silver plated copper wire and liver of sulfur?
Hi!
I was wondering if the liver of sulfur will work on my silver plated copper wire? They are anti-tarnish but I read somewhere else that it can work but I ask here to be sure
thank for your answer
Stacy's Answer:
The oxidizing process works fine as long as the wire is not coated with a tarnish-resistant substance. That usually has to be removed first.However a word of caution. If you attempt to remove any of the patina or the tarnish-resistant coating with steel wool or a scrubby pad, you are also removing a thin layer of metal which can expose the base wire underneath. There are many qualities of plated wire out there, so test a small piece of yours to see if it will hold up to the finishing treatments you have in mind for it, including tumbling. I've had the silver plate come right off copper beads with very little effort. Just tumbling removed most of the plating.....they all went into my scrap bin. You may be better off using a more durable silver-filled wire instead. But again, test it first!
I can't make generalizations about how your particular wire will react. So experiment! Test pieces of wire to see what happens when you try different applications with it. Even wear a piece of jewelry you've made from it to see how it holds up before using the wire items you'll be giving as gifts or selling.
You never really know the answers until you do it yourself and see the results. Experimenting can lead to some interesting discoveries! It's all part of the adventure and helps to expand your knowledge and jewelry making skills.
