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Question
Hi I am an avid jewelery collector for twenty years and was wondering on many of my older pieces the designer or makers marks have become quite smoothed or rubbed is there any thing I can do to make them clearer as some have become immpossible to read in there currant state. I mean such as a solution that would highlight raised areas thankyou for your time kind regards jessie
Hello Jessie,
quickly there are 2 options. rub some graphite powder ( available at hardware stores) into the shank,that may highlight it enough, if not liver of sulphur dissolved in a little warm water ( a grape sized piece to a cup of water) may do the trick, but would oxidize any patterns, or areas unless you apply with a cotton swab to the parts you want to read as opposed to dipping the entire pieces into the solution- actually that may be there better option, it will blacken the recesses on the jewelry and will work on silver and white gold, palladium and 10=14 kt. yellow, red gold of any karat and green gold of any karat as well.For high karat yellow gold try the graphite first then try a charcoal stick / willow twig like painters use to sketch with it should deposit enough carbon into the ring without abrading it further to render it readable.( the sticks are used for rubbings to- that may help you visualise what you are trying to accomplish, and if you have some thin vellum, glassine or tissue around, try a rubbing with the charcoal and vellum - not as odoriferous as the Liver of Sulfur and can be saved as a record of the hallmarks and makers marks if you wish, or for insurance purposes if they are valuable .
Hope this helps.
Best, Ari
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Answers by Expert:
Dr. Ari Roark
Expertise
Metalsmithing, Goldsmithing,Jewelry Making, Gemology,Metallurgy,Art Jewelry,Jewelry Appraising,Metal Mill Work,Jewelry Education,Group Projects Adaptable to Special Populations as well as ordinary groups,Ethnobotany,Metal Clays, International Jewellery Law,Trade Law,Rock hounding,Industrial Health and Safety Assessment and Education as it pertains to Jewelry Studios (of all sizes and manufacturing concerns relative to the Trade, Jewellery Trade Organisations,Objective US Jewelry School critical Analysis,Applied Anthropology,goldssmithing,lapidary,metals,refining
Experience
More than 35 years experience in the Jewelry Industry, Juris doctorates, PhD's in Anthropology, Cultural History, Cultural Geography, Mining Locations Assessments, Industrial Health and Safety Inspector to the Jewelry Industry, Montessori Educator, Occupational Therapy, Natural Historian, Scholar of Jewelry Evolution, PhD in Creativity ( the analysis of the divergent genres of thought on the process and impetus of the essence of creativity as a state of being expressed tangibly),Extensive Fieldwork with populations of Traditional craftsmen worldwide, former Peace Corps volunteer, Former VISTA volunteer, Etc.
Organizations
too numerous to list
Publications
prefer not to answer for reasons related to plagiarism
Education/Credentials
PhD Anthropology( Applied(1), Cultural(2)Ethnobotany(1),PhD -Physics (Metallurgy 1)( Wave and Particle Dynamics 1),,JD,MD,MFA-Metals/Jewelry,,MFA-Printmaking, MFA-Sculpture, Extensive undergraduate degrees, extensive post doctoral work, Montessori Educator Certification (Primary and Secondary)..many, many Degrees, Grants, and Awards in my past as an Academic turned Jeweler, OSHA Certifications
Awards and Honors
too numerous to list including 3 Honorary Doctorates, Two Humanitarian Related Awards, and Service on Many Boards of Directors
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