How TO tarnish silver plated conchos?

[Huntertwo]

I have some silver plated conchos I want to put on my Endurance Saddle, but all the rings on the saddle are brass and I want them to match.

Any idea on how to tarnish silver plating? I’ve soaked them in water, left them out in the rain, sprinkled salt over them and they still remain a nice sparkling silver. Ideas? Thank you!

[Ceylon_Star]

Pee on them?

Apparently that’s how they [the builders WAAAAYYYYYY back] made the copper roofs of our parliament buildings and a hotel nearby oxidize and turn green faster - they dumped buckets of horse pee on the metal!

If tarnishing is essentially oxidization, I would think that pee could tarnish the metal quicker, just like with the copper roofs?

[Huntertwo]

[QUOTE=Ceylon Star;7730382]
Pee on them?

Apparently that’s how they [the builders WAAAAYYYYYY back] made the copper roofs of our parliament buildings and a hotel nearby oxidize and turn green faster - they dumped buckets of horse pee on the metal!

If tarnishing is essentially oxidization, I would think that pee could tarnish the metal quicker, just like with the copper roofs?[/QUOTE]

Thanks! Horse pee would be hard to get. Human pee? Worth a try… Thank goodness I have a very private back yard. Time to start drinking lots of water. :lol: Any idea on how long it will take to see results??

[tangledweb]

You could brass plate them
http://www.caswellplating.com/electroplating-anodizing/brass-plating-kits/plug-n-plate-brass-plating-kit.html

[sascha]

If they’ve been coated with a film to prevent them tarnishing, you’re out of luck unless you can figure out how to remove the coating.

Otherwise, time, more time, and a little more time. Silver tarnish doesn’t happen that quickly. Really deep patina takes a long time.

[Hippolyta]

I got a nice patina on some new copper switchplates - salt & water, leave outside on the ledge.

Not sure if it will work for silverplate…where is the chem teacher? They sell an oxidizing agent to use when making silver jewelry.

[Peggy]

Pretty sure that silver tarnish is silver sulfide. Throw them in a bag with some hard-boiled eggs? I recall reading that you’re not supposed to serve deviled eggs on a silver tray for that very reason.

Copper is more easily oxidized that silver, FWIW, or at least there is no redox reaction between copper ions and silver metal. Thus it might be harder to tarnish silver than it is to tarnish copper.

If there is a coating maybe you could remove it somehow. Light sanding?

OK, I swear that I wrote the first paragraph before I Googled and found this: http://www.wikihow.com/Put-an-Antique-Finish-on-Your-New-Silver

[kdow]

Try to find someone whose skin chemistry makes stuff tarnish in no time flat and get them to hang on to them for a few days. My MIL couldn’t wear silver at all until I showed her the aluminum foil trick for getting tarnish off, her skin just turned stuff black. It was pretty impressive.

(Do not use aluminum foil on stuff where you want to maintain some tarnish to bring out the details.)

[Mosey_2003]

Send them to me, I’m a skin tarnisher :lol:

[merrygoround]

Since fine jewelry is made with both silver and gold in the same piece, and the fashionistas have said that it is fine to wear both together, why are you fussing over silver and brass? Start a fad!

[trailpal]

I had a sterling silver ring and inadvertently wore it while getting potatoes ready to plant. You cut up potatoes so that there are 2-3 “Eyes” on each piece, then toss them into a bag of sulfur before planting. Well, handling that sulfur tarnished my ring.

However, if you have “German Silver” conchos, they will not tarnish. They have nickel in them to look silver and just don’t tarnish.

And, as someone else pointed out, if they are coated so they don’t tarnish, you’ll have to remove the coating.

What if you replaced your brass rings with stainless steel? Or just bought brass conchos? http://outwestsaddlery.com/conchos-buckles/brassbronze

BTW, tarnished silver turns black, not brass-colored so they won’t match if you just tarnish them. Brass-plating as someone above mentioned only works on steel and copper based alloys - not on silver or german silver.

[Huntertwo]

[QUOTE=merrygoround;7732178]
Since fine jewelry is made with both silver and gold in the same piece, and the fashionistas have said that it is fine to wear both together, why are you fussing over silver and brass? Start a fad![/QUOTE]

I’m hardly a fashionistas, but funny you should say that. I was thinking the same thing.

[Huntertwo]

[QUOTE=trailpal;7732432]
I had a sterling silver ring and inadvertently wore it while getting potatoes ready to plant. You cut up potatoes so that there are 2-3 “Eyes” on each piece, then toss them into a bag of sulfur before planting. Well, handling that sulfur tarnished my ring.

However, if you have “German Silver” conchos, they will not tarnish. They have nickel in them to look silver and just don’t tarnish.

And, as someone else pointed out, if they are coated so they don’t tarnish, you’ll have to remove the coating.

What if you replaced your brass rings with stainless steel? Or just bought brass conchos? http://outwestsaddlery.com/conchos-buckles/brassbronze

BTW, tarnished silver turns black, not brass-colored so they won’t match if you just tarnish them. Brass-plating as someone above mentioned only works on steel and copper based alloys - not on silver or german silver.[/QUOTE]

Thank you…Wow! Those are gorgeous!… Love all the different designs. A bit pricey, but my birthday is next week. DH needs a hint…

[trailpal]

I thought they were gorgeous - let us know what you get!

I’m looking for some to replace the cheapies on my saddle and then to put on my bridle… probably in stainless though.