Ultrasonic Question

[Iowa Lizzy]

So I bought an ultrasonic off Amazon. Not expensive ($40), stainless steel tank. Can''t remember the brand right now. I don''t have my ring yet (waiting for THE question), but I plan to use the US and my new Jewel Jet on it. My SO purchased the Mark Morrell flame ring with the tiny diamonds in the crown. Will it be safe in the US? I read that you shouldn''t put pave in them. Are those kind of in the same category? Pave is safe to use with a Jewel Jet, correct?

A second question, my mother hasn''t had her eternity ring cleaned in AGES and I thought I''d bring my new toys to my folk''s house for the holiday next weekend. I THINK her eternity band is a shared prong. I''m not 100% sure, it''s definitely not micro pave by any means. Yay or nay to put it in the US/Jewel Jet? My mother hasn''t had her rings cleaned in anything besides Connoisseur''s solution (and rarely in that) in at least 10 years. I want her to see how well those babies can sparkle when they''re taken care of.

Any help is always greatly appreciated.

 

[Todd Gray]

Hello Travel Goddess, I realize that you are probably very excited to try out your new toy, however I must urge extreme caution in using the ultra sonic. As professional jewelers we tend to use our ultra sonic cleaner most often without the mechanism running and primarily as a heated soaking tub which we gently swish jewelry about (by hand) to help the solution work through the prongs and loosen dirt and grime. Use of the mechanism is usually restricted to initially shaking up the solution when mixing a fresh batch and to get things moving within the sonic at the beginning of the day - or when cleaning a blank mounting which does not contain stones that can be easily shaken loose in a setting.

If I were presented Mark Morrell''s flame ring or a ring similar to it, I would not use a running ultra sonic to clean the ring because I would not want to be responsible for the diamonds within the ring, including the center stone, from becoming loose. As you might expect by this point, I would definitely not place a shared prong eternity ring in a running ultra sonic! Nope. Definitely not! Be careful when using the Jewel Jet personal steamer as well, too much steam directed at small stones can definitely loosen them. We primarily use the steam cleaner to gently blow off the water left from rinsing off the solution from the ultra sonic cleaner - it''s not used to blow dirt out of the setting.

I would definitely recommend talking to a local jeweler to see if they will give you a crash course in jewelry cleaning, lots of jewelers allow their customers to accompany them back to their cleaning area and it will provide a lot of insight.

While you did not mention using the ultra sonic cleaner with colored gems, I''d just like to mention that many colored gems can be easily damaged by the heated solutions used in ultra sonic cleaners, can be damaged by vibration, and can shatter when steam cleaned!

 

[Dancing Fire]

Date: 6/27/2009 8:19:32 PM
Author: Todd Gray
Hello Travel Goddess, I realize that you are probably very excited to try out your new toy, however I must urge extreme caution in using the ultra sonic. As professional jewelers we tend to use our ultra sonic cleaner most often without the mechanism running and primarily as a heated soaking tub which we gently swish jewelry about (by hand) to help the solution work through the prongs and loosen dirt and grime. Use of the mechanism is usually restricted to initially shaking up the solution when mixing a fresh batch and to get things moving within the sonic at the beginning of the day - or when cleaning a blank mounting which does not contain stones that can be easily shaken loose in a setting.

i don''t know Todd...
i''ve been using an US + J Jet on my wife''s rings for a few years now and never had a single stone came loose.

 

[strmrdr]

That is pretty conservative Todd.

For the MM ring I would talk to Mark and follow his advise.

Never put an old eternity band that hasn''t been inspected in a US cleaner or even use a steam cleaner on it.
Get it inspected and if needed repaired first.

 

[Kaleigh]

Date: 6/27/2009 10:45:18 PM
Author: strmrdr
That is pretty conservative Todd.

For the MM ring I would talk to Mark and follow his advise.

Never put an old eternity band that hasn't been inspected in a US cleaner or even use a steam cleaner on it.
Get it inspected and if needed repaired first.

I read this earlier, and know people vary on this. But agree, ask Mark what his advice is...

I also agree with Storm, an eternity band that hasn't been cleaned in ages, nor checked for loose prongs??

You can soak it using the heat function... But best way to clean when in doubt?? Close the drain, soft tooth brush and warm soapy water.... Gentle is key. I think it needs to be checked first, make sure the prongs are tight etc... This really should be done every 6 months.

I clean my family's jewelry but always check for loose stones Loupe it and inspect it entirely before I do any kind of cleaning. I haven't had a casualty yet. But maybe I need them to sign a waiver, LOL!!!!

 

[CravingDiamonds]

I would not clean the old eternity band with US either unless you want to risk losing diamonds or ruining the ring. Have the ring inspected before you clean it with the US.

 

[denverappraiser]

A well made piece in good condition should have very little trouble with an untrasonic and a new MM will surely fill that bill but asking for and following Mark''s advice is definitely the approach to take. Since you know nothing about your mother’s piece in either regard I would be very cautious about putting it in there. Clean it with a soft toothbrush and the jeweljet. If it’s been a while and she wears it often, I really would suggest having a professional inspection done. It’s usually free and most stores are happy to do it while you wait. If she hasn’t had it appraised to keep her insurance current, she might find that worthwhile as well. Cleaning is just an added benefit.

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

 

[oldminer]

The little diamonds in an MWM ring are always well set enough for a standard US cleaning. They are relatively buried under the diamond in a Flame ring and likely will never get much wear on the little beads which hold in the diamonds. Of all the tiny diamonds I''ve seen set, the MWM items looks among the least likely to shake out in a US. If one would come out, it is in the US pot and MWM certainly can reset it. It would be VERY rare.

I recommend using a small mesh strainer to put items into the US anyway. If a stone comes out, it will be right there in the strainer. I often use a double side, tea strainer, to do this work so any stones will get trapped and we won''t have to hunt for them. The Jewel Jet is a neat tool, but hardly as strong as a professional steamer. If it blows a diamond out of a ring, that stone was going to fall out on its own except for the dirt holding it in place. Always steam jewelry over a face cloth or an absorbent rag so any stones don''t bounce away, but just land softly in the cloth waiting for you to find them easily. It is really nothing to worry much over.

 

[Dancing Fire]

if your stones are too loose to be US safe then you shouldn''t be wearing it on your finger.

 

[Iowa Lizzy]

Thanks so much for everyone''s advice! I will be contacting Mark just to double check that the Flame is safe for the US. And I''ll "borrow" my mother''s rings and take them to the jeweler they were purchased from for an inspection. She''s had the rings for at least 15 years and she wears them all day, every day. I have never seen so much gunk before in my life. Bleh. Every time I go back to my parent''s house, I clean it with a soft brush in solution but it''s never enough. They are already super sparkly, so I''d love to see them really clean.

Does anyone know if aquamarines are safe for the US and J Jet? That''s the only gemstone I have.

Again, thanks to everyone who took the time to respond!

 

[Todd Gray]

Date: 6/27/2009 10:45:18 PM
Author: strmrdr
That is pretty conservative Todd.

I prefer to be conservative when it comes to advising a consumer about the use of an ultra sonic and steam cleaner, obviously the average consumer lacks the knowledge and expertise to determine whether it is safe to clean most jewelry items in these devices. Note that the ultra sonic cleaners purchased by most consumers also tend to have mechanisms which are much harsher than those used in professional quality ultra sonic cleaners and thus they are also more likely to loosen the stones within a setting...

The comment "if your stones are too loose to be US safe then you shouldn''t be wearing them on your finger" is accurate to a point, but perhaps people are unaware of the fact that the US cleaning process can actually loosen stones within a setting to the extent that the ring becomes unsafe to wear! Diamonds are the hardest mineral substance on earth, they are certainly capable of cutting the seat of a diamond further into the prongs to the extent that the setting becomes loose. Thus yes, I prefer to be "conservative" when responding to consumers who have just purchased an ultra sonic cleaner and don''t know the pro''s and con''s of using it to clean their jewelry. This is also why I recommended that Travel Goddess seek out a local jeweler capable of evaluating the condition of the jewelry and advising her of the best way to clean it.

What could possibly happen if I said "Sure, go ahead and clean your MM setting and the eternity ring!" and people on the forum less familiar with the dangers of ultra sonic units got the idea that it was all right to drop their rings in an ultra sonic for 20 minutes a day, three times a week? Or heck, how about every day while they shower? That way their rings can be nice and sparkly every single day! Anybody care to guess how many threads we''d have on PS about diamonds falling out of the settings and becoming loose? And who do you think would be initially blamed for the diamonds becoming loose in the settings or falling out? I''m just asking

 

[CBL]

This is probably a very dumb question (and just a smidge of a threadjack), but...if there is little to no chance your stones will be loosened/lost in the process of cleaning (ie, channel set, bezel set, new-ish, etc), how often is TOO often to use the US?

 

[Todd Gray]

Date: 6/29/2009 1:53:29 AM
Author: CBL
This is probably a very dumb question (and just a smidge of a threadjack), but...if there is little to no chance your stones will be loosened/lost in the process of cleaning (ie, channel set, bezel set, new-ish, etc), how often is TOO often to use the US?

It is actually a very relevant question. Assuming that the jewelry item is in excellent condition and you are in the practice of having it professionally cleaned, inspected and maintained by a professional jeweler at least twice per year (let''s say when the clocks change for daylight savings) then a ring like the Mark Morrell Flame design could take a bath in a running ultra sonic for a few minutes (like 2 - 3 minutes) about once a week or so... But a shared prong eternity ring or a pave setting wouldn''t appreciate that kind of attention

 

[TheDoctor]

My 6 year apprentice made her own pave wedding band 2 years ago and puts in in the hot ultrasonic daily, folowed by a good steaming. No loose stones, ever. If her stones were falling out she would be looking for another job.