I so discouraged I may just quit.

A couple of days ago I went my the shop where I sell my jewelry. As I was putting out some new items and I noticed to my horror that my necklaces with silver plated brass beads were now only BRASS! Yes, I know y'all warned me about using silver plated beads, but I never expected them to turn so quickly. To make matters works, one necklaces in which I used "sterling silver beads" in was also BRASSED!!!! And I _know_ they were labeled as sterling!

I've pulled everything that used the plated beads, then I noticed all my earrings were brassing too!

I started inventorying all my silver plated beads and figured I could sell them as a huge lot on ebay. I'm only half way finished but my gosh I have alot of those things. I must have more than 20,000 beads, clasps and finding.

Then today I started looking at the current ebay bead auctions and it doesn't look like anything is selling.

So now I'm stuck with a bunch of trashy necklaces and earrings and a ton of worthless beads! :-(

-m.

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Reply to
chaddock
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That seems strange to me. Sterling silver and silver plate should tarnish to a grey/black not turn brass colored.

Reply to
C Ryman

I've got some sterling that does turn kind of gold-ish, and I know it's sterling. I'm guessing it's from the copper in the sterling and the reaction to the humid florida air.

Barbara

Bead & Polymer Clay Habitué

There is a very fine line between a hobby and mental illness. (Dave Barry)

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That seems strange to me. Sterling silver and silver plate should tarnish

Reply to
Barbara Forbes-Lyons

I've noticed that many times my sterling silver turns a brassy goldish color before it tarnishes completely, so maybe that is what's happening. I bought some tarnish cream from FM and use that on soft cloth or charged on a polishing tip on my dremel. The polish cream cleans the tarnish off, and leaves a residue behind that helps to keep the silver from tarnishing.

Sterling

Reply to
Sterling

Try a polishing cloth! Some of my sterling has turned goldish, too. It's also very humid here in Ga.

Reply to
Beadbimbo

Glad you all came up with what seems to be the right answer. I have both silverplate and sterling silver here in Toronto, but we are just starting to warm up temperature wise and none of mine has changed. Humidity and chemicals in the air were my first thought, but I am not all that knowledgeable compared to you folks.

Only one lot of my silverplate beads ever went 'brassy' on me and a quick polish with one of those special cloths did the trick. The sterling doesn't ever change colour. I often use silver plate due to my

*frugal Scottish background* and the fact that what I am making is just for me, so can be upgraded if needed. I will have to take your advice and use the good stuff on things I sell. 8-))

I have a question about a pair of sterling hoop earrings I bought......my earlobes start burning in 30 seconds, yet I can wear really cheap ear wires. Could it be that there is *nickel* in the ear wires?? I remember a sterling ring doing the same thing to me about 25 years ago. Guess it is hard to know what is in the other 7% of sterling. But I am rather allergic to a lot of things, so if I can figure out what it is, I will add it to the list. (G)

Cheers....Heather on the first humid day of 2008 in Toronto!!

Reply to
Heather

Heather,

Did you clean the ear wires with alcohol really well before you wore them?

In one of my wire classes, our instructor told us that the wire is coated with something when they make it, and it's very acidic. I've (stupidly) put on an earring I was working on before, because I was dying to see how itlooked and didn't take the time to clean it. My ear was sore and irritated for a good week.

As long as I clean the wire well before I wear it, it's fine.

Reply to
Beadbimbo

Well.. I know it sounds silly now (after reading all the responses), but when I saw the goldish color, I assumed it was the brass from the "silver plated brass". Obviously I haven't spent much time with precious metals. :-)

-m.

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Reply to
chaddock

Hi Jerry.....

No, never thought of it. Bought them at Sears and they were their own brand I believe. Spoke to them last week and they suggested clear nail polish, but will try your alcohol method first. It clicked because I have *high acid body content* for lack of a better word. I can turn cheap jewellery to tin in a week or less.

Btw....Elayne (daughter) bought a 9 month old dog from a *fostering place* and it is half Shih Tzu and half "Havanese"....which turns out to be a small Cuban dog, indigenous to that country and brought over by the Spanish in the 1700's. She is madly in love with him (Rufus) and the vet said he was in A-1 shape and had a marvellous disposition.

Thanks.....Heather

Reply to
Heather

Hi Jerry.....

No, never thought of it. Bought them at Sears and they were their own brand I believe. Spoke to them last week and they suggested clear nail polish, but will try your alcohol method first. It clicked because I have *high acid body content* for lack of a better word. I can turn cheap jewellery to tin in a week or less.

Btw....Elayne (daughter) bought a 9 month old dog from a *fostering place* and it is half Shih Tzu and half "Havanese"....which turns out to be a small Cuban dog, indigenous to that country and brought over by the Spanish in the 1700's. She is madly in love with him (Rufus) and the vet said he was in A-1 shape and had a marvellous disposition.

Thanks.....Heather

Reply to
Heather

It must be something other than humidity causing the discoloration. Abilene is definitely _not_ humid. Whatever the cause, I'm so relieved! After this scare, I will not use silver plating again and I'll most likely sell my collection on ebay. I figure, even if I only get a little bit for them, it's better than tossing them in the trash. Of course.. I'm going to keep my jump rings and pins for experimenting and practice.

-m.

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Reply to
chaddock

Sorry for the duplication.....OE is acting up....

Reply to
Heather

Heather,

the really cheap ear wires (I personally love 'em) are surgical steel and commonly labeled as hypo-allergenic.

Maren, in Hilo, HI, where it's rather warm, usually humid (>70% RH), and with a lot of sulfur in the air. HiloBeads: Beads - Beading Supplies - Hand-made Jewelry

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Reply to
Maren at google

Thanks Maren.....I normally wear 10 karat gold hoops and have for years.....same 2 pair, lol. Because a lot of the jewellery I make is silver, I bought these. Think I will look for the ones with surgical steel wires.

I was just telling my husband today that where you live has a lot of stuff in the air from the volcanoes I assume. Does it have a bad effect on silver or gold?

Heather in Toronto, Ontario.

Reply to
Heather

I usually wear the same pair of platinum diamond studs since DH gave them to me. When I wear some of my own, which I usually do, I wear 2 pairs of earrings in the same hole.

It does on copper, and on your health. I haven't really noticed bad effects on silver or gold, but it may explain why the lobster claw clasps I thought were silver color are now a light gold color.

Yes, the bad stuff is from Kilauea Volcano that is currently erupting in

2 places. One for about 25 years, the other (summit crater) one only since earlier this year.

Maren HiloBeads: Beads - Beading Supplies - Hand-made Jewelry

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Reply to
Maren at google

Every once in a while someone will get me silver plate. I save all my oddballs, silver plate, stuff that I'm given, etc, and even rocks, that is not up to my standards and send it to a teacher I know out in the Bush. The kids get to see different things, and it's only $10 for the flat rate box (even if I fill it with 50 lbs of nails, as some contractors do).

Tina

Reply to
Christina Peterson

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