Featured Silver tarnish protection, any ideas?

For got to add, when storing in plastic - wrap item with acid free tissue paper also!
The Micro-crystalline Wax or other waxes like this are used by many museums and are good for NON-FOOD use items.

 

Thank you KC, and welcome to the forum. Looking forward to more of your contributions.

Where we live humidity isn't that much of an issue, and we live in a temperate climate zone. We have hygrometers around the house because of health issues.
Funny, we also use those little silica packets, mostly to prevent rust on my husband's stored loudspeaker units.
I think the biggest tarnish problem around here is air pollution, we live near the centre of town.

I found the information about Paraloid (Acryloid) B72 on several museum sites. Most had experimented with various lacquers/resins, and found this to be the best. And it can be removed if necessary, in case I want to sell. It is cheap and you can buy a small bottle, so I could experiment on cheap silver jewellery and see what happens.

The Renaissance wax I mentioned is micro-crystalline wax, I read it gathers dust. But I agree, in a protected environment it would certainly work. And for non-food use items, as you said. That would apply to keris parts, although it seems not everyone agrees:

(Don't try this at home)

Everyone, thank you so much for your input, so much to research and think about now. There are various options, and I will probably use more than one, depending on the way in which I display a particular group of kerises.

 

AJ
This is an interesting read. They seem to indicate that Agateen a cellulose nitrate product does better than B72 and B48N and that all the previous negatives about cellulose were due to extreme test conditions. They even suggest the coating could last up to 100 years in a museum situation.

http://resources.conservation-us.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/8/2015/02/osg006-04.pdf

Cheers
Stephen

 

Coincidentally, I ran across an ad for Renaissance wax quite by accident yesterday. It was being sold by a company that deals with jeweller's supplies, etc. The cost was so reasonable that I have put it on a future list - for use on a bowl that is only displayed, never used for food.

 

That is certainly interesting Stephen, thank you.
I had discarded agateen as an option because I read about it yellowing, but it is back on the list now.

 

I have a tin of Renaissance Micro Crystalline Wax.
It's great for Silver but has LOTS of other uses and a little goes a long way.
I can recommend highly.

 

What is your experience with dust on Renaissance wax? I've read it is a dust trap.

 

I advise against storing silver in plastic.
Silver that has been wrapped in plastic and left to sit for a long time, tends to blacken. Nearly impossible to polish off unless you have a buffer.

 

Sorry Any, yours and poisonivy's posts weren't showing. didn't mean to interrupt.

 

I don't find that at all, It buffs up beautifully, I've used it on antique Papier Mache, Silver and Gold and more if I think about it. It has SO many uses.
It's marvellous stuff and I wouldn't be without it

 

Thank you, definitely back on the list then. And probably a lot easier to use than the other options.

Cluttered, you were not interrupting, this is a forum after all. And all information is useful.

 

Oh yes definitely get some...
I find if it's heavy tarnish I might have to use my dip but after I finish with the wax and buff the item and it comes right up.
I love it on Ivory and Mother of Pearl and Tortoiseshell too....the uses are endless.

 

Well that settles it, I'm getting some.
I still have the other options if I need them. I've learnt a lot.

 

Good....
One tin will last you ages, you only need a small amount.
Another thing is the smell....not unpleasant, reminds me of some polish my Grandma used to use

 

Is it like furniture polish?

 

Yes a bit, it's white and solid with that polish type of smell.
You can even use it on paper products......
On their website it gives a list of all it's uses.

 

Good to know, I'll have to devise a strategy. Furniture polish smell can set off a porphyria attack, if I'm not very careful. I don't want to faint, or worse, in the middle of application.

 

Oh that's not good then...
Maybe a good dust mask?

 

The smell and chemicals penetrate that.
Probably apply it outside, and then take the object to a room I don't use, leave the window in that room open, and wait until the smell has gone.

 

Where there's a will there's a way