Oxidising/Antiqing method comparison - Gilder's Paste vs. Liver of Sulphur

While on holiday in Hong Kong last year I bought a few pieces of raw brass filigree from a small shop that only sells untreated brass, so I've been trying to find a way to give them the appearance of oxidised brass without having to invest in expensive chemicals or equipment. I think I've found my solution now - in Gilder's Paste. It's a wax based pigment that can be used to permanently colour metals.

Gilder's Paste

I'm very pleased with how fast and effective it is - as you can see below, the original raw brass is in the middle, with an attempt at Liver of Sulphur oxidising on the right, and a piece worked with Gilder's Paste on the left. Liver of Sulphur is not as effective on brass as it is on silver or copper, and only darkens the metal a little - heating the solution and leaving it in for almost an hour produced the piece on the far right, which is more defined than raw brass but nowhere near the look I was going for.

Left: Gilder's Paste
Middle: Raw brass (untreated)
Right: Liver of Sulphur

Gilder's Paste is a bit messy to work with, though you could probably use a cloth or cotton bud to apply it, I like using my fingers. It's a fairly simple process - just pick up a small lump (it has the consistency of soft polishing wax) and rub it into the filigree piece, making sure to get it into all the recesses. Rub excess paste off with a tissue and burnish to highlight the raised portions.

Progress shot

You could probably finish the piece with wax polish or sealant to keep the colour exactly as it is - but since I used only black paste, and want it to look as antiqued as possible, I left it alone to oxidise naturally. The finished piece doesn't actually look exactly like oxidised brass - it has greater "clarity", and looks more sharply detailed, with greater contrast between the blackened parts and the highlights.

Contrast shot

Quite a success, all things considered - I'll probably use this on any raw brass pieces I acquire in the future. The finished piece has a sort of depth and warmth that looks absolutely lovely compared to the untreated one :)

Jewelry aside, I've been listening to the classical covers done by Aston. Utterly gorgeous soundtrack to be working to!



♥Jasmyn