Art Clay gone BLACK

Oooer missus! My latest piece of art clay silver which I sold to a customer 2 weeks ago has been brought back to me covered in jet black marks. It looks just like a magic marker has been scribbled on it.



902834_10151618033951303_809444036_o by Odonata Studios, on Flickr


Anyone know what's caused it or how to eradicate it please?
I didn't use pickling solution on it after firing the piece, nor liver of sulphur, as has been suggested to a similar enquiry placed on Cookson's forum.
I guess I'll have to repollish it but if this is going to keep coming back I'll have a proper problem on my hands won't I?

Ooh that's a bugger! Tbh I don't know much about the art clay stuff but I suspect its tarnish. Does she do hair and stuff? If she's getting it in hairspray and product all the time that's fairly likely to happen, I would have thought less so with fine silver tho. Try a polishing cloth and see if that works?

I've never seen anything tarnish that quickly before, or all streaky like that, so Tinker's theory seems the most likely. Even though you've not pickled it, might it be worth using a solution of bicarbonate of soda in warm water and soaking it for a while?

This is worth a read for the list of things that can tarnish silver:

http://etsymetalclay.blogspot.co.uk/2010/11/tarnish-happens.html

I never take my silver rings off and they go black like that if my hands have been in bleach or I have been spraying cleaner such as Cilit Bang on the kitchen work surfaces.
Nan

Thanks guys. Maybe it IS the chemicals, she's a hairdresser/tutor after all but as far as I know she doesn't do much hairdressing now as she's head of the dept and mostly does a desk job. However what she does at home is anyone's guess
It's odd though that the tarnish is mostly on the inside of the ring and the outside edge caught between the fingers whereas the outside edge which is exposed to the air seems to be tarnish free. I'm thinking it might be her own skin which is doing it. Bloody rapid reaction though isn't it?
Elaine, thanks for the link to the Etsy blog, that was really useful and I have forwarded it to the customer.
I haven't explored that element of Etsy before but it looks ike it holds a store of useful info.

Goodness haven't ever seen that before, hope you get to the bottom of it Gillian.
Lisa x

Cant help with any additional info I am afraid other than to confirm my silver rings go black when using Flash kitchen cleaner with added bleach.

Hope you get to the bottom of it.