Best method for cleaning tarnished-black antique gold jewelry?

[insontis]

I know I've seen a few of you post antique jewelry finds where the gold was alloyed with silver and nearly tarnished black. Well I've come across an example of sorts myself and was just curious if anyone found a particular at-home method better than others.

I normally use the foil/baking soda method to clean jewelry, especially tarnished sterling, but the stuff that is near black takes numerous soaks and still a polishing if that even gets the desired result at all.

Thinking the obvious choice is taking it to a jeweler and making it their problem , but anyone have some successful at home success?





Thanks for ideas!

 

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[eyemustdigtreasure]

Beautiful item, so meaningful to you, that you want to protect it, yet display it, too..., right?
Call around, and talk to jewelers, and ask if they would tend to love antique jewelry, and would be very careful with it....
Good luck!

 

[bowwinkles]

https://www.wikihow.com/Clean-Tarnished-Gold check these methods and maybe one will fit

 

[insontis]

https://www.wikihow.com/Clean-Tarnished-Gold check these methods and maybe one will fit

I've used the hot water/baking soda/aluminum foil in the past, but it takes multiple soaks for a piece half this tarnished. I've never had experience with the ammonia/ dish soap methods. Normally a baking soda soak or two plus a good polishing with a jewelry cloth does me alright.. but this is the most tarnished thing I'm attempting to restore.

Beautiful item, so meaningful to you, that you want to protect it, yet display it, too..., right?
Call around, and talk to jewelers, and ask if they would tend to love antique jewelry, and would be very careful with it....
Good luck!

This one is not a personal piece, but one I'd like to see restored fully or not at all. I don't want to attempt to polish it back to life only to get half way there. I would rather keep it as is than not get it fully cleaned up .

That being said I know a jeweler would be the best bet, but I was curious if anyone has had success restoring a piece this deeply tarnished with an at home method.

 

[Jason in Enid]

ITs not gold. Even alloyed gold doesnt look like that from time. It takes serious oxidizers like salt, chlorine, etc to turn low K gold and then it typically turns green. Youre item is most likely brass. Either way, as long as the oxidation isnt super thick you should be able to get good results with a baking soda paste and old tooth brush and/or wash cloth.

 

[insontis]

ITs not gold. Even alloyed gold doesnt look like that from time. It takes serious oxidizers like salt, chlorine, etc to turn low K gold and then it typically turns green. Youre item is most likely brass. Either way, as long as the oxidation isnt super thick you should be able to get good results with a baking soda paste and old tooth brush and/or wash cloth.

I'll look into further testing, but the underneath definitely is a gold color, not brass in appearance. It passed an acid test. The diamond is also tested genuine as well, but I don't see a diamond being put in brass?

 

[Jason in Enid]

I'll look into further testing, but the underneath definitely is a gold color, not brass in appearance. It passed an acid test. The diamond is also tested genuine as well, but I don't see a diamond being put in brass?

brass and gold look basically the same when clean and polished. Acid tests are NOT an end-all form of saying yea or nay. Many things wil give false positives. They were really only meant to determine the gold value of a true gold alloyed item. A positive doesnt mean its real gold, but a negative does mean it isnt or that its less than the K level tested for. I have dug lots of fake gold over the years. I have dug far more 100+ year old brass wedding bands than gold ones. I dont know if jewelers were more crooked, or if husbands were more willing to take the "looks good enough" for the cheap price. Diamonds arent worth much unless they were flawless. Even 100+ years ago, a diamond with an off color, inclusions, cracks, etc would have been cheap to put on.

I'm curious, how high up on the K scale did your acid test say this piece was?

 

[insontis]

To add a few details..

This ring wasn't dug, it was purchased, so I have no idea what it's been put through.

I did end up giving it a dip with baking soda in foil out of curiosity. Twice. No reaction. Took a cotton swab to it. Did nothing to remove any of the "black", just a brown dirt residue on the swab from genting scrubbing. Tried using jewelry cleaning and polishing cloth after, no result. No black/grey left on cloth, just a took off the last of the dirt/grime.

Retested using acid. 10k holds, 14k holds, 18k fades black.

I'm not sure that the black is tarnish anymore, at least not in the sense it occurs with silver. I'm able to scratch through it, but it doesn't wipe off or loosen with a soak.

Also to note - the black portions don't leave much of a mark when gently rubbing on test pad.. and it appeared dark gray at best.