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