Do you polish vintage sterling silver jewelry to list?

vintagemoonbeams · Posts: 1002

Do you recommend polishing antique and vintage sterling silver jewelry before listing it? Some folks say "don't meddle with the metal", and advise not polishing, leaving it up to the buyer to polish. What do you think?

Have a wonderful week!

VintageMoonbeams

acread · moderator Posts: 11986

Isn't the patina part of the value of the antique metal stuff like silver and brass etc?

jjseuts · Posts: 1153

Please NOoooooo!

The patina is what is liked the most on vintage silver jewelry.

I collect vintage bangles and wear over 200 at one time!

Sometimes the dark patina may hide hallmarks, damage, wear, etc. but if at all possible try not to polish. Sell darkened.

I bought a bangle once (it was shown with dark patina in the photos). The seller sent it to me all shiny & new looking! I was Fuuuurrrious! I didn't tell him tho'.

Sorry to be so talkative.

MaggietheCatsMeows · Posts: 2853

There is near antique vintage and relatively recent vintage. Generally I clean the latter and leave the near antique alone. Quite often I can't even tell if a piece is sterling, plate or Alpaca if I don't clean it enough to read the marks. Since those marks determine the price, it is important I see them and can show them in photos to the buyer.

I would not buy silver jewelry from the internet unless I can see the hallmarks. Too many buyers don't know one from the other. You'd be surprised how many supposedly knowledgable sellers list Alpaca as Mexican 925 sterling silver and it doesn't have a drop of silver in it.

One metal I never clean is copper. I will wash the pieces in jewelry wash but not use metal cleaners on them.

nothingnew · Posts: 958

Only if you want to wash the money away! If a silver piece is contemporary I might clean it. But old stuff is better with the pitina on it!

vintagemoonbeams · Posts: 1002

Thanks for the comments! I spoke with my friend who is an expert in Indian items/artifacts and who trades and deals in Native American items. He believes that you should not touch vintage Indian silver items with polish at all. He said that his customers prefer the darkened patina. I am getting ready to list some pairs of Zuni inlay sterling silver earrings that are darkened, and I will try to get a photo of the artist mark without polishing them. I just washed them with a little dish soap and hot water, and will go with that.

I did gently polish the sterling silver cuff bracelets that I listed a couple of days ago. They were not very darkened, so they had probably been polished by someone already. I personally think they look much prettier for wearing after the gentle polishing. If I were a buyer, I would polish them before wearing. However, I am glad that I asked this question, for future reference. The Zuni earrings that I will list may be a little older than the Navajo and Taxco bracelets that I polished, and I am glad I waited to polish the earrings, leaving that decision up to the buyer.

Do others have opinions on this question?

Thanks for your helpful comments!

Enjoy your afternoon!

VintageMoonbeams

TyreeTrading · Posts: 1608

I would not polish. I would agree with gentle washing in dish detergent. I had a couple of 'silver' items I sold ages ago and mentioned in the ad I had not cleaned them, they were exactly as I found them.

Years ago the local jewelry store told the 'church ladies' they should polish the silver only twice a year and the rest of the time wash it in warm water with a little dish detergent. Over polishing can harm silver.

everlastingvintage · Posts: 116

No, No, No...Leave The Patina On The Jewelry Smile

People Seem To Love It In That Condition.
Mention That In The Description and Also
State They Can Clean If They Wish To, You Don't Clean Any Items.
Hope This Was Helpful.

thelivesandlovesofmaggiethecat · Posts: 10159

Valuable silver items that are insured are weighed regularly as part of their valuation as even the gentlest silver cleaner removes a bit of the silver.

I do think however that silver jewelry that is only 20-30 years old can benefit from a silver cleaner. Take a pair of modern style sterling silver earrings from Mexico with flat plain surfaces for example. They will tarnish unevenly and not only look awful in a photograph but will look like they are plate that is wearing away.

heartofvirginiaantiques · Posts: 156

Thanks for this thread--silver is one of the *many* things I know absolutely nothing about, I always enjoy learning new stuff!

vintagemoonbeams · Posts: 1002

Ok - I have a nice size pair of Taxco Mexico heart shaped earrings in sterling silver with silver balls/beads around the outer. The artist mark is TJ-75, which my research says would be after 1979. The patina is pretty darkened, but the mark is visible and I think I will be able to photograph it?

Maggiethecat said "I do think however that silver jewelry that is only 20-30 years old can benefit from a silver cleaner. Take a pair of modern style sterling silver earrings from Mexico with flat plain surfaces for example. They will tarnish unevenly and not only look awful in a photograph but will look like they are plate that is wearing away."

They kind of fit into what Maggiethecat is discussing, and will probably look unevenly tarnished in the photos. However, I think most folks are saying don't polish ANY vintage silver jewelry? So what do you all think - polish them or not polish them to list on the shop?

Thanks for your help!

Have a great weekend!

VintageMoonbeams

MaggietheCatsMeows · Posts: 2853

I clean all Mexican silver that has the town and number mark. Some really old Mexican pieces I wouldn't because they are being purchased by collectors of antique Mexican jewelry. I've never come across such a piece.

There is collectible artisan silver jewelry and silver to wear regularly and I for one do not wear tarnished silver jewelry. Nor would I buy it on line because I wouldn't know what I was getting. In a shop with my magnifiying glass, I can make a better judgment call.

If you are an antique jewelry dealer and have an established reputation as such you can make a statement and be believed but....and I am not casting any aspersions on anyone here, if you have a store online and you sell a few used DVDs, used kids clothes, unused wedding gifts that have been in your closet 20 years and the odd piece of silver jewelry you picked up at a garage sale, you'd better clean it up, and take lots of identifying photos.

While on the subject of silver jewelry, I have a bracelet that is old, marked Mexico Sterling, and is extremely heavy. It is a large bracelet with links about 2 inches wide. The thing is that I don't think it is 925 sterling. It just doesn't feel like solid silver. Maybe I've just never handled a silver piece that heavy before.

Is there any way other than doing an acid test to find out. This has had a gold wash and from my reading the wash will skewer the result anyway. If silver it is worth a lot of money. If not, I don't want to advertise it as silver and that is the only mark it has.

momsretro · Posts: 845

I think it depends on the style, but in general I don't clean the patina off jewelry.

Although I have a few older pieces to list I am thinking of partially cleaning; just to show some of the shine. If the buyer want's to clean it the whole way, that's up to them.

IncredibleClutter · Posts: 164

This is stuff I learned from the pros:

There's a difference between crud and oxidation and patina.

Patina is the "glow" silver acquires as it ages. This is from all the minute scratches and just wear in general.

Oxidation is tarnish - the black that builds up on the sterling over time, especially in the nooks and crannies and crevices. Most collectors of sterling pieces prefer the oxidation is left in all those nooks, etc.

Crud is build-up of body oils, make-up, hairspray, whatever. Not only do buyers not want crud, it can actually skew the weight.

It's OKAY to go over pieces with a soft dry cloth and in fact, it should be done. Tarnish can damage silver. Tarnish can hide crud, which collectors do not like. Tarnish can hide important markings that can drastically change the value of a piece.

Don't try to get it all sparkly and new-looking, just gently go over the surfaces and high points. I keep the sleeves of old worn-out t-shirts for this. I'd leave the washing to the buyer.

KatKrater · Posts: 9

Couldn't have said it better than IncredibleClutter. That's what I do.