Emeralds in ultrasonic - safe?

[kama_s]

A friend of mine has a bracelet with tiny emeralds and diamonds that hasn't been cleaned once in 25 years! I offered to take it home and put it through my ultrasonic, but i just realized I didn't know enough about emeralds to ensure it was safe to do so. I don't know how soft a stone emerald is, so wondering if any of you PS experts could advise me one way or the other? Thanks!!

 

[VapidLapid]

do not do that!

 

[T L]

NOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

[Roger Dery]

A friend of mine has a bracelet with tiny emeralds and diamonds that hasn't been cleaned once in 25 years! I offered to take it home and put it through my ultrasonic, but i just realized I didn't know enough about emeralds to ensure it was safe to do so. I don't know how soft a stone emerald is, so wondering if any of you PS experts could advise me one way or the other? Thanks!!

Hi kama_s,
There is a recent thread regarding a gem's durability and whether they are suitable to be placed into an Ultrasonic cleaner, or cleaned with a steamer. You can read through the details here:

https://www.pricescope.com/communit...46657/#post-2646143?hilit=Roger Dery#p2646143
I hope you find this helpful.

 

[LD]

To clean the bracelet use tepid water with a little washing up liquid. The dip a baby's toothbrush into it and brush all over the bracelet getting into the nooks and crannies. Then rinse the toothbrush in clean tepid water and rinse the bracelet with that. Don't put under the running water. Then dry with a lint free cloth.

 

[kama_s]

I am SO glad I asked!! *phew* Dodged a major bullet here. Thank you all for the advice!

 

[chrono]

NEVER EVER put an emerald in a US unless you plan to never wear it again; it will crack beyond recognition. It requires gentle cleaning of warm soapy water and a baby toothbrush.

 

[gsellis]

Let's explain why.

Most emeralds are treated with cedar oil. Most emeralds have cracks in them, but the cedar oil 'cleans' it right up. To get the cedar oil in the stone, they usually put it in a vacuum chamber to 'pull' the air out of the cracks and it gets replaced with the oil. Then, they may put it under pressure for just that finishing touch.

So, your stone may have cracks in it and they will not show. Flawless emeralds are rare, and you might have to trade the Ferrari for one. Put it in a ultrasonic cleaner, and it will finish cracking. Put it in a strong cleaner, and you remove the oil exposing all those pits.

Recuts are tricky too, because you do not know what you have. For example, I use Super Glue / CA most of the time. To remove CA, I use acetone. Bye-bye cedar oil. It would need a retreatment if it survived.

Another faceter recently worked on an 'emerald' that was from the 1920's. It turned out to be a triplet with green glass (fakes are not a new thing). I think I remember that it was the acetone that revealed its true identity, but I could be wrong.

 

[kelpie]

NO! I broke an emerald in a ultrasonic. I even knew they weren't supposed to go in and did it anyway. I think soapy water is the way to go.

 

[RockHugger]

This thread makes me want to cry...I picture poor emeralds being dipped in boiling water, screaming...

 

[T L]

I wouldn't even use soapy water because it could affect the oil filling, if it exists. I would just use warm (not hot) water, or at most, just wipe it down with a chamois cloth. Emeralds aren't about sparkle, so keeping them pristinely clean, like you would a very sparkly type of gemstone, isn't imperative. It's actually the one gemstone that I think benefits from being touched and getting a little greasy.

 

[Arkteia]

I remember how I once decided to machine-wash my most beloved, most expensive cashmere sweater. It shrunk beyond recognition. I guess the feeling one gets after taking the emerald out of the US cleaner is the same, only much, much worse...

 

[ooo~Shiney!]

I remember how I once decided to machine-wash my most beloved, most expensive cashmere sweater. It shrunk beyond recognition. I guess the feeling one gets after taking the emerald out of the US cleaner is the same, only much, much worse...

Hey, I did that once too!