[Jewelry making - Article 01216] - Re: [Orchid] Sensitive Stones Cleaning

[David L. Huffman]

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>         If you are cleaning a piece with, say Opal or Emerald,
>     Tanzanite or a host of other sensitive stones, just what are you
>     supposed to do if warm soapy water (the recommended method) just
>     doesn't get it clean? 

Hi Michael;

    You might try a couple things. First, Gesswein sells a "kit" of
    various water soluble polishing compounds. These are much easier to
    clean with soap and water. Another solution is, if you are using
    conventional polishing compounds, soak them for a while in mineral
    spirits or concentrated cleaning products like Mr. Clean, to break
    down the grease of the polishing compounds, then just go back to your
    soap and water. I often just swish a sensitive article around in the
    sonic for a very brief moment, and there's a difference between
    steaming right under the nozzle and steaming the article lightly 8 or
    10 inches away from the steam source. The point is, you don't want
    rapid changes in temperature. If the article doesn't get hot, that's
    the point. Before I had a steam cleaner, I used to boil safe
    articles in Spic-and-Span and water, then rinse in plain water and
    blow them off with compressed air from an inexpensive small
    compressor with a push-botton nozzle. Heat sensitive article I had to
    soak in soap and water, then blow off, maybe soak again, etc. And,
    you can always put aside the heat sensitive articles, turn off the
    sonic's heater, and clean them when the solution cools off. 

David L. Huffman

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