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Need help identifying finish on religious artifact

Dear All

I am studying a religious artifact (S. XIX), manufactured in brass and plated with silver. First, I believed that the object could be treated by the Ruolz technique. But I have analysed the sample by SEM/EDS, and I have doubts.

The matrix is brass, and it appears covered with a film of silver, half-micron thick. On this film there is another homogeneous film of pure copper, thirteen microns thick. The final finish is a film of silver, one micron thick. On the other hand, there is no zinc, typical in Ruolz treatments.

Anyone who can tell me what is this?.

Thank you very much

Manuel Bethencourt
researcher - Puerto Real, Cadiz, Spain
May 14, 2008

I think that much more appropriate place for your question is conservators discussion list at Conservation OnLine website or web forum at ICOM CC website,or somebody from ICOM CC metals working group(try to contact mr Degrigny -- at that moment he is Chef Coordinator of that WG).I am metalwork conservator ,but I don't know nothing about some special Claude De RuolzÂ's finishes.Can you tell us something more about that special finish?Hope it helps and good luck!

Goran Budija
- Cerovski vrh Croatia
May 16, 2008