What does oxidation mean?
In the finest Bali silver, Indonesian silversmiths create an antique look that is genuine (not dyed). When a craftsman produces a bead, it is shiny silver. They then oxidize the entire bead in a process that essentially creates a thick tarnish encompassing the entire bead, including inside the cracks and crevices. They then polish each bead either using a buffing tool or by tumbling the bead. The effect is that the bead becomes bright and shiny on the outside surfaces, but spaces within the crevices remain tarnished. When done properly, the bead looks rich and has a lot of depth.
