Hardware Talk
- Thread starter Kellybag
- Start date
Thanks all for your input
It's not the issue of lighting because the sellers showed the same hardware at different angles, and the hardware still look black/silver.
Yes, I will definitely get authentication. Don't want to throw money down the drain ....
My kelly was authenticated (it's from the 60's). Here is a pic of the feet and the lock which appear to have tarnished and look black/silver.
This topic has reminded me of a listing I saw on eBay. I saw a Hermes key holder with gold hardware turned into silver color (see picture). I was wondering the same thing. Is it possible a gold hardware turn into the silver like the picture? From my past experience with gold/silver plated hardware (not hermes), oxidized hardware did actually turn to another color, for example gold to silver and silver to black. I thought Hermes hardware would react the same way since it's plated?
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My B30 Bougenvillea Ostrich with GHW also had some tarnished on the gold hardware. It turned dark/black on some areas, i brought it to hermes boutique and my SA just polished it with their silver polishing cloth.. Tarnished gone and the hardware looks shiny again..
^ I remember Claude saying all Hermes bags and SLGs with any kind of hardware need to be gently cleaned/wiped with a jewelry cloth at least once a week. I think one of the cleaning cloths he used at his cleaning station was the Connoisseur jewelry cleaning cloth.
I like to buff anything with hardware once a week, it makes everything look cleaner and probably helps maintain the overall health of the bag.
I like to buff anything with hardware once a week, it makes everything look cleaner and probably helps maintain the overall health of the bag.
^^That is a great tip from Claude- thanks for passing it along, Leah. Once a week is a lot of time for all bags- already I feel like bag "farmer" 
My black Birkin with gold hardware was fine on the bag, but I never used the lock once and finally took it out of the sleeper the other day. It had turned noticeably darker. Once I polished it with the orange jewelry cloth from Hermes that they give you sometimes with your silver, it was somewhat back to the normal GHW, but not all the way. Maybe I will leave it out and see if some fresh air will make it go back to normal. So I think you might get this problem when you don't use your item, just like with Hermes silver which definitely gets darker when you don't wear it often.
My black Birkin with gold hardware was fine on the bag, but I never used the lock once and finally took it out of the sleeper the other day. It had turned noticeably darker. Once I polished it with the orange jewelry cloth from Hermes that they give you sometimes with your silver, it was somewhat back to the normal GHW, but not all the way. Maybe I will leave it out and see if some fresh air will make it go back to normal. So I think you might get this problem when you don't use your item, just like with Hermes silver which definitely gets darker when you don't wear it often.
^^That is a great tip from Claude- thanks for passing it along, Leah. Once a week is a lot of time for all bags- already I feel like bag "farmer"
My black Birkin with gold hardware was fine on the bag, but I never used the lock once and finally took it out of the sleeper the other day. It had turned noticeably darker. Once I polished it with the orange jewelry cloth from Hermes that they give you sometimes with your silver, it was somewhat back to the normal GHW, but not all the way. Maybe I will leave it out and see if some fresh air will make it go back to normal. So I think you might get this problem when you don't use your item, just like with Hermes silver which definitely gets darker when you don't wear it often.
Yep! Exactly what happened to my Ostrich B with tarnished/blackened GHW.. Its been stored in its dustbag, untouched, for too long.. Until i finally took it out
Seems that blackend ghw can be cleaned up ...
How about gold turn to silver? Did you try to clean it up.
I think gold turning to silver means the top layer/ coat is no longer there (corroded).
The only way to make it gold again is to gold-plate it again.
If the metal underneath the gold-plated layer is silver-ish does that mean that the hardware base metal is not brass but ZAMAC?
It scratches as a shiny gold scratch on the brushed gold, instead of a scratch on the shiny gold. Hope this makes sense.