Polishing removes metal
Every polish takes a little of the object away. On solid metal that is a slow cost; on a plated one it is a countdown, and the end of it looks like more tarnish.
In detail
Most cleaning removes something sitting ON a surface. Metal polishing removes part of the surface itself, and both conservation bodies read for this catalogue say so plainly: each time you polish you take a little of the original away, and because tarnish is silver sulphide — a compound CONTAINING silver — removing the tarnish removes silver with it. Abrasive polishes make the cost much higher. Polishing creams, wadding and rouge sticks carry abrasive compounds and corrosive acids, remove far more surface than a cloth or a dip, leave fine scratches and gradually erase engraving. That is why the conservation answer is restraint rather than technique: keep tarnish removal to a minimum and use the mildest non-abrasive method that works. On a plated object the arithmetic changes completely. The silver is microns thick over a base metal, so polishing is not a slow tax but a countdown — and the failure has a cruel shape. Over-polishing removes the plating and exposes dull base metal, which CAN BE MISTAKEN FOR TARNISH, inviting more polishing of the one place with nothing left to polish. The same logic reaches beyond silver.
Why
- Sterling silver is explained by Polishing removes metal
- Silver plate is explained by Polishing removes metal
- Chrome plating is explained by Polishing removes metal
Harvested rather than acquired: the catalogue already treats failed chrome as damage rather than dirt, and this is the mechanism underneath that judgement.
Sources for this page
Sources
Conservation Information Sheet: Looking after silver
Museum of Applied Arts & Sciences (MAAS), via Museums & Galleries of NSW · Trade or professional body
Relied on for: That tarnish contains silver so a little metal is removed at every cleaning, that abrasive polishes carry corrosive acids and remove much more surface than a cloth or dip, and that over-polishing plated silver removes the plating and exposes base metal that can be mistaken for tarnish. (states this directly)
Verification: a person has read the passage relied on.
Read on — Silver components; Silver damage and how to reduce it, items 1-7; Recommended storage and display materials; How to clean silver. Supports the claim as stated.
Caring for your collections: Silver and plate
The Institute of Conservation (Icon) · Trade or professional body
Relied on for: That each polishing removes a little of the original surface, and that abrasive cleaners wear away silver and engraving over time and with repeated cleaning. (states this directly)
Verification: a person has read the passage relied on.
Read on — The tarnish, cleaning, and methods-to-avoid sections. Supports the claim as stated.
Last reviewed by a person on .