How to Anodize Silver

A metal that is highly polished, silver is easily anodized. The way to change the color of silver without ruining the silver piece of jewelry, coin or perhaps a souvenir medal, is through the scientific process know as anodizing. The anodizing process can be used to tint a silver item to give it an antique look or to make it display exotic colors.

• 1

  Put on the gloves. Pour a half cup of water into the glass container. Then combine two tablespoons of sodium hydroxide or lye with one tablespoon of sulfur in the water. Mix with the wooden spatula for ten minutes or until the solution changes color to orange.

• 2

  Use the coffee filter as a strainer and pour the solution from one glass container into the other through the coffee filter. This strains out any excess sulfur that did not dissolve in the solution.

• 3

  Carefully clean all grease and dirt from the silver piece to be anodized. Place the silver piece into the solution.

• 4

  Connect the silver piece, using one of the two wires, to the positive terminal of the 3-volt battery. Connect the other wire to the negative terminal of the battery and place the wire into the solution without touching the silver piece

• 5

  Pass the negative wire through the solution, again do not touch the silver piece being anodized with the wire. By moving the wire through the solution, the silver will get an even patina. For a rainbow effect, keep the negative wire in one place. The color anodized is time-dependent. The longer the silver is in the electrically charged solution, the darker it will get. Once the surface is black, anodizing further will not cause additional color change.