Oxidation Materials and Supplies
Oxidation Materials and Supplies
Liver of Sulphur, also spelled sulfur, is a combination of potassium sulfides. While it smells pretty stinky (like rotten eggs), it is not toxic; however, it is still a good idea to always work in a well-ventilated area whenever working with any type of chemical. It is available from many jewelry suppliers who sell metal supplies and comes in both liquid and solid form. Liver of Sulphur is is used to create patinas or oxidize metals in order for details and textures to show up more easily, and it is really easy to do.
You will need the following:
2 Containers of water
Baking soda
Tweezers
Microwave (or method for heating water)
Liver of Sulphur (Solid is used here.)
Paper towels
Liver of sulphur doesn't last forever, but if you keep it stored in a container away from light it will help lengthen the shelf life a little.
Set Up Oxidizing Area
1. Find a well-ventilated area to work, and fill two bowls with water.
2. Put a little baking soda in one bowl.
3. Warm the other bowl of water. I usually fill it about 1 inch full and put it in my microwave for about 60 seconds.
Add Liver of Sulphur
4. Take a tiny amount of liver of sulphur and drop it in the bowl of warm water. You just need a very small amount.
Stir Water
5. Though the liver of sulphur will start to dissolved, use tweezers to stir up the water some and speed this along. The water should turn a kind of yellowish greenish color.
Add Metal
6. Add the metal piece (such as a charm pictured) into the liver of sulphur solution.
Soak in Oxidation Solution
7. Watch the metal darken. The longer you keep it in there, the darker it will become.
8. When the metal looks dark enough, use tweezers to pull it out. (The water is a little too hot to stick your hands in there.)
9. Immediately set the metal into the other bowl with water and baking soda to stop the oxidation process.
10. Pull out the metal, dry it off, and take a look at it. If you have the desired patina, then you are done. If you want it darker, repeat the entire process.
Here is a before and after example of a brass charm I used for this demonstration. I have read the brass isn't that great do this with, but as you can see, it turned out pretty well. You can use other types of metal, and ideally, this works really well with silver.
You can even get some colors like yellows, greens, and blues to come out if you leave it in there long enough.
If you want to remove some of the patina, you can polish it with a polishing cloth.
Liver of Sulphur, also spelled sulfur, is a combination of potassium sulfides. While it smells pretty stinky (like rotten eggs), it is not toxic; however, it is still a good idea to always work in a well-ventilated area whenever working with any type of chemical. It is available from many jewelry suppliers who sell metal supplies and comes in both liquid and solid form. Liver of Sulphur is is used to create patinas or oxidize metals in order for details and textures to show up more easily, and it is really easy to do.
You will need the following:
2 Containers of water
Baking soda
Tweezers
Microwave (or method for heating water)
Liver of Sulphur (Solid is used here.)
Paper towels
Liver of sulphur doesn't last forever, but if you keep it stored in a container away from light it will help lengthen the shelf life a little.
Set Up Oxidizing Area
1. Find a well-ventilated area to work, and fill two bowls with water.
2. Put a little baking soda in one bowl.
3. Warm the other bowl of water. I usually fill it about 1 inch full and put it in my microwave for about 60 seconds.
Add Liver of Sulphur
4. Take a tiny amount of liver of sulphur and drop it in the bowl of warm water. You just need a very small amount.
Stir Water
5. Though the liver of sulphur will start to dissolved, use tweezers to stir up the water some and speed this along. The water should turn a kind of yellowish greenish color.
Add Metal
6. Add the metal piece (such as a charm pictured) into the liver of sulphur solution.
Soak in Oxidation Solution
7. Watch the metal darken. The longer you keep it in there, the darker it will become.
8. When the metal looks dark enough, use tweezers to pull it out. (The water is a little too hot to stick your hands in there.)
9. Immediately set the metal into the other bowl with water and baking soda to stop the oxidation process.
10. Pull out the metal, dry it off, and take a look at it. If you have the desired patina, then you are done. If you want it darker, repeat the entire process.
Here is a before and after example of a brass charm I used for this demonstration. I have read the brass isn't that great do this with, but as you can see, it turned out pretty well. You can use other types of metal, and ideally, this works really well with silver.
You can even get some colors like yellows, greens, and blues to come out if you leave it in there long enough.
If you want to remove some of the patina, you can polish it with a polishing cloth.
