How to Blacken / Darken Faded Letters On Your Hand-Stamped & Engraved Jewelry

The letters and images in my pieces are blackened using guilders paste wax. Once cured, this darkening treatment can last months if your piece is treated with care. This darkening process is not permanent and will wear away over time. This may happen faster if the lettering is worn against your skin or when the piece is exposed to water, especially if you are active (sweating while wearing it) or wear them while swimming or bathing.
Rings are especially susceptible to fading due to constant hand washing.

The following technique will work on any hand-stamped metal: silver, aluminum, copper, brass, or sterling. This process is especially great for hand-stamped rings, as they frequently have soap and water exposure.

PLEASE NOTE: If you are trying to blacken lettering on Gold Filled jewelry it is recommend that you use a fine tipped sharpie and fill in the letters one at a time. Wipe away any excess mark immediately. Gold filled pieces should not be polished with jewelry polishing cloths or exposed to chemicals. CLICK HERE For additional details on how to care for your gold filled piece.

Materials:

Black Industrial Sharpie (but any black Sharpie will do in a pinch)
Rubbing Alcohol
Paper Towels

Step 1- Use A Sharpie To Fill In The Faded Letters:

Make sure your piece is completely dry. Take a black Sharpie pen and color in the lettering. Work in small sections, as the sharpie will dry quickly, wiping away any excess marker as you go with a dry paper towel. You will probably have some marker left on your piece. We will take care of that in step 2.

Step 2 - Use Rubbing Alcohol To Remove Excess Marker:

After all of your letters have been coated and as much of the marker has been wiped off, place a small dap of rubbing alcohol on a paper towel or a Q-top and clean the excess marker off. Make sure your paper towel is damp but not soaking wet with alcohol. If you drop alcohol into the letter grooves you may need to touch up some of the letting.

If you find that you are having problems cleaning your bracelet with the rubbing alchol, you may want to try cleaning them with a PRO POLISHING PAD. These treated two-inch squares pads are the perfect way to quickly touch up, remove tarnish and polish your pieces.

Step 3 - Wash, Dry & Wear:

Once your piece has been wiped as clean as possible, you can clean it with a bit of liquid dish soap. Dry your piece completely, and it's now ready to wear.

Repeat this process as needed.

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How to Blacken / Darken Faded Letters On Your Hand-Stamped & Engraved Jewelry