Filigreed Cuff Links -- Info help and cleaning advice please

[TheoryofI]

Hi
I'm not able to find any marks on them, so I don't know if these cuff links are European, or American or from somewhere else... this may not be the right forum, sorry.

I'm wondering if anyone can provide any information about them, particularly age or period, place of origin etc.

I believe they are high grade silver, but it seems that someone may have used some kind of liquid silver polish and now they are full of the residue -- Assuming they are worth salvaging, first, should I attempt to clean them at all? and second, if so, what is the safest method to do that?

Any info and/or advice will be greatly appreciated.

Thanks,

Jim

[kerangoumar]

These are very pleasant cufflinks - as to origin, it is hard to know whether they are Eastern or European, so let's concentrate on cleaning them.

First check for weak areas or anything that would counterindicate working on them. Only go ahead if you can assure yourself that nothing will break

Take a narrow, deep bowl and fill with warmish water, add just the tiniest bit of a mild cleaner such as ivory or organic dish detergent. You only want a bit to lower the tension of the water. Put them in there and leave them for a day, swirling gently every so often.

Get the softest bristled toothbrush you can find - one that has been used a lot - and very gently rub the filigree - it will tell you almost immediately whether the goop will come off.

If it works, very gently work over the remainder of the metal.

If it doesn't, make a paste of some cocoa butter soap and mash until it is like single cream, then gently hold each link and move it around until it is full of the soap; immerse in water and let it stand another few hours. Then clean as above.


Once the metal is as clean as you can get it - or it can be got - dry gently with a fluffy bath towel; air dry, then blow some air thru.
(I use a very dilute cocoa butter wash to remove all the jeweller's rouge that can be found on silver and then rinse like a daemon - it appears to inhibit tarnish) If you want you can use a jeweller's cloth afterward, but if you do, finish up with a lint-free cotton rag; you'll be amazed how much residual tarnish you can collect.

[TheoryofI]

Hello kerangoumar

Thank you for the cleaning prescription. The links seem quite sound, and are soaking as I write.

Do you have a guess as to when or in what era this style of accessory might have been popular? They appear fairly old, but that's only speculation of course.

Thanks again,

Jim

[kerangoumar]

Hello Jim -

filigree is a very old technique that has developed independently in many parts of the world and now covers a broad spectrum.

There are numerous variations on the theme, which is that a flat silver wire is folded on an angle to produce a wire that is more pliable, which then is shaped and soldered together at certain places. Generalizing as much as one can, the older the work, the finer the wire, the denser the silver - within the design, of course. Often there are tiny balls of silver at the origin or junctions or as highlights - you have two on your links. Many American examples are made with plain wire, which, to me, defeats the purpose. Some are accented with the very finest drawn wires (Indian)

"Fairly old" for filigree would be in the many hundreds of years as the Etruscans, who were such unbelievably good goldsmiths, were making gold filigree three thousand years ago. Compared to that, anything even 200 years old seems almost new, doesn't it?

The other approach is to ask - how long have there been cuff links? About 400 years, ever since men did not want to tie their cuffs together with ribbons any longer. I know that doesn't help either. My best guess is that they are about 50 - 100 years old - I base this on the clip holding the two sections together, as well as the solidity of the plain metal bands, and the tidiness of the work. Much filigree from the last quarter-century is slapdash - in keeping with the times we live in. (And one gets what one pays for.)

You should post a picture of the links when you are done; I think many readers would like to see the difference.

[TheoryofI]

Hi kerangoumar

Once again, thank you for your considered and informative reply.

The links are very much improved but I may repeat the process once more to see if I can get the last few tiny crumbs in the crevices ;}

I have a lot to learn about silver collecting, having just started recently, and this site and members like you are a great help!

Since FreeShare is shutting down, I have switched to a different pic hosting svc, and the following picture of the links after cleaning is my first try:
http://i212.photobucket.com/albums/cc15 ... ks3_01.jpg" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Thanks and regards,

Jim

[kerangoumar]

WOW!

You have done a great job, Jim!

The most important point about cleaning filigree, apart from careful inspection beforehand, is patience and you certainly have it in buckets to do such a great job on them. They were unpleasant to look at before, with all the goop in the crevices, but now they are gorgeous. What is next? To wear them and let them develop the lovely patina that comes with handling and wearing silver.
Thank you for letting us see the fruits of your labour. IF you have any other questions, just ask!


Holly

[TheoryofI]

Hi Holly

Needless to say, I couldn't have done it without your sage advice.

Thanks and best regards,

Jim