Enrich Silver Surfaces Through Frosting

[@flyingcheff]

bright blue? a fantasy!

[@michaelwagner8842]

Is this process similar to how factories achieve frosty white silver chains? I recently cloth polished a new chain in hopes to enhance the reflective look on the diamond cuts, but the white frosted finish changed to a mirror-like silver finish. Could this heating / pickling method bring back the white look?

[@OnlineJewelryAcademy]

This process will give silver a white surface. But it only lasts a short time. Polishing and even normal wear will change it to a silver color. 😀

[@Rob337_aka_CancelProof]

So it's basically the same as depletion gilding then. But what is actually going on you're not heating it enough to vaporize copper so is it causing the copper to retreat and my great deeper into the piece? I guess that's the only thing it could be doing so how far does it go and at what point does that change the alloy because if some level the copper and silver are at a different ratio?

[@OnlineJewelryAcademy]

Here’s a post that explains things: orchid.ganoksin.com/t/bringing-up-fine-silver-from-sterling-sheet/21228 The alloy does not change. 🙂

[@barbbear35]

Love this technique! Just to be clear... You are burnishing after each time you pickle until you get the desired color. At the end you leave it white (no burnishing). Is that corrrect? Thanks so much John!

[@OnlineJewelryAcademy]

Hi Barb, No, I burnish down the fine silver with the brass brush every time. You can choose to leave the surface of your piece white or unburnished. It will eventually rub against enough surfaces to burnish it back to a silver color. Sorry for the confusion. Good luck with your frosting. Thanks for your support! : )

[@DianneCulbertsonJacques]

Can you use this technique to be able to use sterling in enamel?

[@OnlineJewelryAcademy]

Hi Divella, Yes, you can use this technique to produce a fine silver surface that makes contact with your enamels. Just be sure that you create a thick layer of fine silver (through repeated frosting) before you begin. Good luck with your projects. Thanks for your support! : )

[@tobykrell7762]

Re the brass brushing - when I do that it looks shiny again not frosted white. Seems like I'm undoing what im trying to achieve. Many thanks for your videos!

[@OnlineJewelryAcademy]

Hi Toby, When you brass brush your frosted item you are burnishing down the layer of fine silver that you've developed. If you want the piece to stay frosty looking, just don't brass brush it. But, you do need to brass brush in between pickling and annealing in order to build up the fine silver. The more you do it, the thicker the layer of fine silver gets. I hop that clears things up. Thanks for your support! : )

[@tobykrell7762]

OnlineJewelryAcademy thank you for taking time to reply to my question. If I understand you are saying I am not removing the fine silver when brass brushing (for reticulation and/or keum boo) but its not visible. The frosty look is a preference. Im brushing away the copper? Oh, if I want to keum boo articulated silver do I repeat the depletion process?

[@jasonsohal8456]

Can you explain the “pickling” process?

[@OnlineJewelryAcademy]

The OJA has a number of videos about the pickling process on it’s website at: www.onlinejewelryacademy.com. Essentially, it’s a process where using a mild acid, oxides and flux glass are removed from a metal surface. 😀

[@JavenarchX]

I wonder if sterling silver can be picked at a higher temperature for a longer period of time for a similar effect? I'll try it with caution and let you know the effects...

[@OnlineJewelryAcademy]

Hi Jezza Lenko, I think you meant to ask if you can pickle sterling silver at a higher temperature for a longer period of time for a similar effect. The short answer is no. Heating the piece helps to excite the atoms and break molecular bonds. Don't worry. You only need to heat the piece until the surface goes dull. But, you need to do it several times to raise the fine silver. Have fun frosting your silver. Thanks for your support! : )

[@tenhats7036]

I was teached that when one put hot pieces in the pickel some Acid is trapped in the pores of the silver. Then by wearing the ring or whatever the acic goes activ again and damage the skin. What do you say?

[@OnlineJewelryAcademy]

It sounds like your jewelry instructor did a really good job of scaring you to prevent you from quenching hot metal in the pickle pot. The biggest thing to be concerned about when performing a "hot quench" is that you might get scalded by hot pickle splashing onto your skin. Normally, items removed from the pickle are placed in a neutralization bath before they are handled any further. Even if the item has many small cavities, it can be placed in an ultrasonic to remove any trace of the pickle. I hope that this calms your fears. Thanks for your support! : )

[@tenhats7036]

Thank you for your promt Reply. I will try the ultrasonic.

[@NocturemRaven]

Is there any way to make the frosted finish more permanent, e.g. using renaissance wax? Thank you for this video, it is very informative :)

[@OnlineJewelryAcademy]

Unfortunately, a frosted finish will become somewhat burnished looking from normal wear. Coating the item with wax might slow down the process but, it won't make it permanent. Perhaps a transparent E-coating might provide adequate protection. I've never tried it. So, I can't guarantee that it will work. Thanks for your support! : )

[@ADSUPINTHIS]

Trying to give my 999 silver cable link chain a brushed finish what would you recommend the best way to go about this? Thanks any advice would be appreciated.

[@OnlineJewelryAcademy]

The safest and easiest way to give a chain a matte/brushed finish is to pull it through a piece of sandpaper or Scotchbrite. Don't use any power tools. You might loose an eye or a finger. Here's a link for a video on how to apply a scratch finish to a larger metal surface: www.onlinejewelryacademy.com/scratch-finish-video.html Pulling your chain through an abrasive material like sandpaper should give you a uniform look. Try experimenting on something that isn't precious to you. 😀

[@ADSUPINTHIS]

@@OnlineJewelryAcademy haha no power tools got it. I'll have to get some cheaper chains to practice on last thing I wanna do is make my chain look like a scratched up mess lol. Just looking for a change up from the polished shiny look. Thanks for the reply and the video link, you have a new subscriber.

[@OnlineJewelryAcademy]

@@ADSUPINTHIS Glad I could help. 😺

[@ADSUPINTHIS]

@@OnlineJewelryAcademyOne last question... for the scotchbrite, do you recommend the fine or the course or in the middle? This is pure silver so I'd imagine it will scratch even easier then the sterling?

[@OnlineJewelryAcademy]

@@ADSUPINTHIS I’m only aware of the blue (scratch free) and the green (that scratches). You’ll have to experiment.

[@tia-8802]

If you finish the piece by brass brushing and tumbling, won't you lose the frosted finish?

[@rexplorer.official]

Tia - you need to burnish in between heating because burnishing helps to expose the copper and flatten the fine silver into microscopic crevices. You can leave it frosted at the end or burnish it. What this process does is remove the surface copper which removed firescale, that's the main reason this is done.

[@OnlineJewelryAcademy]

Great answer Rexarthur. Couldn't have said it better myself. Thanks for your support! : )

[@rexplorer.official]

OnlineJewelryAcademy - You're videos have been really helpful. Especially to those who are just starting out!

[@OnlineJewelryAcademy]

Thanks Rexarthur. I appreciate the feedback. Thanks for your support! : )

[@aurum6527]

why is it caled frosting when you use flames?

[@OnlineJewelryAcademy]

The process gets its name from the appearance of the silver. Silver is the whitest metal on earth. Most other metals are various shades of grey. As you heat and pickle your silver you will notice that it looks brighter and whiter every time you remove it from your pickle pot. It's a "frosty" white. Thanks for your support! : )

[@flyingcheff]

seriously?

[@jonathansanchez319]

Wonder how many people died back then when someone thought it was solid gold

[@OnlineJewelryAcademy]

Who knows? Maybe nobody was fooled. Thanks for watching! 😀