Hardboiled Egg? :)

[Emerald]

I use Selsun to oxidise - its shampoo for serious dandruff i think, just paint it on and then either leave it somewhere warm to dry or just heat it gently i have had this bottle over 10 years and its still going strong.

[Sunnybank]

Hi,

There is a free tutorial on how to do this at jewelrylessons dot com
Fi

Hadn't been to this site before, have put eggs on the shopping list. I can't wait to try it out this weekend on an etched piece.

Jane

[Trudy]

Sorry one last question on the egg situation...is it ok for use with all kinds of beads? specifically polymer clay, is there any reason it would do anything strange to it at all?

[mizgeorge]

Can't think of anything offhand Trudy. I've happily oxidised pieces including polyclay beads with LoS, so I'm sure it would be fine.

[Trudy]

Can't think of anything offhand Trudy. I've happily oxidised pieces including polyclay beads with LoS, so I'm sure it would be fine.

Great

[EmmaRose]

LOS (and substitutes)will only react chemically with metals. Plastic and glass are pretty inert (hence using acid in them etc)
Em

[Charlotte]

Ew! I think I'll stick to my toxic oxidising solution ...exactly how bad is it anyway, smells pretty bad but I never know just how careful to be with the stuff At least its an idea if you run out

[MuranoSilver]

Here's a list of lots of the Chemicals we use and their relative toxicity
http://www.ci.tucson.az.us/arthazards/metal2.html
Liver of Sulfur (potassium sulfide) will, in the presence of acid, generate hydrogen sulfide. This gas IS highly toxic, so you need to use caution. (e.g. Wash your pickle off thoroughly)

[Petal]

Nic's right, warm egg (freshly boiled). Smash up a bit.

about 20 minutes for light oxidisation, several hours for heavy.

Then give it a polish back with some 0000 wire wool and it will look lufferly!

I've read with interest using the egg technique, alum and also mares urine, are there any more non toxic ways to oxidise jewellery that any of you have experience of/could recommend?

thanks in advance

[Vivia]

I used the egg-method recently on some copper jewellery, and it's worked a treat. I made sure I put the jewellery in with the smashed up egg pretty soon after it came out the pan, and didn't use a box or anything, just a normal sandwich bag with a knot in.

Beware though, of leaving it for too long. I somehow managed to forget about my eggy-jewellery-sandwich-bag for some days, and came into the house last week to be greeted by a funny smell...

And my GOODNESS did that smell get worse when I eventually found the offending sandwich bag on top of the printer (but of course, where else would I have put it for safe-keeping ).