Safely polishing sterling with gold gilding Tiffany 1907-193

Questions on polishing, restoration, conservation + manufacturing techniques
indianaproductions

Safely polishing sterling with gold gilding Tiffany 1907-193

Postby indianaproductions » Sun Jun 15, 2008 4:02 am

Hi!

I recently acquired and art deco tiffany vanity set that was so heavily tarnished it was black. It wasn't until I began to polish it that I realized that parts of it were gold gilded. Yet as a rub away, I am finding sections that are a pinkish orange. Is it possible that some of the gilding was done with a rose gold or is this just part of the deep layers of tarnish? The tarnish is so heavy and pervasive I just can't tell and I don't want to buff off what belongs and with the pattern it is still really hard to tell? Has anyone heard of Tiffany ever doing gildings in rose gold? Any helps would be appreciated. The date is from John C. Moore II "M" Marking 1907-1937
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kerangoumar
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Postby kerangoumar » Fri Jun 20, 2008 3:23 pm

your best approach would be to try a mild product on a spot that is inconspicuous. goddard's is ok but it has jeweller's rouge in it so don't rub hard, don't use a lot, and soap it off after it has dried, then use a lintless linen cloth to dry it carefully (press it onto the silver). if there is a lot of engraving, bright cutting etc. get a can of compressed air, put the long nozzle on it and air dry those spots.

remember NOT to RUB. do not buff. definitely don't do anything more drastic or it will be worthless!
(i personally use cigar ashes - from good cigars, and sieved - and water to make a single cream consistency - more info farther down in this section)

try to post a picture, it sounds interesting
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