Mechanical Gemstone Cleaning

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PinkDiamond
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Mechanical Gemstone Cleaning

Post by PinkDiamond »

I can't recall ever putting information about cleaning gems and jewelry on the forum, so here are two by the same author, and I'm just putting the title and link to the second one below the story. ;)

Mechanical Gemstone Cleaning
by Dr. Gerald Wykoff GG CSM

Image
Inclusions, some visible to the naked eye and others microscopic, are present in many gems. Some add great beauty and interest to a gemstone. However, they can also cause problems if you clean a gemstone in an appropriate manner. “Lodolite” (Quartz with inclusions) by Mario Cateb. Licensed under CC By 2.0.

"The principal advantage of mechanical gemstone cleaning is getting beautiful results on difficult to clean set gems with minimal effort. You can purchase home kits for cleaning jewelry with ultrasonic, steam, and boiling systems. However, these techniques are best left to the professionals. (Hopefully, they have liability insurance to cover unfortunate outcomes).

The main risks mechanical gemstone cleaning poses to your jewelry doesn’t come from the equipment. Rather, they come from the unique internal characteristics of your individual gems. These include inclusions, undetected tiny fractures and structural stress, the gems’ chemical properties, and treatments received. If not identified by a professional gemologist beforehand, these qualities could lead to poor or disastrous results if you place your gemstones in the wrong kind of mechanical system.

Professional gemologists will understand the “internal personalities” of your gems. They can help you select the appropriate mechanical gemstone cleaning method.

The Risk Factors Hidden In Some Popular Gems
... "

https://www.gemsociety.org/article/mech ... -cleaning/

How to Clean Your Gemstone Jewelry
by Dr. Gerald Wykoff GG CSM

https://www.gemsociety.org/article/clea ... e-jewelry/
PinkDiamond
ISG Registered Gemologist


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