| The earliest civilisations of China,
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| | treated effectively with a proprietary
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| Egypt, Greece and Rome made bronze coins
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| | silver dip. Great care should be taken
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| and statues, ad bronze was later used to
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| | when cleaning the antique with silver
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| cast bells and cannon - the original
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| | dip, especially when the base metal is
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| Victoria Crosses were made from bronze of
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| | exposed. Just a quick in-and-out dip and
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| Russia cannon captured in the Crimean
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| | rinse with clean warm water. Clean any
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| War. It finally became extremely popular
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| | remaining bad spots with a paste of
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| with British and Indian craftsmen in
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| | French chalk and methylated spirits, or
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| Victorian times for casting small
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| | in warm water with a few drops of ammonia
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| statuettes and art objects that today,
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| | added. The older the antique piece is
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| have become rare and sought after
| |
| | the more likely the silver or silver
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| antiques.Bronze ages well and acquires
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| | plate will react to the cleaning process,
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| its own patina in various shades of brown
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| | so care should be taken to apply cleaning
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| or blue-green. It needs no polishing,
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| | agents in small doses.For polishing
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| but wipe it occasionally with a soft, dry
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| | silver antiques it is best to use a long
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| cloth. Corrosion, however, is common.
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| | lasting silver polish, this will save the
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| Bright green spots - sometimes called
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| | piece from continual cleaning and prolong
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| bronze disease - starts in a small area
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| | its life. Scratched antiques can be
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| and spread swiftly like a rash to cover
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| | remedied by rubbing with jewellers' rouge
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| the whole object. Remove the corrosion
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| | or fine crocus powder. Wrapping silver
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| either by scraping carefully with a knife
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| | antiques in tissue paper and placing it
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| or by heavy rubbing with a brass brush.
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| | in a polythene bag will protect and keep
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| Do not use a steel or wire bush, which
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| | it shiny indefinitely.Craftsmen
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| can damage the antique surface and cause
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| | throughout time have also fallen for the
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| the corrosion to reappear later. Swab
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| | shiny allure that gold presents. Antique
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| heavily corroded areas with a 10%
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| | gold jewellery has been found dating as
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| solution of acetic acid solution in
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| | far back as 3000BC in Mesopotamian burial
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| water. If the antique has a broken
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| | hoards. The purity of gold is expressed
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| piece, soft solder it and colour the
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| | in carats. A carat is a 24th part, so
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| shiny solder joint with a bronze-coloured
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| | 22-carat gold contains 22 parts of gold
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| lacquer until it blends in with the
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| | and 2 parts of other hardening metals.
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| adjacent bronze. It is also possible to
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| | This evaluating system is what gives gold
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| use bronze wax gilt, but this is not as
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| | antique pieces its value. Period and
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| durable as lacquer.Silver has been used
| |
| | craftsmen also have a lot to do with the
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| for making jewellery, ornaments and
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| | value of a specific antique piece.Because
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| utensils for at least 5000 years.
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| | of the value of gold, its repair and
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| Valuable antique pieces should be taken
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| | restoration is best left to an expert
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| to a specialist craftsman for repair or
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| | goldsmith. If gold antiques become dull,
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| re-plating. Silver is usually
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| | the shine can be restored by, polishing
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| hard-soldered at the joints, but the
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| | with either a jewellers' rouge or chamois
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| soldering temperature, especially of the
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| | leather. Small items such as rings can
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| surrounding metal and the base metal
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| | be burnished with a piece of polished
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| under silver plate, is crucial. The work
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| | steel, such as a knitting needle, but
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| is tricky and much damage can be caused
| |
| | this method should not be used on
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| to antiques by inexperience.Both silver
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| | engraved metal. Clean gold antiques by
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| and silver plate tarnish and corrode
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| | washing them in warm, soapy water and
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| quickly, especially in coastal areas:
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| | polishing with a soft cloth or chamois
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| salt in the atmosphere causes silver
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| | leather.
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| chloride to form. Corrosion can be
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| |
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