Features blackened silver

Silver was discovered by mankind more than 6000 years ago. In those days, this noble metal was used as decoration of images of the Egyptian pharaohs. And the soldiers of Rome with his help healed battle wounds.

The popularity of silver increased every year. And today this variety of precious metal is considered the most popular in the world market. Despite the fact that silver mining has declined significantly, enterprises engaged in the sale of silver metal in the form of jewelry, decorations and household items are opened every day in small cities and megacities. However, not ordinary silver, but blackened is in great demand. It looks original and beautiful, has high strength, but at the same time has an affordable price. And silver products with blackening are suitable for people of all ages and gender.

Mobile is the oldest method of processing silver by coloring the decor of products in dark shades. Finished products with blackened silver acquire a contrast of colors, especially in the presence of a complex ornament or relief elements.

Jewelers claim that blackened silver is a classic of the precious metals genre. To create it, a black alloy is used, which contains copper, silver, sulfur and lead in different proportions. This alloy is added in the process of creating products in one of several ways. For example, embossing, engraving, hollowing or etching.

A reaction occurs from the temperature effect between genuine silver and its alloy complemented, due to which the product receives not only decorativeness and beauty, but also becomes practical. In simple words, blackened silver does not fade, and most importantly, does not require additional care. The mobile color palette is very diverse.

The black alloy itself looks colorful on silver and high-grade gold. However, casting the correct composition of the mob without experience and knowledge is impossible. For this reason, when working with pure metal, blackening is extremely rare.

The technique of blackening a noble metal has much in common with the technique of notched enamel. However, the notched enamel must be prepared separately, and immediately apply the mixture to the silver product, followed by firing.

For application German way it is necessary to carefully add lead into the copper-silver melting mixture, constantly stirring the thick mass. After the influx of lead, sulfur powder and water are added. Finished pieces of mobile are ground in the required dosage to the state of the powder using a special stupa. Then applied to the product in a crushed form.

An old recipe suggests use of a similar ternary alloy added in portions. Then the prepared mixture is poured into a cast-iron container and remains in it until it hardens. The cooked pancake breaks into small pieces and melts again, but flux and sulfur are already added to it.

The pre-revolutionary Russian method of blackening was developed by Professor Spassky. Its essence lies in the separate preparation of silver, lead sulphide and copper sulphide. Then they are combined into containers, creating a single alloy. The thick mixture is re-melted using the professor’s unique technology. And only after that it is postponed until complete cooling.

Products made from blackened silver have many advantages.

1. They do not require special cleaning, while ordinary silver needs to be washed once a month.
2. Blackened silver is very durable and for a long time retains an excellent appearance.
3. Silver has bactericidal properties, which is why in ancient times it was attributed to magic items. Since that time, it has been customary that it was blackened silver that was a charm against failures and evil. And today, even representatives of traditional medicine, as an aid, advises their patients with skin diseases to wear silver bracelets.

The only drawback of blackened silver lies in the fact that it can not be boiled in a soda solution. With this reaction, the metal decays, respectively, the decorative component of the product disappears.

Over the hundreds of years of silver's existence, many methods have accumulated for transforming dark patterns on it. And this is not surprising - silver as a precious metal has always been revered in society and distinguished from other metals. The effect of deposition of silver sulfide helps to create a black decorative frame.

Make blacking at home is very difficult, even impossible. Although there are different ways of self-blackening, to achieve a masterful effect will not work. In large plants, the galvanic method is most often used. but Severnaya Chern Plant looks at the issue of creating blackened silver products from the other side.

This enterprise is engaged in art craft, which has developed in the city of Veliky Ustyug.

It is worth noting that there are no analogues of manufactured products by the Severnaya Chern plant. After all, any individual decoration is done manually.

After each blackening procedure, silver is cleaned and filed with a special file. Thus, a conceived pattern appears on the surface of silver.

Having at least a superficial understanding of the ways of blackening silverware, one can easily see any jewelry flaws on the shelves of jewelry stores, for example, uneven backgrounds or bumps. With a more detailed examination, it will turn out to see splashes and even stains. These nuances indicate the negligence of the blackening process, which most likely occurred on production equipment.

Today, it is easiest to blacken silver mechanically. This will require graphite combined with iron oxide and turpentine. A porridge mass is placed on top of silver items and held on to them until completely dry. Residues are removed from the surface with a soft brush. Further, the protruding places are carefully treated with alcohol, thereby creating an aging effect.

Chemical blackening method is the most effective and durable.. For its execution a mixture of silver sulfide is required. A powder mixture of silver, copper, lead and sulfur is laid out at the engraving sites. Then the product heats up until the mass dissolves and changes color to black. Further, the product is polished and polished. As a result, a neat dark pattern appears on a light silver background. The beauty of the chemical method of blackening lies in the possibility of its use on patterns of any complexity.

Today, blackened silver is in great demand among fashionistas and admirers of antiquity.. Each product resembles the images of our ancestors. You can also recall the legendary sword of King Arthur and the rich table of noble families, where all the dishes and cutlery were made of blackened silver.

Today in every jewelry store you can find blackened rings, earrings, bracelets of varying difficulty, pendants. They can be made in different stylistic manners, but at the same time do not lose their aesthetics and elegance.

Very often, blackened silver jewelry frames precious stones. For example, they are combined with amber, pearls or diamonds. Accordingly, the presence of precious stones increases the cost of blackened products.

It is worth noting that blackened silver is made of precious metal 925. Such jewelry and other items are highly durable, and most importantly, does not require additional cleaning conditions.

Today silver jewelry with blackening is made in the most stylish design solutions. They are ideal for special occasions and everyday use. Blackened silver blends perfectly with any clothing style other than a sporty look. However, jewelers advise women to remove the blackened beauty during cleaning and housekeeping.

It is worth noting that the presented variety of silver is used not only in the manufacture of jewelry. Out of him make dinner sets, decorative interiors, clothing items and much more.

The main advantage of blackened silver is that it does not require chemical mixtures for cleaning. They also do not need polishing. However, getting rid of stains of dirt from jewelry is necessary from time to time. Only this must be done extremely carefully so that the protective layer is not worn off.

In no case should you boil blackened silver and polish blackened products with sponges containing sharp abrasive particles.

A number of simple methods have been developed to properly clean blackened silver.

1. Soap solution. To prepare it, you will need a little baking soda, soap and water. A bar of soap, you can even use a remnant, you must lower it into water. Pour a pinch of soda into the liquid. When the water becomes cloudy and a soapy foam forms, you can lower the silver into the solution for no more than 15 minutes. Next, the soap composition is drained, and the jewelry is washed under a running stream of warm water, and then thoroughly wiped.
2. Potato infusion. It is necessary to take raw potatoes, peel them and pour cold water on them. Put jewelry there. Leave the container filled for about 4 hours. After the specified time, remove the silver products, rinse them with warm water and wipe with a soft cloth.
3. Soda solution. To do this, take 15 g of baking soda, dissolve it in 200 ml of water. Ready solution to wipe the silver objects.
4. Stationery. A regular stationery eraser will help get rid of pollution. They need to rub the dirty areas of the jewelry, then rinse the silver items with warm water and wipe them dry.

How to blacken silver with your own hands, see the next video.