Ever wanted to darken your silver jewellery? I just had a thought about more eco-friendly method of oxidising (=darkening) the silver than using the special chemicals available in the specialist jewellery supply shops. It’s a very old, medieval, and a very tasty method 
I use it not so often now (see end of this post) but I like the browny-yellowy shade of the patina which is the final effect, slightly warmer than the one that you get using the other methods.
- you need 1-3 eggs (depending on how big is the object to be darkened)
- boil the eggs hard (about 10mins is the best time)
- put the eggs and the jewellery in an air-tigh container or a sealable plastic bag; must be transparent so you can see the darkening process
- crush the egg shels well, but not peel them, close the container/bag and wait
- after 5-15mins the silver will blacken. The time depends on the eggs “power” (how much Sulphur they produce). I find the ordinary eggs the most powerful, the organic ones are pretty useless…
- BE CAREFUL where you open the container/bag!!! The smell could be quite strong… better do it outside.
- and the best part: eat the eggs 
Nothing gets wasted, it’s healthy and there is no nasty by-products. The only problem is: when you oxidise a lot you’ll soon stop liking hard boiled eggs… 
Tags: jewellery, silver, oxidising, process, darkening, eggs, how to, eco, friendly, natural
