Does polished sterling silver lose value?
Polished silver does not lose value and it makes it more appealing for buyers to look at if you are offering for sale. Sterling silver easily polishes. If there is a lot of blackened tarnish, then there is an easy harmless trick to removing it. Just wrap the piece in aluminum foil and put in a tub, sink or pot, with boiling water and baking soda.
Will tarnish affect the value of my silver products?
As solid silver bars, rounds and coins age, they may tarnish. Tarnish does not affect the metal content of your silver product, but it can have a modest impact on the resale value.
How do you preserve antique silver?
If you don’t, try to keep your silver away from excessively damp or moist conditions. You can also help preserve the condition of your antique silver by placing camphor blocks or anti-tarnish paper within your display case, as these will help mitigate the impact of moisture and environmental elements that might feed tarnish.
How to clean tarnished silver coins?
How to Clean Silver Coins. 1 Step 1: Line Container With Aluminum Foil. Line the entire container with aluminum foil. Ensure that the container is completely lined with as few ... 2 Step 2: Sprinkle Baking Soda. 3 Step 3: Add Tarnished Silver Coins. 4 Step 4: Add More Baking Soda & Hot Water. 5 Step 5: Rub Away the Tarnish & Grime. More items
Should I polish antique silver before selling?
0:003:00Should you clean your silver before you sell it? We explain ... - YouTubeYouTubeStart of suggested clipEnd of suggested clipBefore it's sold and if you've got silver then you need to do the same. Now you don't need to polishMoreBefore it's sold and if you've got silver then you need to do the same. Now you don't need to polish it until it sparkles like there's no tomorrow.
Will polishing damage silver?
Polishes will damage gilding. Silver dips, if used without care, will over-clean silver that has a chased, engraved, or embossed decoration. If the object is silver plated, any method of tarnish removal may be very damaging.
Is it OK to clean antique silver?
The key to effective cleaning of antique silver is regular care. Dust your items regularly with a soft brush. You can also gently rub with a soft cloth to remove fingerprints and light dirt. Silver can be washed in hot soapy water.
Is antique silver more valuable?
Sterling silver holds intrinsic value as a precious metal, but antique silver pieces can be even more valuable than their silver content would indicate. This added value depends on the craftsmanship, maker and desirability of the piece offered for sale, along with the venue where an item is sold.
How long does polished silver last?
Polishing silver once a year should be enough to keep it in good condition. But, if once a year doesn't satisfy your cleaning compulsion, an easy way to maintain the shine of your silver is to wash it with good old water. You can safely do this as often as 2–6 times in a year.
How do you polish silver without damaging it?
This cleaning agent is a great option for many things, including your tarnished silver.Mix 1/2 cup of white vinegar with 2 tablespoons of baking soda in a bowl of lukewarm water.Let the silver soak for two to three hours.Rinse with cold water and let airdry.
What's the best way to clean antique silver?
MethodSwab surface with methylated or white spirit to remove grease and dirt - some tarnish may also be removed.If tarnish remains, try gently rubbing a silver cloth over the surface - this has mild abrasive particles embedded in it. ... If tarnish still remains, try a mild abrasive paste, cream or foam.More items...
How do you take care of antique silver?
For routine care, a quick wash in soapy water can be a sufficient way to keep silver shiny. Mix a few drops of mild dishwashing soap in warm water and gently wash silver pieces. Rinse and buff dry with a soft cloth. In between cleanings, store silver in a cool, dry place to prevent excess tarnish.
How much does it cost to have silver polished?
Basic polishing (like the spoon above) is only $8 per piece. Re-applying the factory-applied patina is an additional $4. That patina is gradually removed if you constantly put your flatware in the dishwasher or expost it to Tarn-X.
Is antique silver a good investment?
Good quality silver will always maintain an intrinsic value, despite market oscillations, as this graph clearly demonstrates the silver value growth for the past two decades. Antiques are not subject to inflation or interest rates variations. They are stable investment, and one you can enjoy anytime.
Is antique silver real silver?
Silver is often blended with a base metal (usually copper) to make its soft nature more malleable. Most antique silver is of sterling standard (about 92.5% pure silver to 7.5% base metal).
What's the difference between silver and antique silver?
Age. One of the most significant differences between antique silver and vintage silver is their age. For a piece to be considered antique silver, it must be over 100 years old. Silver items from the nineteenth century and early twentieth would be classified as antiques.
How to clean antique silver?
When preparing to clean your silver, always keep in mind that your main goal is to preserve the silver surface of your antique sterling silver pieces. To do so, it is important to: 1 Use store-bought silver cleaners as sparingly as possible (or avoid them altogether) as the chemical components within can potentially be damaging to your antique pieces 2 Never use a hard bristle brush to remove surface tarnish or other materials, as you will run the risk of scratching your silver
How to clean silver ware that has black tarnish?
For silver wares that are completely covered with a black layer of tarnish, you will need to work a little harder, but home remedies for cleaning silver will still work. Using the same mild detergent solution and a silver cleaning cloth or light bristle brush, work over your piece slowly and carefully.
What to use to seal antique silver?
Sealing the surface of your antique silver with a lacquer layer or microcrystalline wax layer is also an option, depending on the type of piece. Lacquer layers tend to scratch easily with excessive handling, but they are superior to the wax option for preserving intricately carved details on a detailed silver piece.
How to clean silverware?
Dust your silverware with a soft cloth; use a light bristle brush or cotton bud for hard-to-reach nooks and crannies.
How to display silver in a home?
When you want to showcase selections from your silver collection in a home display case, it is best to keep them in a controlled environment with humidity levels balanced at approximately 50%. This can be accomplished if you have a home humidistat. If you don’t, try to keep your silver away from excessively damp or moist conditions. You can also help preserve the condition of your antique silver by placing camphor blocks or anti-tarnish paper within your display case, as these will help mitigate the impact of moisture and environmental elements that might feed tarnish.
Why is my silver green?
A prime example is if your silver exhibits a greenish hue, which indicates that the copper content of your silver has corroded, causing the growth of green crystalline deposits (known as verdigris). This verdigris can be removed, but it requires a chemical solution that, for most silver, should be administered by a professional conservationist.
What causes silver to tarnish?
The two key factors that contribute to tarnish include: Chemical contact: the presence of many chemicals in your environment — from a sulfurous dish of Brussels sprouts to home products like hairspray or lotion — can also accelerate silver tarnish.
How long does silver last after being cleaned?
Silver always tarnishes. If you clean it, it will be blackened again inside 10 years, unless you keep item (s) in a closed display cabinet which seems to slow the oxidisation process, probably due to still air. If you clean them, use a proprietary dip, and never an abrasive cleaner, as the latter will rub/wear & decrease the value.
How much is silverware worth?
I have recently seen lots of silver plate with as many as 30 pieces go for a total of $50 or less, less than $2 an item.
What is 925 silver jewelry made of?
Typical silver jewelry is sold with the properties of 92.5% Silver and 7.5% alloys and metals to give strength and durability to the jewelry. 7 Reasons To Start Buying the Sterling Silver jewelry This blog covers what 925 sterling silver is made of and If your jewelry is 99% silver than that is a problem since there is no alloys and metals to strengthen it.
Why does sterling silver turn black?
Sterling silver tarnishes ( turns black) as a result of a reaction with sulfur or sulfur compounds in the air producing silver sulfide ( black) . Oxygen and moisture alone will not result in silver tarnish without the presence of sulfur compounds .
What is the soft look of sterling silver?
As sterling silver ages, it develops a soft look, through years of polishing and use . This gentle aging is called a patina. Compare the two images above.
Can you polish silver jewelry?
Other silver antiques, such as cigarette cases, jewelry, card cases, hand mirrors, and jewelry boxes, should not be polished. The patina is part of the value and appeal of these items and polishing can also wear down (damage) engraving and other ornamentation.
What happens if you sell a car for scrap?
If you sell it to anyone, unless it had a very important brand name to it, they would melt it down for scrap. That also means they would purchase it for below scrap. It doesn’t matter if you polish it, it’s still going to be worth the same.
How to clean tarnished silver?
Approximately 2 Cups of Warm Water. The reaction of the warm water, baking soda and aluminum foil will allow the tarnished silver to clean beautifully. The warmer the water the better, but waiting for boiling water to cool down before scrubbing the silver can be time consuming. Microwaving 2 cups of water for 2-3 minutes should suffice ...
How to get white spots off silver?
Oftentimes, if this step is skipped, small white spots can remain on the silver as dried baking soda.
How to get rid of aluminum foil on pan?
Sprinkle baking soda inside the container on top of the aluminum foil. Line the bottom of the container with baking soda so that you can barely see the aluminum foil on the bottom of the pan.
What to use to clean coins?
I use a toothbrush with baking soda and warm water to clean really dirty coins and it works great, but I wouldn't do it on anything too valuable just in case.
Does aluminum foil remove tarnish?
Any aluminum foil will do, what you have laying around in your kitchen will work great. The aluminum foil is key to the reaction which removes the tarnish.
Does tarnish affect silver?
Tarnish does not affect the metal content of your silver product, but it can have a modest impact on the resale Value. Dealers and other buyers will often pay a bit less if the silver does not have its original luster. So older US coins for sale sell for less, but still give you the same amount of silver as new ones.
Can you use old baking soda to clean silver?
Avoid using old baking soda, a new container of baking soda is worth the minor expense to help clean up unsightly silver.
Why does a coin shine?
When a coin is minted, the metal flows into the recesses of the coin die at extremely high pressure. The result of this is known as mint luster. This is the beautiful shine that a new, untouched coin has. It’s caused by flow lines. Flow lines are microscopic patterns in the metal set by the die. The smaller the coin is, the harder it is to see the flow lines, but they’re there.
Why do coins oxidize?
Coins oxidize in different ways because the metals they are made of vary. Copper coins typically become light brown to deep chocolate brown over time. Silver coins become light gray to deep brownish gray, darker in the recessed parts of the coin. Nickel coins will turn soft to dark gray, and gold will yellow over time.
Why do coins have flow lines?
It’s caused by flow lines. Flow lines are microscopic patterns in the metal set by the die. The smaller the coin is, the harder it is to see the flow lines, but they’re there. When people clean coins, the condition of those flow lines is damaged, and the luster is lost.
What do coin collectors look for in a coin?
What Coin Collectors Look For. Coin collectors want pristine, never-been-handled coins or the closest approximation to that that they can get. Uncirculated coins are far preferable to circulated and untouched, uncirculated coins are the most valuable of all.
Why do you touch a coin?
Even touching the coins introduces oil and dirt to the coin’s surface. Since oil and dirt cannot be removed without cleaning, a small touch can cut a coin’s value in half or even more because, again, numismatists would rather have an oxidized but untouched coin than a shiny but damaged one.
Does cleaning silverware remove oxidation?
Anyone who has cleaned silverware knows that it’s simple to remove oxidation from metal, but believe it or not, that simple act can permanently change the appearance of the coin under magnification. This affects its value permanently because serious coin collectors prefer the natural appearance of an old coin over one that’s been artificially restored.
Can you clean coins to sell?
The bottom line for anyone looking to sell coins from a coin collection: don’t clean your coins. Don’t have them cleaned. A trusted coin expert will know how to value them correctly. If you want the best price for your coins, leave them in the state they are in. Do not to touch them any more than they’ve already been touched. If you would like any other advice about what to do with your coins, please call us at Grand Rapids Coins. We would be more than glad to help you.
Should you clean antique furniture?
So the question arises whether to clean or not to clean an antique piece. The rule of thumb: If in doubt, don’t. It is always safer to preserve patina until the piece is appraised and you know for sure whether you are inadvertently removing the history that makes the piece interesting.
Can you clean antiques?
Cleaning some antiques too well can scrub them of value. When dust, body oil, grime and oxidation occur on our drapes and upholstery, we call it dirt and go to great efforts to clean it off. When it settles on our bronze sculpture or folk-art collection, it is called patina and we wouldn’t touch it if we were paid to.
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