[Jewelry making - Article 00283] - Re: [Orchid] Cleaning ancient Roman glass

[Robin Key]

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Hi Devora  

    Ancient glass will decay quite quickly especially once the surface
    has been cleaned. The patina will almost certainly also be lost.
    Museum conservation usually consists of stabilisation and if it is
    going to be put on display it is treated with a resin - the type will
    depend on the type of glass. Glass is silica, potash or soda based
    but will contain other materials as well these determine how it will
    decay and what treatment is needed to stabilise it. Initially the
    best course of action would be to take it to your local museum
    conservation department (before too much of the surface has been
    cleaned away) they will be able to determine the type and then
    suggest the surface and resin treatment to apply this will give it
    its shine. As well as being a jeweller I am a certified archaeologist
    and have dug up lots of glass including roman. The normal procedure
    is to leave soil on or store it wet until it can be stabilised in a
    lab. I have used beach glass for jewellery but this is recent in
    comparison to yours - I normally rub this with either olive or a
    silicone based oil to displace the salt and gunge from the surface
    pores that have developed. I work the edges with a fine stone SLOWLY
    on my flex-shaft to remove any sharp bits and give a better shape for
    setting.

Hope that this helps 
Robin Key, FSA Scot.
Clavis Jewellery
Aberdeen, Scotland
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