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How to remove lacquer from silver


Q. I have a silver bowl given to me in 1979 by good friends. In the early 1980's a decorator put a clear coating on the bowl. The finish is now discolored and has flaked off in some areas.The silver is still there except for one small area.

silver bowl e   silver bowl c   silver bowl a   silver bowl d   silver bowl b  

I would like to remove the coating but do not know what it is or how to determine what it is and how to remove it.

Patricia Harvey
- Palm Beach Garden [Florida]
December 5, 2021


Acetone

on eBay or

Amazon

(affil links)

A. Hi Patricia. Chances are the decorator applied a simple lacquer that is removable with acetone [on eBay or Amazon]. Aircraft stripper (methylene chloride) will remove virtually any clear coat but it so noxious & toxic that it should be a last resort.

Luck & Regards,

pic of Ted Mooney
Ted Mooney, P.E. RET
Striving to live Aloha
finishing.com - Pine Beach, New Jersey


A. Try acetone or acetone + ammonia [on eBay or Amazon] mix (4:1 or 3:1 ).Hope it helps and good luck!

Goran Budija
- Cerovski vrh Croatia




⇩ Closely related postings, oldest first ⇩



Q. I am an antique dealer and buy old silver pieces. I don't mind the elbow grease to clean some of the black pieces. The thing that really gets me is when they have been lacquered and the piece looked polished and has black spots where the lacquer has worn off. How do you remove this lacquer without damage to the silver underneath?

Kurtis L. Kivi
antique dealer - Iron Belt, Wisconsin, USA
2004


A. You can use fruit stone blasting or plastic media blasting or you can use chemicals such as acetone, MEK / methyl ethyl ketone, or paint remover gel [on eBay or Amazon] .

Good luck

Cair Shishani
Khair Shishani
aircraft maintenance - Al Ain, UAE


Acetone

on eBay or

Amazon

(affil links)

A. You can use any solvent based paint stripper! Sometimes you can use 4 parts acetone/1 part ammonia [on eBay or Amazon] (25%) mixture! Boiling in washing soda [on eBay or Amazon] solution also can help (200 gm soda/1 lit water). Rinse well.

Good luck!

Goran Budija
- Cerovski vrh Croatia


A. Acetone works real well

... (not Nail Polish Remover). Rinse with soapy water. Polish with your silver polish. Can be used on Plate as well as Sterling. Works fast, super easy.

William G. Stevens
- San Francisco, California, USA
May 18, 2011


A. lacquer thinner [on eBay or Amazon] will take it off in seconds

Robert H Roberts
- marietta Georgia
September 15, 2017




Q. I took silver candlesticks to a shop to remove the lacquer. It was quite expensive, but the man said my candlesticks were sterling, not plate as I thought.
Can I get rid of the dark spots and really strip and then polish them? They are very old and beautiful.

Thank you

Esther Teller
- Potomac , Maryland usa
October 17, 2012


A. Hi Esther. I'm confused ...

You took these candlesticks to a shop and, after you spent a lot of money on the restoration, he gave them back to you with the lacquer supposedly stripped, but they still need further stripping, they have dark spots, and need polishing? What kind of "stripping" would silver need if the lacquer has already been stripped?

Or do you mean "It would have been quite expensive", so you didn't have it done, rather than "It was quite expensive"? Not nit-picking about your grammar, just trying to understand where you presently stand on this. Thanks.

Regards,

Ted Mooney, finishing.com
Ted Mooney, P.E.
Striving to live Aloha
finishing.com - Pine Beach, New Jersey




Q. I inherited a silver tea urn that belonged to my great grandparents brought out of Russia when they escaped like many Jews. My Aunt had some kind of finish put on it which makes it look more like stainless steel (not quite) it is much darker than silver and does not tarnish. I am so curious to know what it should really look like. Would appreciate any input. Thank you so much.

Shirley Good
owner - Dallas, Texas USA
October 10, 2015


A. Hi Shirley. I think you already know what silver should usually look like, because you've described how this item looks darker than it should. But whether this particular urn once looked different than silver usually looks, due to some treatment by the manufacturer, is impossible to say.

Your aunt may have had it rhodium plated, or lacquered, or clear coated, but there are so many possibilities and countless millions of different pieces of silver holloware. She may have even painted it to disguise its value. My personal guess, though, is that it's rhodium plated ... is it the color of a shiny new "white gold" ring?

Regards,

pic of Ted Mooney
Ted Mooney, P.E. RET
Striving to live Aloha
finishing.com - Pine Beach, New Jersey


Q. Thanks for your prompt reply I really appreciate it. So now is there some way I can do a test area to try and remove the finish? What product would I use? I am just so eager to figure out how to get the silver back to life again. Many thanks.

Shirley good [returning]
- dallas, texas usa


Polishing Sticks
on
Amazon

(affil links)

A. Hi Shirley. I understand your question but even still, your question remains: "What chemical will remove an unknown plating or coating from something, without damaging it, which, I think, but am not sure, is silver?" How do you know it's not pewter?

Nobody can suggest such a chemical. But what you could try yourself, or have a local jeweler try, is removing the coating with polishing/sanding sticks (sort of like emery boards, but your jeweler will have them). If you get down to silver, at least you'll know that much as a launching point.

Luck & Regards,

pic of Ted Mooney
Ted Mooney, P.E. RET
Striving to live Aloha
finishing.com - Pine Beach, New Jersey




How to remove blackening paint from sterling silver?

Q. Hi,

Any suggestions for removing blackening paint on sections of sterling silver earrings would be appreciated. I'm assuming the dark areas are paint because it's not oxidation/antiquing. The black finish isn't thick, the sterling beneath shows through in spots.

Thank you,
Gerri

Gerri Glass
Hobbyist - Radford, Virginia USA
May 3, 2016


A. Hi Gerri. The acetone [on eBay or Amazon] previously suggested may work. If not, a paint stripper with methylene chloride (aircraft stripper) almost surely will; but as a minimum you need goggles [on eBay or Amazon], rubber gloves [on eBay or Amazon], and good (outdoor) ventilation. It's really noxious stuff.

Regards,

pic of Ted Mooney
Ted Mooney, P.E. RET
Striving to live Aloha
finishing.com - Pine Beach, New Jersey



thumbs up signThank you, Ted. Appreciate your help.

Gerri Glass [returning]
- Radford, Virginia USA
May 3, 2016




Q. I have several silver and silver plated lamps and cannot find the correct solvent to remove the lacquer. Does anyone recommend a specific brand of commercial acetone or lacquer thinner [on eBay or Amazon] for removing lacquer from silver and silver plate?

moffat welsh
- Philadelphia Pennsylvania US
October 4, 2017


A. Hi Moffat. My guess is that it is not lacquer if acetone does not remove it. Aircraft Stripper will almost surely remove it, but that is toxic, noxious stuff which you only want to use under a lab hood or outside, and while wearing personnel protective equipment.

Regards,

pic of Ted Mooney
Ted Mooney, P.E. RET
Striving to live Aloha
finishing.com - Pine Beach, New Jersey




Q. HOW CAN I DETECT IF A STERLING SILVER TRAY IS LACQUERED? CAN USING ACETONE RUIN THE SILVER IF IT IS NOT LACQUERED?

TOVA GROSS
- Brooklyn, New York USA
April 9, 2018


A. Hi Tova. Acetone won't hurt silver. Sometimes you can tell something has been lacquered because you see patchiness or peeling in the clear coating from multiple layers of lacquer. Sometimes you can tell it is isn't lacquered because it's black. Sometimes you can tell it's been lacquered or protected in some way because it doesn't tarnish. Possibly you can tell that's it's non-conductive (and therefore lacquered) with an ohmmeter; or that it's conductive (and therefore not lacquered). But usually, if it readily tarnishes it's not lacquered; and if it doesn't readily tarnish it is.

Regards,

pic of Ted Mooney
Ted Mooney, P.E. RET
Striving to live Aloha
finishing.com - Pine Beach, New Jersey




Q. I have 12 silver plated chargers that have been lacquered. They came from India, consequently, they have been silvered over BRASS. I did remove the lacquer (a la your instructions) because they had tarnished badly over the years. However, some brass has started to show through.
What luck have you had with silver plating. There are silver sprays out there as well as silver dips. What about electroplating? For 10 chargers that might be quite expensive. I hate to throw them out. What say you? Patricia

Patricia LaPlante
- Danbury, Connecticut
April 10, 2019


Electroless Liquid Silver Plating Solution

on eBay or

Amazon

(affil links)

A. Hi Patricia. You can try the silver wipe-on stuff on one of them and see what you think. Amazon reviews, as usual, range from 1 star to 5 stars.

Regards,

pic of Ted Mooney
Ted Mooney, P.E. RET
Striving to live Aloha
finishing.com - Pine Beach, New Jersey




Q. Hello my name is Janet I recently purchased a cruet set at an online auction and I have discovered that someone has actually PAINTED over the silver plate with silver colored paint! It is marked Middletown Plate Co (as best I can make out) with what looks like the scales of justice hallmark. HOW CAN I REMOVE THIS PAINT? Sorry 'bout the caps I am just frustrated and confused as to why some one would do this.

Janet Ammons
collector - Rocky Point, North Carolina, USA
April 25, 2019


A. Hi Janet. It's really anybody's guess why some unknown person at an unknown time would put silver paint on silver plate. However, it could certainly be that the silver plating was worn away and the underlying copper or other base material will show through when you remove the paint.

Aircraft stripper (methylene chloride) is one of the most noxious things you can work with, requiring as a minimum goggles, rubber gloves [on eBay or Amazon], and working outside from the upwind side. But its strong suit is that it will remove virtually any paint without damaging virtually any metal.

Regards,

pic of Ted Mooney
Ted Mooney, P.E. RET
Striving to live Aloha
finishing.com - Pine Beach, New Jersey




Haven't been able to remove lacquer from mirror

Hi. I have the same issue. I have a silver mirror that has been lacquered. I've tried acetone but only the soft part has come off. The mirror has a pattern and it's difficult to take the lacquer off them. I've got white spirit at home, would I be able to use that instead of paint remover? Many thanks.

Sarah smith
- London, England
July 23, 2020


A. Hi Sarah. You can certainly try it, but I think it's quite unlikely to be of any help. Multi-Strip [affil links] might work.

Luck & Regards,

pic of Ted Mooney
Ted Mooney, P.E. RET
Striving to live Aloha
finishing.com - Pine Beach, New Jersey




Removal of Jewelry Blacking

Q. I'm a retired computer guy still working with his hands. Of great sentimental value, I have inherited a 2.5" sterling silver figurine that appears to have been completely covered/dipped in jewelry blacking. Then, it was mechanically buffed to remove the black from the areas that were not stamped. The process was poorly performed. How can I remove the blacking without harming the silver?

sterling silver figurine a   sterling silver figurine b

Cee Lee
- Vail Colorado
September 11, 2020


A. Hello Cee. The main issue is that you don't know and I don't know what this blackening is. It is probably a 'liver of sulfur' [on eBay or Amazon affil links] type oxidation, but it may be then have been followed by a lacquer, or it could be a black lacquer. Chemical removal would have to be trial & error unless some reader on this site or some other source more experienced than us can tell us exactly what it is. Mechanical removal by blasting or sanding is promising except that the stones would probably have to be masked.

What are your grounds for confidence that it is sterling silver?

Luck & Regards,

pic of Ted Mooney
Ted Mooney, P.E. RET
Striving to live Aloha
finishing.com - Pine Beach, New Jersey


Q. I am 100% confident that the silver is 925 or better. Thank you very much for your quick response. I will commit to trial and error, increasing strength with each trial. Commercially available metal and silver polishes have been ineffective, i.e. Flitz and Simichrome.

Cee Lee [returning]
- Vail Colorado


A. Hi again. If polish seems to do nothing, that may increase the odds that there is a lacquer of some sort over the silver and the blackening. Lacquer thinner [on eBay or Amazon] or acetone should probably be tried next in that case. They are harmless to most metals including silver, but I'm not sure what those "stones" are, or that they are fully resistant.

Luck & Regards,

pic of Ted Mooney
Ted Mooney, P.E. RET
Striving to live Aloha
finishing.com - Pine Beach, New Jersey


A. Try acetone - ammonia [on eBay or Amazon] mix (3-4 parts acetone and 1 part 25% ammonia). Paint stripper can be used too.

Goran Budija
- Zagreb Croatia




Q. Hi. My parents gave me beautiful Tiffany candlesticks. They're lacquered so they wouldn't blacken. I have had them for over 35 years. They are shiny as can be. But ... the other day the wax from the candle dripped all over the the base of the candle stick. I removed the wax and I guess I removed the lacquer. Now one candle stick has no shine. Can't shine them up even with polish. What can I do. Thanks. Vera

P.S. I am heartbroken.

Vera kohlmeier
- Douglaston, New york
October 21, 2020


A. Hi Vera. Sorry for the disappointment.

You say you "removed the wax", but you didn't tell us how you did that -- acetone, ammonia, scraping, abrading with sandpaper, etc. Also we don't know whether the candlesticks are sterling silver despite being Tiffany (do they say so?). Answering those two questions and e-mailing a photo for posting here would help. It also might help others who were reading this page who want to remove lacquer from silver.

Meanwhile you might take it to a jewelry shop and see what they say about polishing it. It's not impossible to do it yourself, but such skills are better acquired practicing on scrap than heirlooms, so it might be best to go to someone with polishing experience.

Luck & Regards,

pic of Ted Mooney
Ted Mooney, P.E. RET
Striving to live Aloha
finishing.com - Pine Beach, New Jersey




Q. Hello, I purchased two antique oval sterling silver frames with paste stones around (7 inch and 5 inch). I can't open the back of the frames. I have taken them to watch repair guy and silversmith and they couldn't open it either. The silversmith said he can use the W40 oil as the flat backing is probably stuck due to age. I was not getting a good feel when he started banging on it with a wooden hammer and a stone came off. The auction I bought it from is not taking it back and the price was steep;( I thought perhaps since it is covered with bronze patina, it could be some kind of a lacquer that stuck the backing to silver. The front has brown patina too and I would hate it being stripped to shiny silver. Anyone can help it would be great. For now I have someone's Great great parents staring on me with the look "the joke is on you". Thank you

Anna Dorota
Hobbyist - Los Angeles
November 5, 2021


A. That is a job for a professional metals/objects conservator. Probably there are many American Institute for Conservation members in Los Angeles area
www.culturalheritage.org/about-conservation/find-a-conservator

Hope it helps and good luck!

Goran Budija
- Cerovski vrh, Croatia




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