Polishing jewely

[Revolver]

My wife and I decided not to buy gifts for each other this year but I am pretty sure she has been collecting up odd bits of pewter to give to me. Anyhoo... I have a bracelet that someone gave me recently because they thought my wife might like it. I went to our local jewelry shop this morning to ask them what it is and to have it cleaned up but evidently then went out of business.

So, I turn to you all. If anyone could tell me anything about this I would appreciate it. I know absolutely nothing about jewelry, if this is junk then I won't waste time on it. The stones are black with streaks of silver. I don't know if they are natural or man made. There is a stamping in the metal on the bottom of the largest stone that says 925.

Also, since the local jewelry shop is gone, can I polish this in my vibratory tumbler? I just pitched the old media after my last batch so I'm ready to put fresh clean corncob in.

56398

Thanks!

[Hamish]

The "925" denotes 92.5% silver content. (The good stuff) I'm no expert, but what I see is handmade, and definitely *not* junk. Do not throw it in the tumbler!!

[Joe504]

Just had the wife look at this. She thinks its onyx and tin or silver. It is definitely hand made, and she thinks trying to clean it would be bad. It does not look cheap.

[41 mag fan]

theres that liquid jewelry cleaner you can buy. Put it in it for about 15 min and take it out and left it dry. I think you can buy it at someplace like Rogers jewelers or maybe even wal mart

[EMC45]

925 is Silver. That is handmade and not junk as has been said. I would try a light touch with some tooth paste and an old toothbrush.

[Revolver]

Thank you all, I will try a gentle cleaning. If anyone can shed some more light on what this is your comments are welcome. Thanks!

[Wayne Smith]

Onyx or obsidian would be my choices. White in it might suggest obsidian with streaks of an inclusion. When these inclusions are star like it is called snowflake obsidian.

[runfiverun]

you could try a p.m. to docone-1 he knows a lot about this stuff.
if you had a sonic cleaner that is how jewelry stores clean jewelry.
some tooth paste and a tooth brush will clean it quite well,so will a paste of ashes from the fireplace.

[thegatman]

That is hand made and very nice looking. Great patina. Lucky wife. I would try a compound like Flitz in a small discreet spot. Toothpaste is also a mild abrasive. Good luck with it and let us know how she liked it.

[Blacksmith]

925 is 92.5 % silver and denotes Sterling. The 925 designation is most common in countries other than the United States and the British Isles not sure about Canada, New Zealand, Australia. It definitely looks to be hand made and my guess on the stones would be Snowflake Obsidian.
http://www.gemdat.org/gem-8520.html

As far as cleaning and polishing goes the first thing to do is to wash it with soap and warm water, just use hand soap Ivory or dish washing detergent like Dawn. You can use a soft brush like a worn tooth brush to get in the corners. Then pat it dry with a clean soft cloth. Then look it over carefully you might find a makers mark or initials somewhere. Also check an see if any of the stones are loose, they are set in what is called a bezel and can be tightened if necessary.

Now decide if your wife is happy with how shiny it is. In my opinion it has a nice patina which shows it is an older piece possibly a true antique. If she wears it regularly it will develop some shine from rubbing against skin and clothes. If she wants it to shine like new it can be done but for any old piece you want to take it one step at a time starting with the mildest and work your way up one step at a time because you cant go back to a true patina if you change your mind. The mildest step would be to use some household silver polish such as one of these, look in the cleaning supplies section of the grocery store:
http://www.goodhousekeeping.com/product-reviews/home-products/silver-polish-reviews/best-silver-polishes

Start with a small spot on the back where it won't show and see if you like it better. If you decide you need more aggressive treatment ask here and we will advise.

Here is a similar bracelet so it is worth taking care of:
http://www.ritberger.com/Black_Obsidian_Silver_Bracelet_p/jw_vcp_2436.htm

[docone31]

That is black onyx with sterling silver metal. A tumbler might dislodge the stones.
You can effectively polish it with a stainless wheel in a drill, or you can use rouge on a muslim wheel. It should polish fast. To even the polish, then take a CLEAN rag with a little rouge. After this, then use a dry washcloth and dry baking soda to finish the polish.
It all won't take long. No need to get fancy.
Do not use commercial jewelery cleaners! They only make good toilet bowl cleaners.
Baking soda and a little elbow grease.
That bracelet should look great in short fashion.
We sell something like that in our shop for 180$.
Good find there.
I am a jeweler by trade.

[Revolver]

Again, thank you all for the information. What I don't get is that these stones have streaks of silver in them, shiny silver like metal, in the stones? Would that still be black onyx? Thanks again, I'm excited about giving her this.