Cleaning with ammonia (again.).

[beaujolais]

Seems like cleaning with ammonia is not the most popular way.

Yes, I know it can take your rhodium plating off (which doesn''t bother me, I like unplated gold, also). And that it can tarnish solder.

However, when I do a quick soak in straight ammonia and scrub, it cleans like nothing else. I''d rather have my diamond perform than care about wearing off the rhodium.

Can anyone tell me why I shouldn''t do this?

Thanks.

(Oh and it has a feather so I don''t want to put it in the ultrasound.)

 

[denverappraiser]

Ammonia will have no adverse affects on your diamond, even with prolonged exposure. The problems all have to do with the mounting and with the general handling of poisonous chemicals. If you’re careful and use good sense in the handling you will have no problems. Ultrasonic cleaning will not affect a feather in a diamond either by the way.

Neil Beaty
GG(GIA) ICGA(AGS) NAJA
Professional Appraisals in Denver

 

[angeline]

Neil, it''s good to hear from the professional.

So it is okay to put gold in ammonia? just not in bleach right? I had heard that gold wasn''t safe in ammonia (Mr. Clean ammonia version). But I agree with SonomaCounty ammonia cleans like nothing else! I would love to be able to use it.

 

[beaujolais]

Ah, thanks Neil, Angeline.

Now, the feather reaches the surface. Re: the ultrasonic cleaner - you can see photos of the feather in the below link, in the second and sixth photos, if you wish. (If you get the little box in the middle of the screen, click "OK".) Still O.K. in the ultrasound?

Thanks so much, Sonoma

http://www.goodoldgold.com/diamond/5685after

 

[denverappraiser]

Personally I don’t like ammonia based cleaners but this has to do with not liking to breath the fumes and not liking getting it on my skin, clothing, etc. Others don't seem to mind this sort of thing. I agree that it’s a very effective cleaner and it doesn’t damage either gold or platinum (or diamonds). Do be careful with other gem materials like pearls or opals as they can be quite a bit more fragile by the way. As mentioned above, you can tarnish the solder joints in mountings with prolonged exposure so don’t leave it to soak overnight.

Neil Beaty
GG(GIA) ICGA(AGS) NAJA
Professional Appraisals in Denver

 

[beaujolais]

Oh, I agree ammonia is not nice to be around but dull diamonds are not nice to be around either. I open the window when I do it and try to make it short but effective. Actually, I ammonia, maybe, twice a week and alcohol on the other days.

Is Windex stronger than alcohol? Maybe I should change the alcohol days to Windex.

Neil, did you take a look at the feather, by chance? Would you still be O.K. with it in the ultrasound?

Thanks so very much.

 

[Rhapsody]

Date: 8/5/2009 11:17:19 AM
Author:sonomacounty
Yes, I know it can take your rhodium plating off (which doesn''t bother me, I like unplated gold, also). And that it can tarnish solder.

Does anyone know why it would remove the rhodium? I dont know much about the properties of transition group metals but if ammonia wont harm platinum or gold how does it damage rhodium?

 

[denverappraiser]

Sonomacounty,
Your stone should have no problem in an ultrasonic. Clean to your hearts content.

Rhapsody,
Rhodium is pretty inert stuff. The problem isn’t so much that it strips off the rhodium as it can cause a light tarnish on the areas where the rhodium is already worn off or where the plating didn't take well in the first place, especially places that have been repaired or assembled with solder, making them easier to spot.

Neil Beaty
GG(GIA) ICGA(AGS) NAJA
Professional Appraisals in Denver

 

[glitterata]

Neil, about breathing ammonia fumes: I read a wonderful book a few years ago, a memoir by a man who lived on an island in the Outer Hebrides (Scotland). He discussed some scientists' (or historians'?) theory that the reason the rate of tuberculosis was lower among sheep farmers on the Scottish islands than among the general population was that the sheep farmers slept in cottages with their herds, and the ammonia fumes from the sheeps' urine protected them against TB infection.

It's a fascinating, beautifully written book--I highly recommend it. "Sea Room," by Adam Nicholson.

I wash my platinum diamond rings in diluted ammonia every few days. Keeps them nice and clean. And I haven't gotten TB yet, either.

 

[beaujolais]

Thanks all.

Thanks Neil. I''ve never seen it tarnish, but how does one get tarnish off if they need to?

 

[UCLABelle]

I have never tried it, but a friend does it all the time and has no issue. Personally, I love my ultrasonic.

 

[denverappraiser]

Gosh, I never considered the health benefits of sleeping in sheep urine. I don’t have a lot of sheep in my lifestyle at the moment and I doubt my neighbors would approve if I got one but I wonder if cat pee would be an acceptable substitute? I definitely don’t want to get TB. I’ll certainly give that all the consideration it deserves.

Any capable jeweler can polish off tarnish (along with a bit of the rhodium) but it’s not something that has an easy home remedy.

Neil Beaty
GG(GIA) ICGA(AGS) NAJA
Professional Appraisals in Denver

 

[Ellen]

Ok Neil, I''m taking this thread (and your expert opinion) as the last word on ammonia and WG, as there have been conflicting answers since I first got here. I''m going to take it for two reasons.

1. I have a WG setting and agree that ammonia cleans better than anything.

and

2. I don''t want TB.

 

[glitterata]

I''m not making up the stuff about ammonia and TB. I don''t know for a fact that it''s actually true, but some people do seem to believe it. Here''s a paragraph from an article about an architect working in the Hebrides:

'' Black houses varied from island to island and even from village to village. They were all made of stone and built to shelter livestock together with people. Surely this primitive arrangement would have contributed to the spread of disease? Not so, says Bagshaw. Ò People sat below the smoke line and it was only when ventilation was introduced that cold and the spread of disease became a problem. You no longer had heating from the convection currents or the circulation of ammonia from animal urine. Ammonia provides natural protection against TB.Ó ''

link to article

I''m sure cat piss would do just fine, as long as you refrain from changing the litter box long enough for ammonia fumes to develop, and keep your house warm, closed, and unaired.

 

[Ellen]

Date: 8/6/2009 1:19:19 PM
Author: glitterata

I''m not making up the stuff about ammonia and TB. I don''t know for a fact that it''s actually true, but some people do seem to believe it. Here''s a paragraph from an article about an architect working in the Hebrides:

Oh glitter, I know you''re not! And I didn''t mean to imply it couldn''t be true. I was just joking ----> which may not have worked?

Hey, who knows??

 

[glitterata]

Sorry, Ellen--I''m having a tone problem! Darn this Internet, I should use more smilies!!

I understood that you (and Neil) were poking gentle fun. And I posted the urine/TB stuff for the amusement of all.

 

[Richard Sherwood]

Ammonia is fine for diamonds and okay for platinum. It's gold that it has a problem with.

Not the gold actually, but the metals it is alloyed with.

In yellow gold for example, you usually have silver, copper and zinc alloys. In white gold the silver and copper is replaced by nickel or palladium.

The hydrogen in ammonia (NH3) can be replaced by some metals. Copper, silver and zinc are three such metals ammonia is corrosive to. Particularly zinc, which has high electron mobility

All this takes a long time of course, and you might be okay with cautious cleaning of your gold jewelry in ammonia over a lifetime.

But with that and all the health hazards of ammonia, why take a chance? There's plenty of non-ammonia cleaners that work perfectly fine. Mr Clean without ammonia is one.