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 To polish or not to polish, that is this (opinion) question
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| Author | Topic: To polish or not to polish, that is this (opinion) question |
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AKgreengirl Posts: 19 |
posted 09-05-2012 12:17 PM
  
Hello again all, I recently advised an online seller to (please for the love of whoever you hold dear) stop polishing their antique silver. I personally love the beautiful patina that comes with the age of a piece, and am lothe to see people polish their 100 year old silver to a brilliant day-it-was-made shine. I even know for a fact that Unger Brothers (my favorite) offered their pieces in several finishes, including an "antique" one, because people loved the patina even then. So my question to you, fellow silver fiends, is this: IP: Logged |
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Kimo Posts: 1627 |
posted 09-05-2012 06:17 PM
There are many posts on this topic that you can find with a simple search. In general the non-unanimous concensus (oxymoron?) is that polishing silver that was made to be shiney (i.e. not originally patinated) is fine but only within certain limits which are never let a buffing wheel come within a 100 foot radius of your silver, never use silver dip for two reasons - first it removes all tarnish which is a real no-no since you need dark tarnish in the nooks and cranies to offset the shiney high relief areas to make it look three dimensional and old, and second because every dip I have run across contains a chemical called thiourea which has been found to cause cancer (nasty stuff in my opinion); never use a silver polish that has an abrasive in it; and always use only a 100% pure cotten, washed repeatedly until it is as soft as a baby's bottom, no sewn in seams, plain white polishing cloth. IP: Logged |
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AKgreengirl Posts: 19 |
posted 09-05-2012 08:57 PM
Thanks for the reply, and I apologize for the over used thread topic. I didn't even do the search I should have. It was more me trying to start conversation I suppose. I'm glad to know that the unspoken unanimous decision is similar to my thoughts (means I instinctively knew which is always cool). Thanks again IP: Logged |
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Kimo Posts: 1627 |
posted 09-05-2012 10:54 PM
It is always okay to ask questions. Sometimes the best way to get a discussion on something is to look at a series of posts on a topic of interest and raise a question on something that is unclear or that takes the discussion in a new direction. A second way is to start a post on something in your collection that you really like and may wish to know more about. Or another sure fire way is if you have something that you do not know what it is and to play a game of "Whatzit?" IP: Logged |
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Hose_dk Posts: 400 |
posted 09-07-2012 12:50 AM
My oldest piece of silver is from 1696. More than 300 years old. It is meant to shine - it was meant to shine 318 years ago. And its still meant to shine. I use a product called Silvo - and a pair of old underwear. And it works. Patina is the 300 years of polish - not dirt. The use during centuries creates the patina - and yes every polish remove small amounts of silver. But still patina most never be confused with dirt ! Please go to "International silver" and see "Nice and floral" PS - I am not talking about places that original was meant to have a shadow/dark sections. BUT polish is the correct way In case you will protect hallmarks - put a piece of tape on them to protect. Thanks for editing the hot spot. IP: Logged |
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AKgreengirl Posts: 19 |
posted 09-07-2012 11:16 PM
Ah, I'm glad to know someone is as adamant about polishing as I am about not. And I agree about not letting dirt remain. I think my "issue" with polishing is because I like my old silver to look old and be appreciated as old. But, conversely I suppose one could say he person who could truly give the silver the appreciation it deserved would know how old it was, polished or not, and love it for its age, shiny or not. I suppose you could also say that you don't let a fifty year old wedding ring tarnish or grow dim, you want that baby to shine. Now I am wildly curious, what silver do you have that is 300+ years old??? And how cool that is that you have something that old!! I purchased a sterling picture frame just the other day dated 1905 and it made me marvel at the fact that a little picture frame can outlive us. When the frame that is now mine was made and purchase it could have been a gift, maybe even a wedding present, or to celebrate a birth. It held a photo of someone who was loved and who lived and breathed but who no longer is alive. And I marvel at the journey that frame took to get to my dresser top. Was it in a box for many years? Did it pass from its original owner to their kin, or was it sold to pay a debt? I know it was at an antique store in the 1960s, and when that store closed was given or sold to the niece of the store owner. Then it was sold to me. How amazingly small and short lived we are!!! I love the stories behind the beautiful items we collect!! It makes me miss my grandma!!!!!!! IP: Logged |
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Hose_dk Posts: 400 |
posted 09-08-2012 04:45 AM
quote: Follow the link in my previous post and go to the 1696 beaker. The tread also contains beaker ca 1710 and one anno 1718 as well as the "new" beakers from 1739 onwards Also remember I come from a culture where kings and their family have been buried in the same church for 800 years. I don't appreciate things made after 1850. In general. So I have tings that are older. I have an axe anno 1500-1600. A mortar anno late 1500 early 1600. Actually I have 2 mortar that age. Coins even older. When you buy a frame with a picture. Let the picture remain in the frame Make a note of the origin of this picture (originally bought with frame) Then place your new picture on top of the old. You want your own picture to be on display, but let history stay for future. IP: Logged |
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AKgreengirl Posts: 19 |
posted 09-08-2012 04:58 PM
Thank you for the wonderful suggestion!!! My phrasing was wrong, this frame didn't come with a photo, I meant that it at one point held a photo. The woman I bought it from also sent me a clipping of an advertisement for her uncle's antique shop which I will put behind our photo. I am also in the running to get a sterling book style locket that has an original photo in it, which I will definitely follow your suggestion with! What awesome beakers! IP: Logged |
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Polly Posts: 1970 |
posted 09-08-2012 08:21 PM
Be careful not to put acidic paper (such as an old newspaper clipping) in contact with photos that you're hoping to keep for a long time, or the acid will damage the photos. IP: Logged |
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AKgreengirl Posts: 19 |
posted 09-08-2012 11:55 PM
Sorry, this post ended up in the wrong place. I've been getting weird "bad response" "gateway error" messages when I try to read the forum. Anyone else been getting those? Thank you for the info on acidic paper and photos! I would have never thought of that!! [This message has been edited by AKgreengirl (edited 09-09-2012).] IP: Logged |
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silberpunze Posts: 101 |
posted 09-09-2012 06:52 AM
I am a friend of Patina - I never polish my silver. Old Silver is old silver - and I like to see the age in the Patina. IP: Logged |
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Art Nouveau Collector Posts: 15 |
posted 11-16-2012 06:10 PM
We collect arts and crafts and art nouveau jewelry as well and have run into a similar problem. Some years ago we bought a Murrle Bennett silver & enameled pendant from a seller on ebay. The piece was obviously old and beautifully patinated but our hearts sunk when it arrived. The seller, who obviously thought he was doing us a favor, had dipped the piece before shipping which cleaned every nook and cranny to a high polish. I wanted to kill him but we decided to keep it anyway. I considered liver of sulfur to darken it but decided against that. (We only use that to darken new chain for old jewelry). One nice thing about silver is that it will tarnish over time and especially as you wear it. I don’t know if it’s the oils and acids in your skin, or just the outside exposure, but after several months of continual wear, the pendant began to look old again. Now, years later, it’s back to normal and when worn we even have to hit it with a rouge cloth a few times. That’s all we’ll ever do to silver. Polish to clean, but that’s about it. For what it’s worth, this caused us to develop a standard list of requests to anyone we buy from requesting they not to clean or polish a piece before they ship, as well as how to pack it (i.e. don’t drop an expensive enameled pendant into a simple white envelope and put a stamp on it, as some luminary at a major-gigantic British auction house did – but that’s another story. The piece arrived fine). Live and learn. IP: Logged |
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Polly Posts: 1970 |
posted 11-16-2012 09:08 PM
I once had an online-auction seller send me an antique wrist watch, unwrapped, in an unpadded letter-size paper envelope. Nothing but the watch and the receipt. Naturally, it arrived smashed. Then she got indignant when I left her negative feedback. But silver does tarnish again, thankfully. So does Victorian 9K or 10K gold, if someone "thoughtfully" polished off the mellow darkness. IP: Logged |
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Hose_dk Posts: 400 |
posted 11-18-2012 01:51 PM
I also write at a Swedish page. At one time a person asked a question. It was a WMF object in oxydated Brittany metal. He took pictures of the beautiful object and polished it to be shining. Took new pictures and posted on the forum. The person had destroyed the original oxydating before asking. IP: Logged |
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