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Removing Liver-Of-sulfur oxidation?

Sparex Pickling Compound
sparex_pickling_compound

on eBay or Amazon
(affil link)

Pickle Pot
sparex_pickle_pot

on Amazon or eBay
(affil link)

I got slightly carried away using liver of sulfur ⇦ on eBay or Amazon [affil link] and the sterling pieces I was oxidising now have a battleship-grey coating. The coating seems impervious to any non-destructive removal method I can think of. I've tried hot ammonia, hot Sparex pickle, and even paint stripper. The coating ignored them all. I'll be grateful for any suggestions.

Mairead MacDonald

As a former jeweler, I have often used jeweler's brown tripoli buffing compound ⇦ on eBay or Amazon [affil link] on a buffing wheel to remove liver of sulfur oxidation. Just be very careful. Keep the pressure light because tripoli cuts fast and can easily cut away the silver. Keep the object moving across the buffing wheel (or keep the buffing wheel moving if the object is stationary). jeweler's rouge ⇦ on eBay or Amazon [affil link] may also work, but is a polishing compound rather than a cutting compound like tripoli, so it will be slower than tripoli. If you use tripoli, it will leave a dull finish that can be polished to a gloss with rouge.

John Segal

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