How to antique sterling silver.

Sterling silver is a wonderful medium to work with but there are times when we may not want its brilliant shiny finish. I have a few cute little antique silver Christmas charms that I want to make into a charm bracelet, the only hurdle is that my chain and findings are bright silver and I need to add a patina to them to make my design look any good.

There are some commercial chemical solutions you can use but I like to keep away from strong chemicals when possible and found an alternative fun solution to my mini dilemma.

When you are finished you simply wash your metal in a little warm soapy water and buff up if you want a distressed look.

I buffed up the chain and clasp staying clear of the jump rings and love the finish. I know last Christmas is over but at least I am ready well in advance for this years office party!

I was wondering if this method would work on gold filled and gold vermeil (gold plated sterling silver) so decided to try a couple of pieces.

Both darkened dramatically but I think I prefer the gold filled link to the gold vermeil earrings. While they both ended up with a copper colouring, the earrings have quite a rough grainy look and were not so prone to buffing up for me. Maybe a little more experimentation is needed.