The Deterioration of Silver Alloys and Some Aspects of Their Conservation
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English Slovak |
| ISSN: | ISSN 1605-8410 |
| Online Access: | http://www.viks.sk/chk/revincon8.doc |
| Abstract: | SUMMARIES. The present article aims to offer a comprehensive approach to the conservation of silver objects. It is not intended to suggest or recommend any specific recipe or treatment for a given case. Instead, the paper presents a range of possibilities to assist the conservator in defining the state of conservation and the possible need for treatment and protection of an object. Besides giving the background to the structural properties of alloys used in silver artefacts, the possible forms of silver deterioration are presented, with special emphasis on tarnishing and mineralization. Less frequent cases, such as selective, localized and stress corrosion are also discussed. A descriptive review of materials and methods used for cleaning, consolidating and protecting silver artefacts follows, accompanied by an extensive bibliography. CONCLUSION. This review article was written in the belief that is possible to learn from the experience of others who, before us, involved themselves in the conservation of the objects that we have inherited. It has been shown that 'not everything that glitters is silver'. This assessment actually concerns silver alloyed with different elements, especially copper, and of course each alloy reacts in a particular way with its environment. Depending on the conditions, a different form of deterioration (or even a mixture of several forms) will be active. It is therefore fundamental to gather all possible facts from the literature and by direct examination and analysis of the object, to reach a better understanding of the particular case under study. As for the materials and methods employed for the restoration of silver objects, an evolution can be observed over the years. Nowadays, new chemicals and recipes are used with more care, and treatments that were often employed in the past, such as heat-treating or cyanide cleaning, are no longer used, in view of their harmful effect, either for future study of the object or for the restorer. On the other hand, the fact that 'the more it is cleaned, the more is worn away' from the artefact itself has been well understood and increasing importance has been given to preventive conservation, with considerable research about environmental pollutants and possible ways of minimizing their effects. Although the evolution in this area has been positive, an important point remains to be developed further. It concerns co-operative research between restorers and scientists, whose main goal would not be the discovery of a new procedure or formula, but a real understanding of the consequences of using given products or applying certain techniques. This step is a fundamental one towards valid preventive conservation. |
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| ISSN: | ISSN 1605-8410 |
