Before – After Photo – Cleaning a Silver Ring using Electrolysis

The Silver Ring after Electrolysis Cleaning

The other day I wrote a post on finding a Silver Ring ( <- original post) which had been in a Lake with extremely high Salinity and I promised that I would give the ring a good clean and post some before and after photos.

Well I have finally got my act together and taken the photo of the ring after being cleaned.

I mentioned in the original post that I would give the Tumbling machine a workout via cleaning the ring, well I tried that, and it took too long, so I decided that I would clean the ring using my favourite method, and that is the Electrolysis Method.

It is extremely risky when using this method to clean coins, I would not recommend you clean old copper coins with this method, as I have ruined a few by doing it. However it is perfect for cleaning Silver Rings and Silver Coins, basically anything silver, but it is to be used at your own risk.

Silver Ring - Before and After Cleaning using Electrolsis

To get your silver coins and rings nice and clean, basically this is what I use:

•  
  • 12 Volt Car Battery Charger
  • 2 Table Spoons of Salt
  • 2 Cups of hot or cold water
  • Few squirts or squeezes of lemon juice
  • 1 old stainless steel teaspoon (you will never use it again)

1.Place the tablespoons of Salt in a glass or ceramic dish

2. Pour the hot or cold water over the Salt in the dish

3. Ensuring the Battery Recharger is Turned Off attach the Negative Alligator Clip to the Coin or the Ring, place in the water, emmersing all of the ring or the coin.

4. Ensuring the Battery Recharger is Turned Off attach the Positive Alligator Clip to the Stainless Steel Spoon, place the spoon in the water, ensuring that neither of the Alligator Clips touch the opposite clip, or that the ring does not touch the spoon. Dangerous Sparkies!

5. Turn the power on, and then the water surrounding coin or the ring will start bubbling or foaming, there is no real time limit, sometimes it is quick and sometimes it takes a while, however you will notice alot of dirt and grit coming off the coin or the ring and the water will turn a dark brown colour.

6. When your ready, turn the power off and examine the ring or the coin, wash under some water and clean with your fingers or a soft toothbrush under the running water, and then start over again when ready, by adding new water and bicarbonate soda.

7. You will also notice that sometimes your Stainless Steel spoon will actually dissolve, that’s normal, so make sure you use a spoon that you are not attached to.

8. Give the coins or ring a good clean after using a soft polishing clother and some Silvo, or Goddards Cleaning Cream or another good Silver Cleaning product.

Start of the Electrolsyis Cleaning of the Silver Ring

End of the Electrolsyis Cleaning of the Silver Ring

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