How to make shiny jewelry looks matte

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Original Post

fleamarketbee says

Hi,
I just bought a vintage necklace but it still looks too shiny to me. How do I make it matte or less shiny?
I know with silver jewelry you can use sulphur or egg yolk. I am not sure with other material...
Thanks!

Posted at 1:16pm Feb 23, 2010 EST

Responses

ElanaNiri says

Do you want it dark, like a patina, or do you want it matte, like a satin finish? If it's brass, copper, silver, or nickel silver, you can use LOS to patinate the metal. If you just want a brushed finish, you can use some steel wool to give a more matte finish. Small wire brushes are also available for a flex shaft machine, but you can use them in a pin vise. I like crimped brass brushes for a soft scratch finish. Good luck!

Posted at 1:21pm Feb 23, 2010 EST

GoblinsMarket says

If it is glass, you could use some glass etch cream. That would be a permanent change to the beads - it would etch them so that they are matte instead of shiny.

If it is brass, you can seal it up in a container with a little bit of household ammonia and that will cause the metal to darken. Be careful with anything plated, though. Some of that vintage stuff has very shiny plating that is fairly stable until it gets scratched off. then it just looks like crap.

Posted at 1:23pm Feb 23, 2010 EST

fleamarketbee says

Hi,
I want a satin finish. I am not sure about the material. I don't think it's copper/brass/silver.
Where can i buy steel wool or brass brushes?

Anyway, this is how my necklace looks like:
ny-image3.etsy.com/il_430xN.115830499.jpg

Posted at 1:26pm Feb 23, 2010 EST

iheartmies says

you can buy steel wool at the grocery or hardware store

Posted at 6:29pm Feb 23, 2010 EST

BotanicalBead says

Good info, thanks. I also use vinegar fumes.

Posted at 6:39pm Feb 23, 2010 EST

brightsmith says

I wouldn't take steel wool to that. If it's plated (which it probably is), the plating will rub off and it will look like it was left in the driveway and run over by a car rather than naturally aged.

I would recommend the apple cider vinegar method of tarnishing brass, as described by simarhra near the bottom of this page (wash the piece thoroughly first):

www.etsy.com/forums_thread.php?thread_id=5179278

It's the least destructive thing you can do to the piece, so if it doesn't turn out to be brass, you won't have irreversibly damaged it in some way.

Posted at 6:53pm Feb 23, 2010 EST

BotanicalBead says

Thanks brightsmith, I followed your link to more methods in that link.

Posted at 11:42pm Feb 24, 2010 EST

JeweledAmbrosia says

I sometimes use the ammonia method... works great, here's a post with lots of different ways to oxidize a piece

littlelovables.blogspot.com/2008/08/creating-patina.html

Posted at 12:04am Feb 25, 2010 EST

TheKnightErrant says

marking - I know I'll need these links!

Posted at 2:41am Feb 25, 2010 EST