Recipe for a simple jewellery safety pickle to remove oxides from your pieces
What is pickle ?
A pickle is an acidic solution which removes oxidation and flux from a piece of soldered precious metal. Special jewellery pickles are available commercially, or alternative solutions like various pool chemicals which are more cost-effective pickles are also used by jewellers.
Materials:
A "pickle pot". It can be a crock pot, a glass jar above a candle, or a glass container in a bain-marie. The solution works better when warm.
You will need some plastic, brass or copper thongs to remove your jewellery from the pickle.
Sterling silver stacking rings with flower and pebble
Safety Pickle Ingredients:
- 250ml (or a cup) of household white vinegar (at 5%)
- A tablespoon of table salt
- Optional: A teaspoon of hydrogen peroxide at 3%. If your peroxide is at 10% , you would only use a third of a spoon. NOTE: if using peroxide in your solution, it will work faster but it will not keep long.
- You can dilute the solution in water if you need it to work more slowly or your products are more concentrated.
How to use safety pickle for jewellery:
When soldering, once your jewel has cooled down,
Put your pieces in the warm solution for several minutes. The oxide and firescale should "vanish" .
Rinse in clear water and pat dry.