posted 02-19-2005 05:36 PM            

Can anyone tell me if pumice is good to use to rub out black spots from sterling silver pieces, or what method could one use.

posted 02-20-2005 01:27 AM            

Ouch!... No Pumice.. Not ever.. Well hardly ever, but not in this case.

First let me say that the black spots (Silver Chloride) can be removed with an abrasive. On small and medium size spots, I use a pencil eraser.. Yes that's right.. the back end of a pencil. Then I polish the treated area and blend it in with its suroundings.

For large black areas, I seek profesional help, and take the piece to my local silversmith. Believe me.. it is worth every penny to get it professionally done.

I hope this helps.

posted 02-20-2005 08:34 AM            

Another way is a soft piece of wood, a match stick, old orange sticks (for cuticles), or a shishkabob (sp?) stick. With a regular silver polish use the wood to help rub on just the spot. Then polish as above to blend in.

The trick is to use something that will be aggressive enough to tackle the spots, but not so abrasive as to cause scratches (like pumice) that you then will need professional help to remove. By staying on the spot you will have a less obvious removal. Silver is really very soft and the lovely surface only comes after years of the appropriate polishing.