Super Shiny Silver and How to Keep it That Way

Second to gold (and maybe platinum), silver is probably the most popular precious metal and has been coveted by humans for a millennium. Why do we love silver? Because it can be used functionally AND it is super shiny which, let’s be real, all people love. The one drawback – keeping it that way.

First a little history. Interestingly enough, although now silver is easily affordable, this was not always the case. Back a couple hundred of years, silver was comparatively rare. It was only with the discovery and exploitation of silver mines in the Americas that silver became affordable to the middle classes and rose steeply in popularity.

Drawing of a silver mine in Nevada, circa 1889

As silver has historically been used for both decorative and functional purposes, in order to strengthen the metal it has been combined with other alloys such as copper, zinc or nickel. Pure silver would be too soft for regular use. Unfortunately, while it can be made more durable, silver is always prone to tarnishing (if you have read our previous blog on tarnishing on gold gilded fine china you may already know what tarnishing is all about).

A hundred years ago the wealthy families who owned silver had, in some cases, a fleet of servants ready to keep all silver polished. Now you’re probably doing this all by yourself. But don't be disheartened there are simple ways to keep it shiny and tarnish free. 

Prevention!

Sulfur is your greatest enemy when caring for silver. It is very corrosive and it is sneakily emitted by seemingly innocuous things. Eggs, fruit, some waters, the air, all contain/produce sulfur! In fact the first step to caring for your silver and making less work for yourself is keeping you silver in a cabinet, cupboard or box which closes securely enough to block airflow. Airborne sulfurs are produced by the burning of fossil fuels, and products found in our very homes like carpet padding, foam rubbers, and paints even wood or felt. If silver is exposed gradual tarnishing is inevitable. Handling your silver will also cause it to tarnish, thanks to the oily salts from our skin.

Prevention doesn't just stop there. If you keep your silver in a cabinet made of wood it should be sealed completely with at least two coats of some type of polyurethane. The polyurethane will protect the silver from the acids in the wood.

Flatware is generally stored in chests that are lined with silvercloth. This fabric is imbued with tiny silver particles that absorb sulfurs. Silvercloth can be obtained in various sizes, as bags and linings. Perhaps not a bad investment if you have a lot of silver. Do NOT store your silver in cheap plastic bags (zip-lock bags are actually ok) or cardboard boxes with things like tissue paper. Cheaply made products often release harmful gases and acids.

Cleaning

If you do notice your silver tarnishing the first indication will be a yellowish cast. Silver is much easier to clean in the earlier stages of tarnishing so it is a good idea to take care of it then, before it has a chance to get worse. Once you see that your silver has begun browning, or in the worst cases the black stage (bad), cleaning becomes a little tougher. Clean your silver regularly and it will save you time and effort in the end!

Examples of tarnishing

Flatware and other silver that needs to be washed after use should not be put it in the dishwasher. When you wash your silver you should also be careful to use a mild, phosphate free soap. Normal dish soaps can leave brown stains. Rubber gloves are also out, as they emit sulfurs. Don’t leave your silver to air dry, this will cause spotting, use soft fabric like flannel or cotton. Some recommend the use of a cloth with a cleaning agent built in such as Silver Butler cloth.

Tiffany & Co. Silver and ivory tea set. Left to right: creamer, sugar bowl, teapot., 1877

Cleaning off tarnishing, aka polishing, is done through use of an abrasive. It is important to use an abrasive that is safe to use on silver, brand name polishes will usually do the trick. Many of these will come with a foam sponge or horse hair brush that are delicate enough not to damage the finish. Paper towels and toothbrushes are too rough and can scratch the silver. After applying the silver cleaner gently massage it in with small circles. Basically, be as delicate as possible when cleaning to avoid any extra damage to the surface.

If your silver is really tarnished (the black stage), things can be a little more complicated. Miracle dips may look good on TV but in reality they can degrade the finish and discolor your silver. The Bishop Museum recommends Hagerty Dip or Goddard’s SD but they should be used with great care. If left in the dip for too long the silver can become pitted. If you really value your silver it is probably a good idea to take it to a trustworthy jewelry or silver shop in your area.

Just be careful and diligent and you’ll be slurping out of a shiny silver spoon in no time. 

Ellsworth and Asia Week

2015’s Asia Week has proved itself to be one of the most lucrative and exciting art events of the year. A barrage of gallery and museum shows, lectures, and auctions litter the art scene in celebration of artwork from multiple nations. High predictions of sales were reported to be around the $250 million dollar range, in large part owing to the excitement over the Robert Hatfield Ellsworth sale at Christies.

Auction catalogs from four of the Ellsworth auctions via Christie's

Ellsworth’s prestigious collection contained Indian, Himalayan, Southeast Asian, Chinese, and Japanese art and is one of the largest of estates Asian art ever to come to auction. Considering that all 57 lots sold in Part I, it appears that this estimate may have been correct - including buyer’s premium this part of the collection totaled $61,107,500.

Gilt Bronze figure of a Seated Bear from China created in the Western Han Dynasty (200 BC – 8 AD)  courtesy of Christie's

Part I – Masterworks Including Indian, Himalayan & Southeast Asian Works of Art, Chinese & Japanese Works of Art, had the highest selling works of the entire collection. The most expensive of which was the set of four 17th Century Huanghulai Horseshoe-back arm chairs that sold for over $9 million (estimate of $800,000 – $1.2 million). Another work which defied its estimate was the Gilt Bronze figure of a Seated Bear from China created in the Western Han Dynasty (200 BC – 8 AD) which was estimated to sell for between $200,000 to $300,000 and sold for $2.8 million. According to our Asian art specialist collectors were enamored by this small totem - its rare pose and subtle characterization.

However, it was not just Chinese art that did well in the sale. The second highest price was for a large gilt bronze sculpture of Avalokiteshvara from 13th Century Nepal which sold for $8.2 million (estimate of $2-3 million). A “rare and important” bronze figure of a seated Yogi, possibly Padampa Sangye sold for $4.8 million, a little more than $3 million over the high estimate.

Part II, which included Chinese furniture, scholar’s objects, and Chinese paintings, still reached high prices and totaled $39,137,625. Part III – Chinese Works of Art: Qing Ceramics, Glass & Jade totaled $8,189,875, Part IV – Chinese Works of Art: Metal, Sculpture & Early Ceramics $15,840,625, Part V – European Decorative Arts, Carpets, Old Master Paintings & Asian Works of Art $6,207,688 and Part VI – The Library $1,176,875. The extraordinary results of these sales pay tribute to Ellsworth’s genius in the field of Asian art - something for which OTE can attest, as over the years he advised our firms president on the Asian market and, in particular, the estate of C.C. Wang.

The Ellsworth sale has amounted $132 million at auction, no doubt in large part because of the incredible provenance of his collection. As the Asian art market is becoming more overheated and frenzied, provenance is becoming increasingly more important in legitimizing extraordinarily high prices for classical Chinese art.

Although they were arguable overshadowed by the Ellsworth sale at Christie’s, Sotheby’s Asia week sales also did well. Their most successful sale appears to be Fine Classical Chinese Paintings & Calligraphy which netted them $41,441,375.

However Asia week is not just about big sales, it is also an amazing time to learn more about the art history and development of countries throughout Asia. A lecture I attended at the Korean Society, ‘Adoption, Assimilation, Transformation,’ with Robert D. Mowry discussed some of the most important developments in Korea’s art history and its relationship with China.

Geumgang Jeondo (금강전도 金剛全圖) by Jeong Seon

During the lecture Mr. Mowry spoke about the distinctly Korean style of landscape paintings typified by the painter Jeong Seon 정선 / 鄭敾 (1676–1759), whose pen name Gyeomjae meant humble study. He lived during the Joseon Dynasty and is one of the few known Korean painters to move away from traditional Chinese styles. Another, Shin Yun-bok (1758-early 19th C), paintings of people reveal a humor that is also uniquely Korean. Their paintings present a contextual history for some of Korea’s modern painters such as An Jung-sik (안중식, 1861-1919).

Scenery on Dano day (단오풍정 端午風情) by Shin Yun-bok , in the Gansong Art Museum in Seoul, South Korea

Overall it was a great week to experience some of the world’s most beautiful art and culture.

Gold, Fine China, and the Truth About Tarnishing

Have you ever wondered what the word “gilding” means? It’s an ultra-sensitive and very beautiful decorative treatment that turns a surface into gold without actually creating something made of gold.

Gilding generally refers to the liquid gold applied through paint or other techniques to porcelain and other ceramics. The good news is that it looks lustrous and lovely when first applied.  The bad news is that it shows wear when used frequently and is sensitive to its environment. In fact, after working with a recent client an O’Toole-Ewald appraiser found that it doesn't always require heavy usage to cause distress to gilding and that the saying that gold never tarnishes can be disproven.

Porcelain saucer with gilding

About 20 years ago the client bought a beautiful bone china set decorated with extensive and intricate gilding. It had been placed in storage and when she recently retrieved it from the box in which it had been resting for two decades she found that the 24 carat gilding had taken on a red/black discoloration. Tarnishing film often looks red or black in appearance depending on what base metal is used, copper or silver respectively. However, it is extremely rare for high carats of gold to tarnish, so this case was at first a bit of a mystery.

While pure gold is not susceptible to tarnishing, almost all gold is mixed with some small percentage of other alloys, which can be vulnerable to tarnishing would only seen below 14 carats. In some cases 14 and 18 carats or even occasionally higher carats can tarnish, but it is extremely rare in gold as high as 24 carats.

If the base metals, in particular copper or silver, are exposed to corrosive agents, especially sulfur and oxygen compounds, tarnishing is entirely possible. Moisture, perspiration, perfumes, how you wash it, the water in which it is washed and even some foodstuffs can be responsible for the corrosion of gilding. But because the china in this case had never been used, it was unlikely that any of these were the culprits.

Through expertise, persistence and considerable in-depth research, OTE was able to determine the prolonged exposure to the organic sulfur containing compounds in the storage bags, in combination to the oxygen and sulfur in the atmosphere, had caused the gilding to discolor. The damage was determined to be inherent vice resulting from the chemical reaction of the gilding in its storage containers.

 This case is a rarity. In India and the Middle East, especially, there have been more incidents of the tarnishing of higher carat gold, which appears to be a problem more specifically linked to the region. In Europe and North America tarnishing in higher carats of gold is much more unusual. In the past 30 years, there has been only one other instance, filed with the manufacturer of this china, of red and copper discoloration occurring on the gilding. Without the persistent research efforts of OTE appraisers combined with scientific sleuthing, this case may not have been solved.