Antique malachite necklace--how to clean it?

[glitterata]

I just got an antique (c. 1920s-30s) necklace made of malachite beads with crystal spacers. What's the best way to clean it? The internet thinks I should just dust the malachite, but the crystal beads could clearly use something more than dusting to remove skin oils, sweat, etc. (The internet also seems to think malachite is POISON POISON POISON DO NOT TOUCH, but for the past couple years it's been extra hard to tell reasonable advice from AI nonsense.)

Should I have posted this in Colored Gemtones instead? I hope some of our colored stones fans will see it anyway, e.g. @LilAlex, @Dr_Diesel, @VividRed, @lovedogs, @Autumn in New England, @seaurchin, @dk168 .

Thanks, jewelry friends!

 

[Autumn in New England]

Isn't that LOVELY!! I am a huge malachite fan and own a lot of it. The only time it's "dangerous" is if someone is regularly inhaling the dust while cutting (due to the high copper content). It does NOT leach toxins wet or dry or when coming into contact with skin. Worry not!

If it just needs a light "after wear" cleaning, I would simply use a soft cloth, just as I would clean my pearls. If we're talking a film or grime, I might use a dampened soft cloth. If you think the piece requires one good deep clean since you just purchased it, I would give it a warm water (not hot) bath with a little gentle dish soap. Rinse it, and wipe with that soft cloth. Basically, I always try to do as conservative a cleaning as possible (with any jewelry).

Congrats on your beautiful buy and enjoy!!

 

[glitterata]

Isn't that LOVELY!! I am a huge malachite fan and own a lot of it. The only time it's "dangerous" is if someone is regularly inhaling the dust while cutting (due to the high copper content). It does NOT leach toxins wet or dry or when coming into contact with skin. Worry not!

If it just needs a light "after wear" cleaning, I would simply use a soft cloth, just as I would clean my pearls. If we're talking a film or grime, I might use a dampened soft cloth. If you think the piece requires one good deep clean since you just purchased it, I would give it a warm water (not hot) bath with a little gentle dish soap. Rinse it, and wipe with that soft cloth. Basically, I always try to do as conservative a cleaning as possible (with any jewelry).

Congrats on your beautiful buy and enjoy!!

Thank you so much, Autumn! That info is exactly what I was hoping for.

 

[Bron357]

I’d use a toothbrush moistened with water and a drop of soap. Dont saturate the piece, cord could be silk or cotton, and dry thoroughly.

 

[Dr_Diesel]

I just got an antique (c. 1920s-30s) necklace made of malachite beads with crystal spacers. What's the best way to clean it? The internet thinks I should just dust the malachite, but the crystal beads could clearly use something more than dusting to remove skin oils, sweat, etc. (The internet also seems to think malachite is POISON POISON POISON DO NOT TOUCH, but for the past couple years it's been extra hard to tell reasonable advice from AI nonsense.)

Should I have posted this in Colored Gemtones instead? I hope some of our colored stones fans will see it anyway, e.g. @LilAlex, @Dr_Diesel, @VividRed, @lovedogs, @Autumn in New England, @seaurchin, @dk168 .

Thanks, jewelry friends!

Thank you for the tag! That's a luscious green feast for the eyes! ...and I second what @Autumn in New England said about toxicity

 

[Daisys and Diamonds]

I just got an antique (c. 1920s-30s) necklace made of malachite beads with crystal spacers. What's the best way to clean it? The internet thinks I should just dust the malachite, but the crystal beads could clearly use something more than dusting to remove skin oils, sweat, etc. (The internet also seems to think malachite is POISON POISON POISON DO NOT TOUCH, but for the past couple years it's been extra hard to tell reasonable advice from AI nonsense.)

Should I have posted this in Colored Gemtones instead? I hope some of our colored stones fans will see it anyway, e.g. @LilAlex, @Dr_Diesel, @VividRed, @lovedogs, @Autumn in New England, @seaurchin, @dk168 .

Thanks, jewelry friends!

i love it !!!!!!

 

[glitterata]

Thank you, kind jewelry friends!

 

[LightBright]

I’m really confused!

I always thought malachite was black with a mirror like finish. It was used as a decorative faceted stone or melee in Europe for silver jewelry early 20th C., when diamonds and other metals were costly.

Is it also opaque jade like green?

 

[glitterata]

I’m really confused!

I always thought malachite was black with a mirror like finish. It was used as a decorative faceted stone or melee in Europe for silver jewelry early 20th C., when diamonds and other metals were costly.

Is it also opaque jade like green?

I think you're thinking of marcasite.

 

[LightBright]

I think you're thinking of marcasite.

Ohhhhh, thank you! This is what I should have recalled…

AI summary that I’m glad to be able to find now:
“ The name "marcasite" comes from the Arabic word marqashītā, which means "fire stone" or "pyrite". The name "malachite" comes from the Greek word molochitus, which means "mallows".
Explanation
Marcasite
The name "marcasite" was used to refer to all iron sulfides, including pyrite, from the 1300s to 1700s. In 1845, Austrian mineralogist Wilhelm Karl von Haidinger defined marcasite as a distinct mineral.
Malachite
The name "malachite" was used in antiquity by Pliny the Elder in 79 CE. The name was spelled "malachites" by at least 1661.
History of Marcasite and Malachite
Marcasite has been used in jewelry since the time of the Incas and Ancient Greeks. Malachite was used in jewelry in antiquity. Marcasite was popular in the Victorian era, when Queen Victoria wore it as a substitute for diamonds. Malachite was also used in jewelry during the Art Deco and Art Nouveau movement’s.”