Blackened silver. What it is?

Every year, jewelry is becoming more and more popular in the market, and in the cities the number of salons and shops selling jewelry is increasing, although the extraction of raw materials and production are declining. The most popular and popular, of course, are gold and silver, and of all types of the latter - blackened silver, products from which are distinguished by sophistication and beauty. Silver is durable, inexpensive, and it does not age a person, so it can be worn by both adults and children.

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Types of silver and their application

Unlike a noble metal - gold, the appearance of silver has no variety. Silver always has a white-silver color, but gold can be yellow, pink, red, etc.

However, different types of silver are distinguished:

• Frosted.
• Filigree.
• Sterling.
• Coin.
• Blackened silver.

Each type of metal has its own characteristics:

1. Matte silver has no bright patterns. This type of metal is obtained through the use of various emulsions, applying them to raw materials. This technology gives the metal some roughness. This kind of silver looks very beautiful and original.
2. On filigree silver, in contrast to matte, on the contrary, various multiple delicate patterns are created. This is achieved due to the fact that silver has high strength, ductility, which allows the production of thin threads. They, like a wire, give products a pattern. This technique of manufacturing products requires special skill, skill and a lot of time. Distinguish openwork filigree and background. In products from openwork filigree, the pattern has a cross-cutting character, and in the background - the lace pattern is attached, so to speak, to the background, in the role of which, for example, the moonstone acts.
3. Sterling silver is the main material for jewelry. This type of metal has a smooth surface, white-silver color, has high strength. The composition of sterling silver is 92.5% pure metal, and the rest is a copper additive.
4. Blackened (scarlet) silver - what is it? This material is obtained due to the chemical reaction of the metal with sulfur, which is contained in air in micro doses. Pure silver is almost inert to sulfur, so the reaction is too slow. As a rule, products made of precious metal alloys quickly darken, since copper is less resistant to sulfur and reacts with it faster. There are two types of blackened silver: the first is formed naturally, and the second - by the hands of a jeweler.

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The history of blackened silver

From ancient times, craftsmen and craftsmen decorated household items and weapons with various ornaments, patterns and drawings. Constantly improving in this area, the craftsmen invented a special way of metal processing - blackening of silver (today many craftsmen perform it at home to decorate their items).

Important! Mobile is an ancient technique of giving gold and silver jewelry black. After applying this technique, the surface of the product becomes more contrasting and richer, whether it is a detail of a relief or a pattern of an ornament.The same technology is used to hide minor defects and connecting seams.

Principle of creation

The essence of blackening is as follows: an alloy of silver, copper, lead, sulfur is melted into the base metal. The alloy for blackening is fused into recesses deposited at choice:

• Engraved.
• Chasing.
• Hollowing out.
• Pickling.

Deepenings are made small - 0.3 mm. Under the influence of high temperatures, a chemical reaction occurs between the fused mixture and silver. In addition to decorative qualities, products blackened by such a technique also receive practical properties: decorations do not fade, do not require special care. And the palette of blackening can be varied: from silver-gray to black-velvet.

Important! Blackening looks very beautiful on gold, however, it is extremely difficult to derive the composition of black on a noble metal. Therefore, mobile on gold is extremely rare. On metals such as copper, brass and base silver, black crumbles and disappears, therefore, from ancient times to the present day, only blackening of silver is most often used - it is durable and exquisitely beautiful.

Where do blacking silver?

A deliberate change in the type of metal, gained distribution in the 17th century. Blackened silver gained great popularity in Veliky Ustyug (Russia), where folk craft originated.

Important! An extensive exhibition of products by craftsmen from Ustyug is kept in the State Ethnographic Museum. The most famous exhibit of the collection is a cast cross, which is not only made of blackened silver, but also gilded.

In the European part of the country, blackened silver jewelry and household items were very popular in the 17th and 18th centuries. The works of master Mikhail Klimshin from Veliky Ustyug were especially famous.

Important! It has become fashionable and prestigious to have utensils, cigarette cases, trays, cup holders, snuff boxes, cutlery, engravings from such metal. A variety of ornaments, paintings of hunting, cities and geographical maps were depicted on silver objects.

First, precious metal items were made in private workshops, and then began industrial production in special factories. Since that time, ordinary people, including merchants, began to teach the craft of blackening silver. There has always been a demand for silver, and today you can still find real works of art that are simply priceless.

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Blackened silver. What it is?

Blackened silver as in the photo is pure silver coated with black using special technology. The product is first minted, engraved, and then degreased and a special coating composition is applied. And in order for the black to melt and cover the surface, the product is specially heated to a certain temperature.

Silver plating techniques

Over the years, the technique for creating dark patterns on metal has accumulated a lot. Here are just three of them:

1. The German recipe for a rough mix involves a slow injection of lead into a silver-silver alloy, mixing thoroughly. Then, the triple alloy obtained is poured into heated sulfur powder, mixing thoroughly for a high-quality interaction of the components. The resulting mixture is poured into water, after which, the frozen pieces of blackberry are finely and thoroughly ground in a porcelain mortar in the required dose. Fresh wet black mass is applied to the item.
2. The Russian recipe recommends adding sulfur in portions to the alloy, rather than a triple alloy, to sulfur powder, as in the previous recipe. In addition, the finished mobile is not poured into water, but onto a cast-iron skillet. The resulting solid “pancake” is crushed into pieces, and then melted, adding sulfur and flux. If you need extra-class mobile, the process is repeated three times. The cooked mobile is pounded in a mortar and sieved through a fine sieve.
3. The recipe of professor A.G. Spassky.The author worked at the Moscow Institute of Non-Ferrous Metals and proposed the following method for preparing mobile: separately prepared silver sulfide, copper sulfide and lead sulfide are fused together in the required proportions. After - the resulting mixture is strictly determined and melted and cooled.

Ways to apply mobile

Silver blackening can be performed:

• Dry way. The surface of the product is moistened with the necessary solution, after which the very fine grinding black powder is applied. After this product is dried and fired in a muffle at a temperature of 300-400 degrees Celsius.
• Wet way. The composition is applied to the surface in the form of a creamy slurry diluted with water. With a spatula or a brush, the mixture is densely and densely applied to the recesses. Then wait until the water evaporates. When glowing in a muffle, the applied composition melts and flows into the drawing, covering the object. After all the procedures, the product is removed from the stove.

Important! Small items can be melted with a blow gun, the heat flux is concentrated on the base metal from the back. After the mixture has melted, heating is completed.

After the process of applying the ink, the product is “cleaned” with a scraper or filed until a pattern appears. This must be done very carefully so as not to capture and deform the ornament itself. Then - it remains only to polish the product and polish, until the whole picture appears.

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Methods of blacking silver

To obtain “blackness” on silver products, it is necessary to achieve the effect of sulfur deposition on the surface. You can do this in the following ways:

Mechanical

Mechanical is the easiest way to blacken silver at home. To implement your plan, you will need graphite mixed with iron oxide and turpentine.

A mixture of ingredients, applied in the form of slurry on silver objects and wait until completely dry. The product is removed from the product with a soft brush or suede cloth. After that, protruding places of the subject are wiped with alcohol.

Important! As a result of this technique, silver items are made artificially aged.

The disadvantages of the method:

1. Minimum grip on the surface of the product.
2. Used for a small amount of jewelry.
3. It is very easy to clear from blackening such products.

Chemical

Chemical - is the most durable and effective. The principle of this method is to fill in a mixture of mobile, engraved sections of the product. About this method we described in detail above.

Galvanic

Galvanic - used in production and requires special equipment. The essence of the method: metal oxides are deposited on silver objects in special baths by electrolysis. Along the perimeter of the bath one charge is created, and another on the alloy. As a result, plus and minus are attracted and create the necessary shade for the subject.

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Blacking silver at home

No one will, of course, make a galvanic bath for one bracelet or ring, but what if you want to have blackened silver earrings, but only ordinary ones are available? There are many simplified methods used at home, which are used in case you need to blacken a chain or a vase. Of course, blackening silver at home is an extremely harmful and fetid thing, but if the desire to act is unstoppable, we suggest you use the following recipes and methods.

Method number 1

To prepare the mixture you will need:

• Egg.
• Close-fitting plastic container.
• Fishing line or thin thread.

Use cooked items as follows:

1. Clean the silver item from contamination.
2. Boil the egg.
3. Cut the egg in half.
4. Place two halves of the product on the bottom of the container.
5. Hang the silver jewelry on the rope.
6. Leave the product in a sealed container for at least 30 minutes.
7. Turn the jewelry from time to time to evenly form black.

Important! The principle of operation is based on enveloping the vapors of hydrogen sulfide released from the product, decoration. The resulting coating is durable and stable. This method can also be used for products with precious stones, but after the silver blackening procedure at home, carefully wipe the stones so that they do not lose their natural shine.

Method number 2

To denigrate the product, use iodine:

1. Use a cotton swab to apply iodine to the jewelry.
2. Leave to dry in the sun.
3. Polish the decoration. Apply toothpaste to the cloth and wipe the product: silver will remain light in convex places, and dark in hard-to-reach, embossed places.

Important! Use this method only for jewelry with intricate designs, and they will look exquisite, do not use this method on flat objects, since in this case it is not effective.

Method number 3

Sulfur ointment will give silver products an old look. Use the tool as follows:

1. Spread the subject completely with ointment.
2. Heat the product with a hairdryer. As it warms up, a black and purple hue will appear on the surface.
3. After the blackening process, polish the decoration.

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Blackened Silver Care

The beauty of aged products is that they do not need to be cleaned and they do not need to be polished. However, removing dust and dirt from jewelry, from time to time, is still necessary. This must be done very carefully so as not to remove the top layer. Use canvas rags and simple detergents for the cleaning procedure, the main thing is that they are not aggressive.

Important! Do not use harsh chemicals such as ammonia or acetone for cleaning. Do not boil blackened jewelry and do not polish with products containing sharp abrasive particles.

Consider a few simple ways to clean jewelry:

• Use a soap solution with a pinch of soda. Place the jewelry in the solution for 15-20 minutes, and then, rinse objects under a stream of warm water. Wipe the product dry.
• Peeled and chopped raw potatoes pour cold water. Leave the jewelry in a container with the product for 3-4 hours. Rinse items thoroughly and wipe with a soft cloth.
• Dissolve 15 g of soda in a glass of water. Rinse contaminated items in solution.
• Remove dirt on the surface of the subject with an eraser. Rinse the decoration.

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How to distinguish blackened from oxidized silver?

Blacking silver is a very time-consuming and complex process, and therefore, the price of this type of metal is much more expensive than ordinary silver. But to find the blackened among the oxidized silver is very difficult.

Important! At its core, oxidation is the coating of metal with a film that protects against tarnishing and gives the product sophistication. However, the oxide film will not make the decoration high-quality and durable, but rather - after the purchase, the product may lose its original appearance after a short period of time.

In order not to regret the purchase, carefully look at the decoration:

• Products coated with an oxide film look too smooth and only slightly darkened. Blackened silver has a rich black color that blends with highlights.
• Patterns on items made of blackened silver look very noble and neatly executed.
• Real silver with elements of blackening is more expensive than other types of noble metal. The cost of products includes: silver fineness, complexity of the pattern, the presence of precious stones, blackening technology, the complexity of the wizard.
• When cleaning oxidized silver, white areas form on the product, and blackened silver is resistant to both cleaning and polishing. Such a metal can lose its blackness only by prolonged boiling or by immersion in acid.

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Stock footage

Stylish silver jewelry with blacking elements are ideal for important events and special occasions.They suit both the costume and the classic dress. But for unusual and mysterious jewelry to serve you as long as possible, and later become a relic, store them in dark boxes - where the sun does not penetrate. Such jewelry is worthy of respect and admiration.