Renaissance Wax

Commonly used to polish and conserve metal objects, it is also used on gemstones and such organic materials as wood, ivory, and tortoiseshell.

Waxes are more protective and longer-lasting than oil, especially for swords and helmets that are frequently touched by human hands.

This has several objectives: to produce a barrier that excludes moisture and oxygen from the metal surface, to preclude the introduction of contaminating elements by handling, and to provide a protective layer over anti-corrosion undercoatings.

Microcrystalline waxes used on ethnographic[clarification needed] metal objects are discouraged, as they may require extensive treatment for removal.

It may[citation needed] also help prevent the onset of the chloride-related corrosion commonly called bronze disease, although it won't arrest this once started.