PMC 3 silver clay pieces tarnishing really quickly - help!

[Littlewhitefeathers]

Hi, I've just started making silver clay pieces and have made a few circular necklace charms with names stamped on them.
I followed the instructions to make, dry, sand, fire and polish them and they looked great.

Two people bought them from me and both have come back saying their pieces have started to tarnish already. The first person noticed it happening within about a week and the second person said it has happened after wearing her piece for only a day!

I'm at a total loss as to what to do! I advised to try cleaning the piece with bicarb of soda which the second lady has tried and says it took most of the tarnish off.

I don't know how quickly it will tarnish again though or how to avoid this happening to all the pieces I sell.

Help!

[CJ57]

It may be the wearer rather than the PMC, sounds as if they have really acid skin or perhaps have sprayed perfume? It should clean with a silver cloth though

[LydiaNiz]

Might be worth using renaissance wax (voice fx: other brands are available) if you're not sealing them with anything to give them a bit of protection. Are you oxidising the names maybe?

[Melanie]

Just a thought but if you are using liver of sulphur or similar to darken the stamped detail are you giving the pendant a good soak in bicarb afterwards to neutralise it and stop the reaction?

[Littlewhitefeathers]

Hi, I haven't put any affect on them such as liver of sulphur, just polished to a high shine.
I think I've solved it though, both ladies have showered with their necklace on, maybe the products they've used have affected it?
I contacted another customer who I sent a slightly different silver clay charm to and she says she hasn't showered with it on or used products near it and it is fine!

[Dennis]

Anyhow Goddards Silver dip is cheap and available from hardware shops and Sainsburys. A brief dip, followed by a good rinse restores tarnished silver, low carat gold, copper and brass as new.

There is another method involving bicarbonate, or soda crystals and aluminium foil in warm water, but I've long given that up as hardly worth the bother, particularly when gem stones which are waxed become involved, because alkaline solutions remove wax and oil. Dennis.