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 SMP Silver Salon Forums
 A Curator's Viewpoint
 Cleaning Mixed Metals?
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| Author | Topic: Cleaning Mixed Metals? |
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Brent Posts: 1507 |
posted 12-15-2007 08:13 PM
  
Hello all, I was wondering if Ulysses or anyone else would have any advice on the proper care of mixed metals objects. I know the Newark Museum owns a fabulous Eugene Soligny designed Tiffany silver plate inlaid with various other metals, patinated to provide a pleasing contrast. Well, I recently obatined an item in a similar style, except primarily bronze with inlaid silver. I know the bronze should have a dark patina, but the silver should be shiny. How does one polish the silver bits without shining the bronze? How does / did the Newark Museum clean the Tiffany plate? As I recall from one of your earlier posts, the plate was pretty dingy when you first saw it. Any advice would be appreciated. Thanks! Brent IP: Logged |
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vathek Posts: 966 |
posted 12-16-2007 03:28 PM
Haven't tried this but maybe getting some painters tape which is low adhesive to tape around the silver portions? IP: Logged |
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doc Posts: 728 |
posted 12-16-2007 06:27 PM
I have used a Qtip dipped in silver cleaner to clean a silver overlay on bronze, but I will admit I couldn't get the silver to full shine. It made me too nervous and I didn't have the patience! IP: Logged |
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Ulysses Dietz Moderator Posts: 1265 |
posted 01-19-2008 07:44 AM
Sorry to be so tardy about responding! Fact is, our silver plate by Tiffany does not have any patination on the copper--at least none that we could determine (in spite of what the Sotheby's catalogue said when we bought it). We clean everything with calcium carbonate powder and isopropyl alcohol anyway, so for that we just worked around the copper. IP: Logged |
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Clive E Taylor Posts: 450 |
posted 01-19-2008 05:37 PM
The whole matter of copper and bronze patination is something of a nightmare. Whether the beautiful patina on a item is supposed to be there - sculture, Japanese tsuba etc being favourite subjects for misguided cleaning with brasso polish , or is merely corrosion which should be cleaned. Coppper buckles were originally meant to be shiny, but often are intentionally left patinated - to my mind wrongly. But then I'm paradoxically very keen to avoid the excessive mechanical cleaning of old silver that removes the mellow greyish patination, but will cheeerfully remove the bloom from old pewter to give it back it's intended shine. It's a fraught subject. IP: Logged |
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Dale Posts: 2132 |
posted 01-29-2008 06:26 PM
My guess, based on some experience. Find an artist to paint lacquer on the parts you don't want to polish. This is much trickier than it sounds, so someone who knows how to wield a paint brush is needed. Then use a gentle polish, like Hagerty's spray to quickly polish the silver. Then remove the lacquer. Best I can come up with. IP: Logged |
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Polly Posts: 1970 |
posted 01-29-2008 06:55 PM
How do you safely remove the lacquer? IP: Logged |
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Ulysses Dietz Moderator Posts: 1265 |
posted 01-30-2008 09:09 AM
We really need a metals conservator's input here. For our Tiffany mixed metals dish, we found that the color of the copper was merely oxidation, and not original (or at least, not a chemical patina). So our approach, using chalk power and isopropyl alcohol, was to clean the silver, gold and niello, and to LIGHTLY clean the copper, to leave a light brownish color. Then we lacquered the whole piece so that it can be displayed without tarnishing. Lacquering is a tricky proposition, and not something one can really do at home. Chemical patinas (such as, I think, shakudo on copper) are fragile, enameled finishes (such as the red finish on copper by LaPierre, I think) are less fragile. IP: Logged |
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asheland Posts: 935 |
posted 01-29-2014 04:03 PM
I recently got a mixed metals piece by Gorham. I shined the silver and left the copper and brass as found. Q-tips, silver polish and patience are needed! It actually looks good now. IP: Logged |
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Ulysses Dietz Moderator Posts: 1265 |
posted 01-30-2014 09:04 AM
the secret in metal polishing is not to leave residue ... IP: Logged |
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