Conservation of niello

The treatment for niello may well depend on which type it is.
Nielloes are metal sulphides, originally silver sulphide, briefly
copper sulphide, and later permutations of silver, lead and copper
sulphides. In other words much the same as metal ores. They do
corrode (and under the microscope some of the corroded
microstructures are rather beautiful) but the corrosion seems slow
and similar to the long term weathering of ores. I would imagine
that the larger problem with niello is not corrosion but rather
ensuring the mechanical stability of its attachment to an object.
Acrylics would seem to be a very reasonable approach to its
consolidation and attachment

Peter Northover

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                  Conservation DistList Instance 11:95
                   Distributed: Friday, May 22, 1998
                       Message Id: cdl-11-95-004
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