Better or worse?

Remember the iris heart from this post? This is yet another example of a piece that first ended up with a meh patina (or at least a patina that looked more good than great) and therefore got another patina on top of it. Experimenting is fun and it's hard to resist the urge to do something more, think "what if..." and act on that curious thought.

This time I let the the dusty turquoise silver-plated stamping bathe in some old LOS solution I found. Didn't know what the result would be as I had no idea how it'd react nor with the flaking plating (which could still have som lacquer left on it too), neither with the previous patina. My thought was that it would darken the metal so this wasn't the result I was aiming for...

The effect is cool in one way, though, as it makes the metal look very old and dirty. Like it's been picked up from the mud. It really does look like dry mud, nothing like the oxidised black or brown LOS normally creates on metal. Some would probably call it ruined, but I like distressed and old-looking surfaces. "Real old", the authentic, is of cause the best, but simulated old like this can be gorgeous too (if it isn't overdone or made all cutesy or obviously fake, like some do with shabby chic).

Below you can see what it looked like before. In a way it looks ok in picture and it almost makes me regret the second patina, but the contrast was low IRL, making it hard to see the iris motif and the colour was fading. But was it a good call, adding liver of sulphur? I really can't decide.

So what do you think: did the second patina make it better or worse? Or just different?


(Size note: Including the loop, the heart is 54 mm high. It's a big pendant, not a small charm.)