Nicole,
Although it is acceptable practice to polish antique or decorative arts silver objects it is not seen as acceptable to polish nuministic collections. There are accepted degrees of cleaning and of course disfiguring corrosion must be attended to.
According to some of the experts in this area I have talked to the removal of oxidation or genuine patina can seriously affect the value of these collections.
So nuministic collections must be cleaned with great care and sensitivity.
Personally, as a metals and objects conservator with almost 20 years in the field I have seen numerous examples of the damages caused by polishing that was less than expertly applied - so I really advise anyone out there to seek expert advise before deciding to polish an object themselves.
Cheers!
Dave
David Harvey
Conservator
Los Angeles, California USA
=========================================================
Important Subscriber Information:
The Museum-L FAQ file is located at http://www.finalchapter.com/museum-l-faq/ . You may obtain detailed information about the listserv commands by sending a one line e-mail message to [log in to unmask] . The body of the message should read "help" (without the quotes).
If you decide to leave Museum-L, please send a one line e-mail message to [log in to unmask] . The body of the message should read "Signoff Museum-L" (without the quotes).