Featured Ultrasonic Cleaners - Sound Investment?

I have one, and really only use it on the newer stuff. It has caused some stones to fall out (small ones) but I am fairly sure they were already loose. A suggestion that may or may not work for you- I have a sonic toothbrush that is basically the same action. It cleans really well. But the nice thing about the large one is that you can clean a bunch at once. I actually love the sonic for tougher jobs- it rattles the gunk loose.

 

I use Tarn-x on newer silver, but always follow up with baking soda to neutralize it and polish. Works great, but wouldn’t do it on antique/ fragile items.

 

Quote: Simple and cheap silver cleaning...Let chemistry do the work for you... (quote didn't work, or I didn't lol)

That kind of works on plain silver but I wouldn't do it on anything mounted, but silver dip is quicker and more effective (does stink though). I'm mostly interested in the sonic for gold rings.

 

I don't think I have come across this before, could you tell me some more or post a handy link please.

 

Silver dip ruind older stuff. It dulls jewellery very badly.

 

Tarnex is a product of the devil! I don't care if it's quicker and "more effective." Effective in this case is damaging to the silver item. Don't do it!

 

This is about as bad as Tarnex, just less stinky. I wish there was a Don't Like button here.

 

I've not heard of Tarnex, we have Goddards silver dip in the UK. It's not appropriate for set jewellery, but for some pieces of solid silver, say like a cast nurses buckle, or undercuts in repousse work there really isn't any alternative if you want it shiny. Polishing using a lathe brush takes too long and still won't get to all the detail and even using a swans down you will polish down fine detail by the time you have got all the tarnish out. It does still need a thorough wash then a polish after the dip, like silvo for manual work or jewellers rouge, but it only needs a really light polish after. I find this is much better than trying to abrasive polish.

 

I use foaming silver polish on almost everything silver, using a very soft toothbrush for getting into things like filigree.

I agree, Tarnex is the Devil's tool and I don't use it, besides it stinks like rotten eggs I've never tried the baking soda/aluminum foil thing, I don't trust it.

For gold I put the piece in a small bowl of warm water with a squirt of mild dish soap, soak about 1/2 hour, clean with a soft toothbrush and rinse. If I have something that won't clean up that way on I drop by my friendly jeweler, she uses her machine to clean it for me. I've only had to do that a couple of times.

 

Tarnex is Silver Dip. I'd never ever use it on anything like a nurse's buckle or repousse. It removes all the lowlights and character, makes it look horribly new.

 

Yup - takes all the depth out of a three dimensional design.

 

Me too, I really like it. Then a buff up with a silver cloth

 

Sounds like a product aimed at a very specific demographic (no kitchen, small brain).

There are sites that stock not only the aluminium "Magic Plate" but will also sell you the salt and sodium bicarb, marketed as "activator crystals":

https://www.quicktest.co.uk/acatalog/Magic-plate-plate.html

I came across a similar but slightly more elaborate method that allows me to transmute kitchen foil into a noble metal of my choice. Or at least it will when I get the hang of it.

 

I understand the sentiment with cleaning, but it is just an aesthetic choice and picking what works for the item is most important if you want to get the most profit / sell it quickly. Some of the big silver dealers have lots of stock which is totally clean and looks like new, even in the London Silver Vaults it is like this. I think we can all agree that for 19th and 20th century silver you are not going to get the best price selling it in a blackened tarnished form, so it does need to be cleaned and that has choices based on personal preference and/or your market.

You don't have to strip all the tarnish with silver dip if you don't want to, you can brush it on then plunge into water when you want to stop the effect. It also takes off much less silver than abrasive polishing and you don't risk removing fine detail from prominent points while trying to reduce tarnish in the crevices.

 

This is close to the one I have, I use it daily for my teeth, lol. I have a head to use on jewelry though.
Philips Sonicare HX6876/21 ProtectiveClean 6100 Rechargeable Electric Toothbrush, Pink https://www.amazon.com/dp/B078GPFMQD/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_glt_fabc_6XQD2ZGW6A1YQJ6ZATY1

 

If you follow the Tarn-x dip with a baking soda bath, using it as a sort of polish, it shines like new. And it neutralizes the Tarn-x.

 

Not trying to be argumentative, but if you are careful then it doesn’t. I just cleaned one of my (yes, antique) pins that is sterling, which I normally don’t do with Tarn-x, but I wanted to show y’all that it can be done correctly. This is one of my personal pieces; I wouldn’t donthis with one that I intended to sell.

 

I don't want old silver to look new. it loses all character and definition.