I am a big fan of patina on silver. I adore the look of silver peaking through the the caramelized tarnish. I find it lends a feeling of warmth to an otherwise pretentious piece. But, every 6-8 months my silver get a little too tarnished for even my liking.
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| A silver bowl holds an assortment of gourds on the kitchen table. |
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There are numerous silver polishing methods, like those mentioned here and here, but I've always stuck to the tried and true silver polish. I am quite tempted though to give toothpaste a try next go around.
After a quick shine, the pieces are gleaming again. The freshly polished tea & coffee service are at home in the living room secretary. While the large service tray is displayed on the dining room buffet.
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So what are your thoughts; polished or patina?
Here is a trick I learned from a silver appraiser. Polish smaller, finer pices with your thumb. Yes, your thumb. You can rub off the tarnish on the surface, leaving the darker tarnish in place. A good compromise. I agree that bright shiney silver can feel a bit pretensious but a buffed polish which leaves the darker tarnish is the crevices may be thae happy compromise between the two. All that said, polished is my first choise..
ReplyDeleteAng
I like polished but I don't enjoy polishing my silver every year! I wrote a post a while back about using baking soda and tin foil. It actually works pretty well!
ReplyDelete-Shelley
I prefer the look of polished silver but I don't have the time to polish it monthly. I hope my kiddos will remember fun family dinner and not the tarnished silver! ;)
ReplyDelete