Silver Bee tries liver of sulphur gel.

I recently read a review of Liver of Sulphur Extended Life Gel (LOS) in the January 2010 issue of Art Jewelry. In the past I had used Jax Silver Black for creating a darkened or black patina on silver. I resisted using the lump form of LOS because of the smell but upon reading the review I thought it was time to give it a go.

I followed the suggestions I read and made a weak solution of the LOS and added ammonia to it. Well the smell didn't get any better but the results were spectacular. The greens, purples, blues and reds were amazing. I soon had as many silver items that I could find lined up for dipping. It didn't matter that shiny silver is still my favourite look I wanted to experiment with this new 'toy'. I discovered that the trick to getting the great patinas is the water must be hot and the hotter the better. I had fun and as you can see by the photo the results are colourful. I also discovered that if you don't like the patina then you can heat the piece with your torch, pickle and of course re-tumble for the shine. You can also just decrease the depth of patina by using fine steel wool or a polishing pad.

The first time I wanted to blacken something I bought the lumps of LOS but it turned out it was past its best before date and wouldn't work. This won't happen with the gel. The review stated that even after being left open for a year the results were just as good as when the jar was first opened. That's impressive but why anyone would want to leave a jar open of something that smells like rotten eggs is beyond me. 

So if you have been using the lumps of LOS you might enjoy the gel. Just make sure to stir it carefully so that you mix in the thick stuff at the bottom of the jar. I used an old chopstick for this. I've been using this during the Monday evening class and everyone who has tried it really liked the results. I know there are ways of preserving the patina you've created but I've yet to try that. As soon as I do of course I'll let you know.

Stay safe, use ventilation and gloves. If you have have any questions or anything to add about using this product I would love to hear from you.