Where the
world gathers for metal finishing
Q&As since 1989


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Dipping your own jewelry

I have old jewelry that was kept in my jewelry box and never worn. It isn't really good jewelry, but isn't junky junk either. However, it tarnished and I really like it. Can I buy a dipping solution to do on my own?

Lorraine Grasso
Hobbyist - Prince George, VA
January 19, 2010

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January 22, 2010

Hi Lorrain I didn't respond to your post right away because I assumed some of the paying advertisers here sold what you are after and would respond. I guess not. I use a product called originals cleaning solution. They make a cleaner for gem stones and one for precious metals. I use it because that just happens to be what my local supplier carries. It works well but there are 1000 other cleaners made by different manufacturers that use the same chemicals and do the same thing. A jeweler probably won't want to help you too much as they want to clean your jewelry and charge you not tell you how to do it yourself for nothing. The people to contact are lapidary suppliers. Lapidary people tend to be burned out old hippies who make jewelry and trinkets out of old fossils, rocks and whatever else they can lay their hands on. Well they are here anyway! They are a wealth of information on this stuff and will sell you exactly what you need. Just tell them what you are doing and they will fix you up. The link below is from the Virginia yellow pages and is a list of lapidary shops for your state. Have fun!
www.superpages.com/yellowpages/C-Lapidary+Equipment+&+Supplies/S-VA/

Rod Henrickson
gunsmith - Edmonton, Alberta, Canada