Posted 11 years ago
antiquariu…
(136 items)
Here are two newer micromosaic pieces that I brought back from Italy. They have more modern rotating pin clasps on the back. They are stamped Italy and are set in brass. The blue is actually almost a black navy - much darker than in the photos. They have twisted brass decoration around the outside. Which is where the problem is.....there is green corrosion happening there!!! :0 None of my other pieces, stored in the same jewelry box, have any corrosion - whether they are old or new. But these two have quite a bit of it and it was not there when I brought them back. They have not been examined for some time.......I have pieces with them that are also brass and have been in the box for 30 or more years with no corrosion on them. I tried a soft toothbrush, hoping it might come off if it was loose - no dice! Now I need to clean these things up, and hopefully prevent any more from happening. You can see it around the edge in the pics. I have looked on the net and found lots of ideas on how to clean the tiles, but nothing about corrosion on the brass setting. Can anyone give me advice on this please?
Thanks valentino97 and mustangtony for the comments - I have already put them in "quarantine" in a sealed bag by themselves and I am off the the hardware store first thing to see if I can get the brass bristled wire brush. My partner (the clocksmith) says it might be because there are two different types of metal which are reacting with each other - brass and something else gold toned. They both came from the same maker and are made the same way, although the tile designs are a little different.
You can clean them with a little bit water softed old toothbrush with for example a very bit Simichrome. The green is oxidation from the copper. You can also clean the mosaics with only a sodt wedded toothbrush. After this dry it with a soft towel.
But this oxidation will appear again, just as the darkening of silver.
Thanks valentino97 and Agram.m for your helpful suggestions. I live right by the ocean so there is more salt in the air here and this causes silver, for example, to darken faster than elsewhere and may be why my micromosaics are corroding and not yours valentino97. I have them in little plastic zip-lock bags - is this a bad idea? What should I keep them in?
Great news - I got the guk off! Brush did not work. But simichrome on a soft toothbrus did! It says it has anticorrosive properties on it so hopefully the cleaned brooches will keep looking great through this shop season - then they are someone else's problem! Thanks Agram.m for the great suggestion! And watch those newer micromosaics for corrosion all you mosaic lovers, esp if you live by the ocean!