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Bad Art
Get Your Forecast
Today's Special
Signed by Artist
Top Quality Fire Agate
Sterling Silver Mounting,
Size 6
Was $149, Now
Only $69.00
No tax, No shipping
This Top Quality Fire Agate has Deep Fire which is not visible in the photo.
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Mission Statement
Ever since man first developed thumbs and a brain he has been trying to depict his surroundings by scratching, drawing, or painting them on any surface available, including himself. For the most part he has done a pretty bad job of it. But a lot of it is so bad that, like a train wreck, you cannot look away.
In recognition of the fact that Bad Art exists and is needed
as light needs dark, to balance the world of art, we will endeavor to fill that need to the best of our ability.
The Bad Art Gallery has begun a collection of original art, art prints, amateur art, outsider art, oil and acrylic paintings, and mixed media to satisfy the needs of all eclectic art admirers.
Dealing With Tarnished Silver
As a silversmith I am constantly dealing with tarnished silver. Something to realize about the properties of silver is that it is photosensitive. In other words, it reacts to light. The brighter the light, the more reactive it is. That is why silver is used in the manufacture of film for cameras and other photographic supplies.
To combat the effect of light on sterling silver many manufacturers of jewelry will plate their sterling with rhodium, a platinum-like metal which does not tarnish. A thin layer of rhodium on the jewelry blocks out the light and imparts a silvery look to your sterling jewelry. But rhodium, like platinum, is very expensive so only a small amount of rhodium is plated onto the silver surface. The rhodium soon wears off and you are left with exposed areas of silver which soon tarnish.
Another little known fact about silver and tarnish is that .925 sterling silver, being .075 parts nickel, tarnishes faster than .999 pure silver. The addition of nickel to the silver alloy known as 'sterling' makes it even more reactive to light, but much more usable as jewelry and silverware because the sterling silver is now harder and keeps it's shape much better than the softer .999 silver.
Sterling silver with a small amount of tarnish can be cleaned quickly simply by wiping with a soft cloth. Tougher jobs are best tackled using a half and half mixture of household ammonia and water. The ammonia with detergent works best and a soft bristled tooth brush will get into recesses. Soak the silver in the ammonia for 5 minutes then brush until clean and rinse with copious amounts of water. For extra tough jobs use a stronger mixture of ammonia to water.
Once your silver is shiny and clean, when you are not wearing it keep it in a dark place like a jewelry box. Silverware should be wrapped in a soft cloth and kept in a box for lengthy periods of storage.
Things NOT to use on silver include bleach, household cleaners like 409, Scotchbrite pads and steel wool. These products will either scratch your jewelry or turn it black. Once blackened by harsh chemicals the tarnish is nearly impossible to remove by anyone other than a jeweler.
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Jewelry Anarchist Pages
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Haitian Art
Rx 4 Nails, Stronger, Healthier Nails, Guaranteed
Today's Special
Signed by Artist
Top Quality Fire Agate Pendant
Reticulated Sterling Silver
Was $160, Now
Only $79
No tax, No shipping
This Top Quality Fire Agate Pendant is 1.5" x .80"
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