I just got this bolo as my first turquoise piece and noticed these green bits on the clip. Will it cause damage to the silver? What cleaner should I use?
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The green is verdigris formed by the oxidation of copper. The clip is likely nickel plated copper. Moisture, sweating, and chemicals cause the copper to leach and oxidize. You can just use soap and water to clean it off.
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@Devivi Welcome. Nice silverwork on your bolo. I’m not an expert & can only provide my own jewelry experiences. I personally don’t use cleaners on jewelry, especially turquoise. I’d use a soft bristle toothbrush to remove the green spots. Then a soft cloth to wipe away any residue. Hopefully, more knowledge members can provide input to your questions.
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But don’t let the soap and water get on the stones! It could cause them to become loose (traditional Native work often uses sawdust under the stone to cushion it, the water can get in and cause it to flatten, make the stone loose, and it can fall out).
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@Ziacat @Devivi Oh, I didn’t mean to imply any use of soap & water with the toothbrush. A dry brushing only. Should I edit my comment?
Good clarification @Ziacat . Soap & water on the back only. Or a dry toothbrush mentioned by @Patina .
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I really like your bolo tie. The corkscrew design on the right is a great touch. Nice turquoise.
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@Ziacat @Patina @StevesTrail Thank you all so much for the advice! I thought the stones were similar to opal which easily stains and degrades from fine jewelry cleaners. I used a micro brush and cloth to get it all off. It feels like putty once I got it off (I don’t recall a green version of it and still worried if it was acid based form of adhesive) so might dab a little over the spot with DI water and some spot treatment on the affected leather.
@nanc9354 Thank you. I really love it for the well made flower and metalwork. 
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Nice bola tie. The bola finding on the back is nickel, which oxidizes green from the tanning acids in the leather bola cord. This type of oxidation is perfectly normal on a finding of this type, and should buff right off. You can use 000 to 0000 steel wool to remove it by gently and firmly rubbing just the oxidized area in one direction. Be careful to work on just the affected area of the finding, and you wont disturb the patina anywhere else on the bola.
Note: The greenish nickel oxide residue can transfer to clothing, so if you’re planning to wear the bola, removing the oxide is recommended.
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In case anyone is interested, Elephant Brand 00000 steel wool is available on eBay. It’s great for careful removal of light rust on gun parts without damage or scratches to the steel among other uses.
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