dcw
Full Member
how do you clean your silver rings from the beach?
cleaning silver rings from the beach
- Thread starter dcw
- Start date
how do you clean your silver rings from the beach?I put them in CLR for a few minutes depending on how corroded/calcified they are. Then I put them in an electrolysis bath -- take item out and rub with baking soda. A tumbler with jeweler's mix steel shot works best for little nooks and crannies from what I've heard.
FoiledAgain
Elite Member
FoiledAgain
Elite Member
For plain bands I use SOS pads, or green abrasive kitchen pads -- sometimes with a little Noxon. The latter is not specifically recommended for silver (or gold) but I've found that a quick scrub followed by a soapy wash and rinse works fine. A different method would be needed for rings with nooks and crannies.
Foiled
DaviDs
Forum Supporter
If its not a relic, I also use tarn-x to remove all of the black oxidation. Most of the time it comes right off and in a few minutes your sitting pretty. Although, the really nice shine requires the right tumbling mix and then polishing.
-David
-David
It depends how bad it is. If it is just black without crust then I tumble them now. Jewelers blend and a couple hours in the tumbler makes them look almost new. If they are crusty I use electrolysis then tumble. In any case I finish by tumbling. I clean clad the same way.
Easiest way ever. Wrap with aluminum foil contacting the black. Throw it in vinegar. You'll notice the aluminum foil falls apart in about 10 minutes. Take it out and rinse with water. Then rub it with baking soda. The black comes right off. Use buffing wheel, dremel, etc. to polish if desired. If you dremel it without the aluminum trick you'll notice it takes forever to remove the black. The aluminum will make you look like a genius. Works with acidic stuff. Also works with Coke, picante sauce, grapefruit juice, etc.!
Gold Digger 2
Elite Member
electrolysis,,,,,,I use an old phone charger,,,,,spit the wires,,,,use alligator clips and clip one to your find and put in a small glass of water with salt,,,,,clip the other to a piece of SS and clip it to the top of the glass in the water,,,,,leave for about 30min or an hour,,,,pull it out and drop on a paper towel with baking soda and rub with your hands,,,,this little silver/gold combo beauty I found recently was black until I put it through,,,,,GL HH
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FoiledAgain
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Ice Scratcher
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stewart73
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Good video. Thanks.
Ice Scratcher
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I agree that is a good video but at, 6:59 and 7:04, he says those rings are toast. I disagree, all they need is a soak in some tarnex, and a good buffing, and they will be good as new..
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dewcon
Quality Control Expert
They have to be pretty nice rings for me to take much time with them. If they are i use electrolysis then a little Bar Keepers Friend or baking soda. I do like the foil and vinegar trick thou it works pretty good.
Dew
Dew
I have a company clean most all of mine. They even send me a check after cleaning. You can also try and get amazing results. The company is called ARA.
onthespot
Elite Member
We get some high dollar silver here in Asia. My hunting buddies Harpa just sold two silver rings for $150. He has a little bell charm that retails for over $900. So before you send in a silver ring for melt, I would make sure I check the Makers Mark and see if it is from a well know designer.
FoiledAgain: Here is a video explaining how to do it. It only takes about a minute for a ring. If you leave it in too long it can damage the silver a bit so start with a minute or so. Take it out and just rub it with baking soda using your bare finger. If it needs it again, just repeat but usually the first bath gets everything. Here's the video:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dtAkHGbDvmM
dcw
Full Member
Thank you for all the info. Now I have a lot of experiments to perform to see which one I am comfortable with before I clean my good silver.
Roger B
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