Oxidising silver

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Silver blackens naturally over time because of its reaction with the oxygen in the atmosphere. Heat such as from halogen lights can also accelerate this. Generally this is unwanted blackening and can be cleaned off using a variety of methods depending on the surface texture. (See under customer service for tips).

However when the jeweller wants to oxidise their designs for particular effect, the process needs to be controlled. Heating the silver under a controlled flame will have the effect of blackening or oxidising silver's surface but the effect is not always very long lasting.

For greater thoroughness, there are various chemcial methods available, one of which is immersion of the silver in potassium sulphide.

Where partial oxidisation of an objet d'art or piece of jewellery is wanted to highlight or provide visual depth to a piece, a more precise method can be achieved with the help of a chemical solution specifically designed to be painted on to the metal. This provides the goldsmith or silversmith with the most precision.