How do you age a mirror (tarnish/patina a shinny surface)?

Question

is their a way (a natural way?) to make a mirror look old

the actual mirror not the frame :)

thanks a million

Answer 1

Without knowing the purpose at all ( I wish you had explained) this sounds almost theatrical. I can't imagine wanting to do so, other than as a decorative prop, even if in a home.

Certainly you could buy a mirror already OLD, and nudge at the Silvering in various ways. You could, on the face of it, depending on the desired effect, get a can of spray paint, Black maybe? Hold it far beyond the usual distance directed on the can/label,,,even laying the mirror horizontal, and let an overspray shadow it.

You might even go back to the back, and use a dilluted paint stripper to "Orange Peel" the silvering.

Answer 2

Try citric acid (its natural) it may etch it a little..