Hello,
I searched some but perhaps because of my less than stellar search abilities could not find a discussion or reconsideration for the following:
Is there a particular glove that you find superior for handling gemstones / diamonds particularly if set.
related: Is there a particular anti tarnish system / material that you find superior for storing jewelry [ as is appreciated, a main tarnish risk material being silver and less so but not zero , other materials.]
Thank you,
Andrew
Andrew,
Welcome to the community!
I prefer the microfiber woven gloves from : MIcrofiber Jewelry-Handing Glove - RioGrande (There are other vendors but these have never failed me)
They rarely get caught on the findings and other projections on the stone settings. The regular cotton inspection gloves have coarse weave and almost always snag on the jewelry. They are ok for handling loose stones but I am not really a fan of using them for that.
As for anti-tarnish, the best option is to clean the jewelry after wearing or presentation to customer, so the oils and acidic materials from the body contact do not remain on the piece. There is not much else that can be done. Humidity will always be problematic. Placing desiccant beads/packets in long term storage bags, especially if porous stones like opal are set in the jewelry is definitely not recommended.
Hope that helps!
Cheers!
Troy
Hello Troy,
Thank you for the welcome and suggestions. A Prior just looking at web mages of the cotton gloves they looks clunky for handling gemstones and jewelry. Getting snagged, bad enough, but using these cotton gloves looks like a “set-up” for doping the item. So I will try try your suggestion for sure.
As to the anti - tarnish [ sorry I was not as articulate as i should have been]. I am looking for a good solution to prevent tarnish from forming with [ in particular silver] the longer term storage of tarnish pron materials. e.g. it is my understanding that gold has some propensity to tarnish but mot much.
In theory, once a piece of jewelry is done and imaged it is not touched again until purchased.
So if you - anyone=- have any suggests about an anti-tarnish product that can be used in conjuration with good storage practices [ I think one’s 1st line of defense] that would be great.
Thank you,
Andrew
]
Andrew,
Sorry, not sure what else could be applied to the articles, as anti-tarnish except for some polishing/buffing compounds that are wax based and can seal the metal. I have used Red Rouge and Green buffing compound on most of my works, especially on .925 Sterling. I attempt to do the polishing/buffing of the metal prior to mounting the stones… or avoid working the compounds on or near the gems. That way, there is no “additional” treatments applied to the gemstones after they have been returned from appraisal or the gemological lab.
For example, below is a pendant I made 20 years ago (2004). I wear this occasionally. Rarely, do I have to clean it. It does not tarnish. It is constructed of two sterling sheets soldered together to build the reticulated pattern. I used the red rouge and green buffing compounds from RioGrande to finish it. The pendant is 40mm across, has a 4mm round Lapis Lazuli stone that I cabbed, and 22ga. 14k gold square wire to shape the hieroglyph styled form.
There is some greenish tint seen in several locations on the surface, but that is because I was wearing a green shirt when I took the picture, and it was being reflected off the silver.
There are a few things to consider with this piece… it was easy to polish and buffer since it isn’t very delicate. So, there are some limitations on using these compounds based on how delicate your articles are.
Secondly, to generate the reticulation, the silver is heated to form melt on the surface. This causes some leaching of the alloy metals found in .925 sterling, primarily the copper. The wrinkles are formed when the surface solidifies at a different temperature than the underlaying material, since the surface becomes more “pure” than .925.
Hope this helps.
-Troy
Hello Troy,
Yes helps. Especially the details that you articulated. I will take a look at the products you mentioned in this post as well. Given that there are no gemstone properties to factor in there is a fair amount [ as you mention] one can do to deter tarnish formation. And [ a rarity] inexpensively do.
What I am also wondering about is what experiences people have had with anti- tarnish strips and if so which brands seem to work the best or significantly help. If they do help then it seems like a nice “extra” to give the customer.
Likewise is there a storage system / product that helps prevent tarnish for storing inventory. For example here:
Where my understanding is that the high concentration of positive ions attracts the low concentration of negative charged tarnish “reactants”. [ I hesitate to indicate an inorganic bond forms ] thus one “shields” the silver - by having a large concentration of positive charges [ and high probability of] attracting a low concentration of “reactants” .
A link for a number of anti- tarnish products that I believe use the same concept:
Insights appreciated.
Thank you,
Andrew
Hi Andrew,
Thanks for the follow up information.
Yes, the pouches/bags have a fundamental benefit of keeping articles separate from each other when stored, which offers abrasive protection and physical separation of the materials with the focus of avoiding galvanic interaction.
Whether claims of functionality is based on assumptive observation or science is where I have normally drawn a line. Anti-tarnish efforts has a huge spectrum of probable causes. One product cannot offer 100% defense against all.
This is the first company that is offering these anti-tarnish products with posted test results based on industry test standards/methods.
I am impressed! My day job rarely crosses paths into the jewelry industry… but this is definitely an interesting one. 
I cannot provide an argument against offering or providing these items with your product to your customers. These are being offered from RioGrande as well. They do not offer sub-standard materials, so there is another point of reference. Rio has been for many years my one-stop shop for supplies and equipment.
Cheers!
Troy
Hello Troy,
Yes, I think we are aligned here. But I think ? the following parallel is reasonably valid. Often enough, the standardized test Benchmark results of a computer component will be posted, and then soon to follow, the caveat “real world” experiences.
So perhaps others will offer their thoughts / experiences as we move through 2024. I recall seeing a manuscript on this topic from 1900 or so.
Thank you,
Andrew
I use the velveteen pouches and also velveteen jewelry boxes that have velveteen inside on the bottom and satin in the top for my finished products. The velveteen pouches really do a good job preventing tarnish on sterling silver. I also use anti-tarnish paper strips or squares inside plastic baggies made for jewelry parts to store the individual components before making them. They are also safe with the Gemstones and Pearls I use. I purchase all of these anti tarnish items from Fire Mountain Gems & Beads.
both rio grande and fire mountain gems have a long history of providing quality products. That is particularly true of rio grande which supplies materials to jewelers. I don’t think that there really is anything that is “magic” that will prevent tarnish form developing under all circumstances. There was another thread on the ganoksin/orchid sister website for jewelers addressing this same problem. The exact ingredients in Intercept products aren’t listed as they are proprietary… the OSHA safety data sheet says that it contains liquified gaseous sweetened petroleum products. No further data listed as the composition is a trade secret… as such it would produce a reducing environment. Scavengers for sulfur would also have to be present for it to work… petroleum products are “sweetened” by the addition of hydrogen sulfide scavengers.
In the ganoksin/orchid posts, some astute jewelers noticed that keeping silver enclosed in an airtight box reduced the amount of tarnish, Exposure to moisture and atmospheric air produced a light golden tarnish on sterling… It was also noted that exposure to reduced sulfur containing materials such as hardboiled egg yolk caused black tarnish to develop quickly. The explanation for atmospheric air causing tarnish is the presence of sulfur dioxide in trace amounts. In air, hydrogen sulfide which is both highly toxic and detectable by the human nose in trace quantities below the toxicity threshold, will tarnish silver quickly. H2S is quickly oxidized to S02, then S04 in air… S04 does not cause tarnish but is acid and can cause corrosion. sulfur dioxide also causes tarnish… In short, these products should work but will not cover all circumstances. Organic skin oils and reduced organic sulfur compounds will still tarnish silver, if not cleaned after being shown and worn…
agree!
Hello Lottied,
Quite Interesting, about the use of velveteen. I checked the Fire Mountain Gems & Beads web site and see a number pf products as you describe for anti- tarnish. Would you please post some of the specific products that you use ? I did not see any velveteen products that indicated their having an ant-tarnish attribute / property.
Thank you,
Andrew
Hi Andrew,
It’s been a while since I bought the anti-tarnish paper, and it looks like they changed their stock on that. What I used before was white paper that was cut in 1/2"x3/4" squares. I guess now you would cut the 7"X2" into whatever size you want.
I use this velvet pouch :
Pouch, velvet, black, 4-1/2 x 4 inches with drawstring. Sold per pkg of 12. - Fire Mountain Gems and Beads
and this velvet jewelry box:
Box, bracelet / rosary, velvet / satin / steel, black and white, 4 x 3-1/4 x 1-3/8 inches. Sold individually. - Fire Mountain Gems and Beads
It might not say tarnish resistant, but velvet or velveteen in general is.
Hello Lottied,
Thank you for the links and the insight about velveteen. I wonder why velveteen has this property? I will look around some and see if I can find some information in this regard - post it to this thread if so,
Thank you,
Andrew
I buy anti-tarnish cloth by the yard. I store my silver in velvet lined trays and cover with the anti-tarnish cloth (cut to fit)….works perfectly.
Welcome, Mary, nice to have you in the group.
From back at least to my grandparents’ days, they stored their silver eating utensils in velvet lined boxes made especially for preventing tarnish.
Sunlight and air are the main causes of tarnish on silver. I also store small silver parts in clear resealable bags with a small piece anti-tarnish paper. I put them in a parts cabinet away from sunlight.
Lottie
Yes, my understanding : “air” [ 80% nitrogen / 20% oxygen + tarnish causing molecules] and advise to store in dark [light free] environment [so perhaps a valid inference is that light [photon] energy is used for the tarnish causing reaction to occur.] Likewise, I have seen advise to store silver in a dry environment / low humidity thus water free [ and again infer, + what other tarnish causing molecules might be in the water. e.g. as I recall, “acid rain” caused by auto exhaust before lead was removed from gasoline was sufficient to change the ph of bodies of water like mountain lakes enough so that it effected that ecosystem adversely.].
So air tight [or as close as one can get] storage + dry + dark and one is well on their way to taking good storage steps to prevent silver tarnish.
Andrew,
Just curious, what duration of storage time are you anticipating for the product?
If you are only storing metal parts, my suggestion would be to use a dry nitrogen purge in the storage container. Essentially creating a reduced atmosphere by evicting (reducing) the moisture and oxygen from the storage volume. This would also flush out the other particulate (CFC’s, sulfides, etc.).
The only drawback to this is if any organic gem is present…
A purge station can be setup fairly quickly and is cheap.
Hello Troy,
This a great question. But let us [ hope you do not mind] re-frame the question as a strategic one as well. Gold prices [ I do not know today’s spot price] briefly reached an all time high last week. It is my understanding that gold is less tarnish prone then silver but not impervious to it.
Given a particular precious metal, that is prone to tarnish, and if you consider it like a “futures market” purchase where the price may go up over time, taking all into consideration, you likely at least break even, making a purchase now, with the intent to have a portion of the metal in your possession for up to [ let us say] three or even five years.However, you hope to have sold the precious metal in the form of a [ and or part of a] tangible good [jewelry] within a year [ given a good market].
Let us say the outer time frame is five years, three years is possible and up to one year ideal.
If a practical / cost effective storage system could be fashioned that would be protective for up to five years then that would be ideal, but three years pretty good and a shorter time frame then three years- then this is the reality.
I hope this makes sense ? and answers your question.
Thank you,
Andrew
Hi Andrew,
Thanks, it does answer the question. Making the nitrogen purge setup an even more economical option for long term storage. I’m not sure if the anti-tarnish products (strips / bags) have a shelf-life.
Nitrogen does not…
Cheers!
Troy
