How to remove tarnish from silver without losing any of the silver

Tarnish occurs because surface molecules of the silver react with sulphur from the air, or certain foodstuffs such as eggs, to form a compound called silver sulphide. So when you polish it off, you are actually removing some of the silver. For silver plated items, this means that with repeated polishing over many years there is a danger of wearing completely through the plating and exposing the base metal. The only solution then is to have the item re-plated.

So a better idea is to remove the tarnish by converting the silver sulphide back into silver. This is quite easy to do and doesn't require any sophisticated equipment.  You will just need a bowl large enough to allow the silver item to be completely submerged, some hot water, some aluminium foil and some baking soda.

Line the bottom of the bowl with aluminium foil and put in the silver item, making sure it is in contact with the foil. Boil enough water to immerse the item and pour it over. Sprinkle the baking soda into the water, using about 1 tablespoon for each pint of water. It will froth and foam and may spill over the top of the bowl, so best do this in the sink. Straightaway, you should see the tarnish begin to disappear. For lightly tarnished items, it should all be gone in a few minutes. For heavily tarnished items, you may need to re-heat the water when it has started to cool and repeat the treatment.

<b>So how does it work?</b>

Well, it is an electrochemical reaction. In the hot water and baking soda solution a small electric current is generated between the touching aluminium and silver. The electric current causes a chemical reaction between the aluminium and the sulphur because aluminium has a greater affinity with sulphur than silver has. The sulphur in the tarnish is attracted into the solution and towards the aluminium, leaving the silver behind, where it belongs. The reaction happens faster when the solution is hot. The compound formed when aluminium and sulphur react is called aluminium sulphide and that's what you will find floating in the bottom of the bowl or stuck to the foil when you are finished. And your silver will be bright and shiny.

Christmas - The Broken Tradition That Left Families Smiling

The jolly festive season is upon us once again, Christmas a time for happiness/ turkey/mulled wine and crackers. These are just some of the traditions that are upheld at this time of year by people who on Christmas day celebrate the birth of our Lord.
Following this big day we then have the task of putting into force our new year's resolutions just so we can break them, just another tradition where vows and promises are made.
Traditions are there for the benefit of remembrance, you have the person that abides by the
rules and then you have others that intend to do things a little different.
Whoever or whatever sort of person you are tradition is tradition.

By replacing turkey with a plate of pig's trotters on the Christmas menu is another Christmas tradition broken. Remember to be extra careful who you invite on the day for dinner if porky's feet are dish of the day.

A Christmas idea

A fantastic way to keep family togetherness for ever for generations to come when bearing gifts to loved ones is to give each member an identical piece of jewellery symbolizing unity. It is a fabulous way of bonding and proving to the world that blood is thicker than water

Let us go back in time where Scottish tartan denoted the clan you belonged too. Cherokee indians/apaches etc expressed their tribal identities by headwear or other colourful symbols. So why not bring your tribe/clan together with there own identities in the form of a piece of gold or silver.

Make your new year's resolution today and go in search of the symbol that will be recognized and passed down to future generations, by doing this another tradition is broken, but if it brings happiness, what the heck.

Unison prevails in the form of your own jewellery trade mark where your chosen symbol ring/chain sends a message to the world that this family would proudly like to say, united we stand.

Jewellery gifts can be made extra special by designing your own. Jewellers can take your ideas and work miracles with them as in putting you and your family on the map with your own trademark. Be sure to check out this amazing site www.blingblingjewelrystore.com.

Ho ho ho
Merry Christmas