[Jewelry making - Article 00453] - Re: [Orchid] Frosting of peridots

[Peter W . Rowe]

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>        Hi everyone, I am working on a pair of 22k earring set with
>     faceted peridots. I put them into my pickle pot for a few minutes
>     after I had set the stones to give them a brighter gold color and
>     when I took them out the stones appeared to be dul l and had lost
>     their sparkle. Has this happened to anyone else? Can anything be
>     done to fix this disaster? 

    Peridot happens to be attacked, though slowly, by pickling acids.  A
    brief dip to remove flux or very light oxidation is usually OK, but
    longer than that, and it gets frosted.  The pickles made with actual
    acid attack peridot more quickly than do products like Sparex, but
    even they will attack it.    About the only fix is to repolish the
    stone.  If the frosting is very slight, you can use an ordinary buff
    or brush in your flex shaft with some cerium oxide lapidary polish,
    or fine grit (14000 or higher) diamond compound, or even platinum
    rouge (the white, 8000 grade compound from gesswein is especially
    effective) to brighten the surfaces again, but this type of buffing
    on a facetted stone will round over facet edges, so the stone isn't as
    'crisp" any more.  remember too that you have to do the pavilion as
    well, if the result is to look good, and this may be difficult in
    many settings.  

Peter

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