blackening

Russian folk craft, like blackening silver, came to us in the 17th century. It was during this period, in the city of Veliky Ustyug, that master slanderers settled. It turns out that all trade routes from Siberia, including silver, once passed through this small city. This is how the silver-black craft appeared in almost every courtyard of the city. Here, each master performed the stages of the silver blackening technique by hand, starting from the “chasing” of the product to the “blackening” stage.

The greatest masters of this craft passed on the secret secrets of the technique only before their deaths. Because of this, the fishery almost disappeared.

What products are made of silver ink?

This technology began to be used on a large scale. They began to produce dishes, snuff boxes and engravings using this technique. Almost all products were inked, from spoons to furniture. Many 17th century masters even produced stunning landscape paintings. By the way, many examples from these years can still be seen in jewelry stores today. The works are real works of art.

What is blackening and how does it happen?

Blackening is an ancient and proven method of decorative processing of precious and semi-precious metals. Blackening methods were used even before our era, both in Rus' and in other states. This method reached its culmination in the 17th century thanks to the efforts of the master jewelers of Veliky Ustyug. Blackening silver looks advantageous, although this technique also looks stylish on gold. This method is not used for other metals because the black does not stick to them. So what is blackening and how does it happen?

How to blacken silver: a feature of the technique

Blackening of silver is a decorative finishing of silver. The essence of this technique: applying a special alloy of silver, lead, sulfur and copper sulfides to the engraved part of a silver product.

Craftsmen make products more prominent. And the figures are filled with niello, according to the intended pattern. When heated, the niello is firmly bonded to the silver. As a result, the product receives additional relief and contrast. Such silver items resemble antiques.

The cost of such products depends on the skill level of the jeweler and the complexity of the work.

It is easy to care for such products. It is enough to periodically clean it from dust. But the use of abrasives is prohibited.

What methods of applying black are there?

There are 2 main ways:

• Dry method - when the surface of the product is treated with a special solution, and then black powder is applied. During the production process, the product is delicately dried and then fired in a muffle at a temperature of 300° C;
• Wet method - the composition has a creamy consistency, since it is pre-diluted with water. Then, using a brush or spatula, apply the composition to the recesses of the product. When the water has evaporated, the product is placed in a muffle, where the ink itself becomes soft and smoothly flows into the pores of the design, thereby covering the object.

The final stage of the two methods is to clean the product. The master works with a file until a design appears on the product. This stage is very delicate, as you can accidentally cut off the ornament.

Afterwards the product can be polished. By the way, many craftsmen add additional touches or notches to the product. This method is called “shotting”.

Three ways to blacken silver items with your own hands

The process of blackening silver at home is carried out using simple materials that every housewife has in her bins.

For this method, take: 1 egg, container and thread. Step-by-step plan of the method: the first thing you should do is clean the product with an antiseptic. Next, you will need to hard boil the egg. The finished egg must be peeled and cut into 2 parts. Next, you must hang the product on a rope or thin fishing line in a container where the egg will already be located. Then you close the container to keep air out.

After 30 minutes, remove the product. This process should be monitored so that you do not overdo it with blackening.

For this method you will need sulfur ointment. You can get it at any pharmacy kiosk. Using this ointment, the surface of the product is coated. It should be applied to those areas that you would like to darken. After which you will need to direct a stream of hot air onto the product. As you dry it with a hairdryer, you will see the product begin to darken. At the finish, use toothpaste and a brush to polish the product. Just be careful not to remove too much. Otherwise, all the work will go down the drain.

Perhaps this method is the simplest. You will need to use iodine. Attention: the method is suitable for products with relief. Here, for the blackening effect, it is enough to apply iodine with a cotton swab. Manipulations should be carried out gradually and without haste. Then dry the finished product in the sun.

But you can also clean blackening from products at home using simple improvised means. To do this, just put the product in a container with a soda solution and foil and boil it. Then the decoration will brighten. Housewives usually use this method to get rid of dirt. After all, the method is suitable for cleaning any surfaces.

There is also another equally well-known method of cleaning jewelry using detergent or regular shampoo. All you have to do is put the product in a container with detergent.

Silver with blackening: care rules

The peculiarity of blackened products is that they do not require too frequent cleaning and polishing. But sometimes you still need to remove dirt and dust from them.

There are several gentle ways that do not harm such items:

• A solution of soapy water and a small amount of baking soda. It should be warm. The jewelry is immersed in the liquid for 10-15 minutes, then washed with warm water and wiped dry.
• Potato infusion. Peel one potato, cut into slices and cover with cool water. Immerse the product in a container with potatoes for 4 hours, rinse with water and dry.
• Dissolve one teaspoon of baking soda in a glass of warm water. Wash silver items with this solution.

Items made of blackened silver should be treated with care and precision. If this is jewelry, then it should be stored separately from other jewelry in a tightly closed box. Then it will retain its sophistication and perfection for many years.

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