My great grandmother's cintrine ring

[Sparklepop]

I have a ring that was my great grandmother's. It is cintrine (i think) and has two tiny garnets of each side of the stone. It is set in gold. The center stone looks really speckled. I dont know if that is normal...


But.

I realized maybe it was very dirty and that it probably has not been cleaned in over 30years ....at least. So I attempted to clean it with just warm water and a tiny bit of dish soap, and a q-tip. I got the center or the middle stone to look less speckled. I am having a hard time cleaning the edges of the stone myself because of the way it is set.

Do you think it made a difference? I always loved this ring anyway, but if I could get some of the specks off of it, that would be nice!!

Any more suggestions? I guess I could just bring it somewhere to get cleaned. Or do you think these are just inclusions/normal?

Oh. And how old/when do you think this ring was made?


Sorry the pics are soooo Huge.

 

[chrono]

Oh yeah, a huge difference between the before and after cleaning pictures. In the first, I could not even guess what it was, or rather, would have gone totally off base. I don't see any more black specks. Given that the dirt is 30 years old, how about letting it soak overnight in a small container of warm soapy water, before a secound round of cleaning? When I cleaned my late grandmother's diamond earrings, the crud was so encrusted, it took multiple soakings and cleaning with a black hairpin to remove the dirt stuck in the nook and crannies.

 

[Lady_Disdain]

I would soak it in warm water with a little soap and ammonia. Then, use one of those tiny brushes that are meant to replace dental floss and attack the corners and crannies. I sometimes use a toothpick as well. I don't like to use anything metal, since it can scratch the gold.

 

[chrono]

Is using ammonia safe for the gold? I used a metal pin with mine because diamonds are hard, so no worries there. I wouldn't use it for coloured gemstones though.

 

[VapidLapid]

I dont know about ammonia with gold, but I would try rubbing alcohol too to dissolve time crusted crud.

 

[chrono]

I've read quite often that it is not advisable to soak gold jewellery overnight in a diluted ammonia solution. It can cause deterioration of the metal with long term exposure. With some alloys, it will tarnish the silver in the white gold, making it look blackish the next day but can be buffed away. Again, I don't like the idea of buffing gold because the material is removed.

 

[minousbijoux]

These are great tips. I have to admit, even my rings which I clean on a regular basis has some grime that after soaking remains. I like the idea of rubbing alcohol and soap.

And yes, SP, I see a big difference between the before and afters.

 

[Lady_Disdain]

I wouldn't use ammonia for everyday cleaning but once for encrusted grime? Yep, specially since it won't need to be overnight (I should have stated that in my post). Half an hour is more than enough, generally. And, yes, never for plated items.

 

[txgreeneyes]

Could it be a topaz? Beautiful ring!

 

[Sparklepop]

Thanks everyone. I did soak it for a few hours just in water and a tiny soap then I scribed it with a soft toothbrush. Ingot most of th grime off. Looks much better

@txgreeneyes

How can you tell if it topaz or cintrine? What is the difference. Thanks!

 

[txgreeneyes]

I have no idea on how to tell the difference. I do know that Topaz and Citrine are the birthstones for November.

Citrines are quartz. Topaz is another entirely different stone. They do look alike.

It's a beautiful ring! You may have to take it to a jewelry store and see if they can tell you what it is. I'm sure there will be someone who will post shortly on the best places to take it.

 

[chrono]

I doubt a regular jewellery store saleperson can tell the difference. A higher end (non chain type) store with an in-house gemmologist will be able to take a gander at it. I don't think it is topaz though. Topaz has higher RI and is more durable than a citrine.