Will LOS Patina on ring turn finger black?
by John Coonradt jr.
(Clifton Park, New York, United States)
Will my finger turn black from the liver of sulfur Patina on a coin ring? If so how can I stop this an still keep the patina?
Thanks! John
Stacy's Answer:
The liver-of-sulfur (LOS) patina should't turn your finger black John, as long as you've properly cleaned the metal after applying the patina. After applying a liver-of-sulfur patina to silver, tumble-polish the item and follow up with a jewelry polishing cloth or similar polishing wheel applied with a flex-shaft for a beautiful finish. Sterling silver when worn frequently, develops a beautiful patina over time without the use of LOS.
While the LOS might not leave a mark on your finger, copper or the copper in Sterling silver and even low-karat gold might. It's easy to simply wash the mark off with hand-soap/water when you remove the ring. As hands are frequently washed and exposed to soaps, perfumes, lotions, cleaning stuff, etc. and they can perspire, applying a lacquer coating to ring is not recommended.
