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Cleaning tips wanted

peridot

Rough_Rock
Joined
Jul 16, 2011
Messages
12
My mother has some very nice sterling earrings and a matching brooch. Over the years, they've built up some tarnish, which is to be expected. She is unsure of how to clean them as they are full of inset Marcasites. Think something along the lines of the pieces posted in this thread, although they aren't antique.

What's the best way to approach this? Normally, for silver, I'd just haul out the polishing cloth, but I don't want to damage the Marcasites and they're so tightly packed in that getting in between them with something like a cloth--or even a toothbrush will be a challenge.
 

peridot

Rough_Rock
Joined
Jul 16, 2011
Messages
12
Is there anything special about Sunshine cloths? I'm unfamiliar with them.

I have some wipes (maybe the Connoisseur ones, maybe another brand). Would I be risking any damage to the stones if I used these on her pieces?
 

stracci2000

Ideal_Rock
Premium
Joined
Jun 26, 2007
Messages
8,345
I'm sure the polishing cloth you have will work fine.
I have several Fabulustre cloths. They work great on both silver and gold.
They are two ply, and the inner cloth is impregnated with rouge polishing compound.

I think any kind of treated jewelry cloth will clean the silver and marcasite jewelry.
Just don't get the marcasites wet, as they are glued in.
 

pearlsngems

Ideal_Rock
Premium
Joined
Jan 4, 2010
Messages
2,789
Sunshine cloths contain very fine abrasives as well as tarnish removing chemicals. The most common one is the yellow one (medium grit) but there is also a blue (finer, for buffing up) and pink (grittier for deeper scratches.)

I have Connoisseur Quick Jewelry Cleanser gel but it does not remove tarnish; I use it for cleaning my gemstone jewelry.
If the wipes you have are tarnish removing, they should work fine.
 

peridot

Rough_Rock
Joined
Jul 16, 2011
Messages
12
Thanks.

Just a question about not getting the pieces wet. Normally, after I clean any piece of jewellery, I rinse the piece with water to remove any cleaners/chemicals/etc. as I don't like the idea of the cleaning compounds coming in contact with skin. Is there a way to do that and protect the stones?
 

lambskin

Ideal_Rock
Premium
Joined
Aug 22, 2012
Messages
3,053
Are marcasites porous? I thought they were a hard stone.
 

Winnie The Pooh

Rough_Rock
Joined
May 24, 2023
Messages
21
There was once I went to a local jewelry store to clean my ring, and the owner told me to boil it with water+lye. I took a picture of it. Haven’t tried it though.

Anyone else here knows this trick?

IMG_7503.jpeg
 

Daisys and Diamonds

Super_Ideal_Rock
Joined
Apr 30, 2019
Messages
22,510
There was once I went to a local jewelry store to clean my ring, and the owner told me to boil it with water+lye. I took a picture of it. Haven’t tried it though.

Anyone else here knows this trick?

IMG_7503.jpeg

i dont know
but isnt lye really costic ?
most drain cleaners are
 
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