shape
carat
color
clarity

Which gemstones are safe in ultrasonic cleaner?

Status
Not open for further replies. Please create a new topic or request for this thread to be opened.

Odilia

Brilliant_Rock
Joined
Aug 1, 2005
Messages
1,621
The SI Ultrasonic says no pearls, opals, amber or emeralds. What about aquamarines? (I kinda thought they were in the emerald family.) What about rubies & sapphires? How about any other gemstones?
 
Aha. It looks like I may have found the answer, although any experts feel free to chime in. I found a site with info on the birthstones:

MARCH BIRTHSTONES - AQUAMARINE

The birthstone for march is the unique and refreshing Aquamarine. .... Aquamarines care and cleaning is fairly simple with it being safe to clean in both an ultrasonic cleaner and with steam cleaning. Heat usually has little or no effect on aquamarine.

MAY BIRTHSTONE - EMERALD

Most gemstones are envious of the lush, exotic color of May''s birthstone - the emerald. .... But when caring for emerald''s you must be extremely cautious due to emerald''s medium hardness and oiled finished. Ultrasonic cleaners and steam cleaning should be avoided and emeralds do not tolerate heat well.

JULY BIRTHSTONE - RUBY

Rubies are safe to clean in either an ultrasonic cleaner and/ or steam cleaner but be careful with exposure to extreme heat as it may change in color.

SEPTEMBER BIRTHSTONE - SAPPHIRE

When most individuals think of sapphires, they think of "blue" sapphires. However, sapphires presently can be found in nature in every color of the rainbow from red to violet. blue sapphire continue to be the most popular of all sapphires - their color usually ranges from a deep midnight to a brilliant cornflower blue.
Sapphires .... are very durable and safe to clean either in an ultrasonic cleaner or with a steam cleaner. Extreme heat can cause a change of color - so be careful. one unusual characteristic that is sometimes seen in sapphires is called color banding.

I don''t feel like posting all of them but this info. came from this website.
 
I've always understood ultrasonics to be safe for 'red, white and blues".....diamonds, rubies, and sapphires.

What you posted above is somewhat contrary to what I've understood about aquas. Here is more what my understanding is for them....and I found this data correlated here: http://www.18carat.co.uk/aquamarine.html

"Aquamarines do not like excessive heat, and although they can tolerate temperatures above 100c (the boioling point of water), it is advisable to use warm water rather than hot water, to reduce the dangers of thermal shock.

It is not advisable to clean aquamarine in an ultrasonic tank. We sometimes risk it with our own stock, but we would never clean a large or valuable aquamarine which did not belong to us, in an ultrasonic machine. "

From another site: "Avoid sudden temperature changes, steaming, and contact with cosmetics, hairspray, perfume or household chemicals."

Another site: "AQUAMARINE - Do not use an ultra-sonic machine; avoid heat as it may cause discoloration. "
 
Date: 1/9/2008 2:33:32 PM
Author: aljdewey
I''ve always understood ultrasonics to be safe for ''red, white and blues''.....diamonds, rubies, and sapphires.

What you posted above is somewhat contrary to what I''ve understood about aquas.
Alj, thanks so much for posting that! That''s why I wanted to hear some responses, because I thought aquas were somewhat soft (in the Beryl? family like emeralds) and didn''t know if they could take it. I will look thru that link you posted.
 
Date: 1/9/2008 2:33:32 PM
Author: aljdewey
I''ve always understood ultrasonics to be safe for ''red, white and blues''.....diamonds, rubies, and sapphires.

Do you know if the "red" applies to garnets as well? I''ve heard they''re very durable, but I''d love to know more about it if you know!
 
Date: 1/9/2008 2:33:32 PM
Author: aljdewey
I''ve always understood ultrasonics to be safe for ''red, white and blues''.....diamonds, rubies, and sapphires.

What you posted above is somewhat contrary to what I''ve understood about aquas. Here is more what my understanding is for them....and I found this data correlated here: http://www.18carat.co.uk/aquamarine.html

''Aquamarines do not like excessive heat, and although they can tolerate temperatures above 100c (the boioling point of water), it is advisable to use warm water rather than hot water, to reduce the dangers of thermal shock.

It is not advisable to clean aquamarine in an ultrasonic tank. We sometimes risk it with our own stock, but we would never clean a large or valuable aquamarine which did not belong to us, in an ultrasonic machine. ''

From another site: ''Avoid sudden temperature changes, steaming, and contact with cosmetics, hairspray, perfume or household chemicals.''

Another site: ''AQUAMARINE - Do not use an ultra-sonic machine; avoid heat as it may cause discoloration. ''

I find this interesting in that aquamarine is almost always heat treated to drive the green from the gem and the heat from a steam cleaner or ultrasonic is no where near high enough to effect color change in an aqua.

The reason that we can not or should not use an ultrasonic on emerald is all the surface reaching inclusions have been filled with oil which can be removed by cleaning in an ultrasonic, resulting in a loss of color until the stone is re oiled in a vacuum strong enough to draw the oil back into the inclusions. (The oil allows the light to travel through the gem in a manner that the open cavities do not which allows the light to pick up color allowing the colorless oil to apparently impart color to the gem.)

I have loved and cleaned aquamarine in ultrasonic cleaners for more than 30 years with no ill affect what so ever.

Tanzanites however are a different matter. They are more easily damaged and while I have never had a problem with one by doing so, I have always been told never to put them in the ultrasonic, and to hold them a healthy distance from the steamer head to avoid shock. I listened, so I have never put one in an ultrasonic, nor held one close to the head of a steamer, so I will leave it to others to say if they have ever had a problem with doing this.

For sure do not put opals, especially opal doublets or triplets in the ultrasonic. I have seen it done and if the glue comes undone, you will NOT like the results...

Oh, and yes, both aqua and emerald are in the beryl family, but the chemical coloring agent in most emeralds makes them quite prone to being heavily included. (Chromium is the coloring agent in the emerald. Some African emeralds are colored by Vanadium and at least the ones that I have seen tend to be less included, but I am not an emerald specialist and emphatically state that this is just the stones that I have seen, so take that comment with a grain of salt until you talk with a true African Emerald expert, which I again state that I am not.)

I suspect that a heavily included aqua would be a good stone not to use in the ultrasonic, but they are not to my knowledge oiled so that is not the same type of problem that you would have with an emerald. As a rule of thumb I do not put any highly included stones in the ultrasonic, but that is just my personal habit, not a rule or anything.

Contact with cosmetics etc will have NO affect on aqua unless it is heavily included enough to allow the cosmetics to enter the stone, but in that case the stone is already unatractive...

Wink
 
Date: 1/9/2008 6:08:15 PM
Author: WishfulThinking

Date: 1/9/2008 2:33:32 PM
Author: aljdewey
I''ve always understood ultrasonics to be safe for ''red, white and blues''.....diamonds, rubies, and sapphires.

Do you know if the ''red'' applies to garnets as well? I''ve heard they''re very durable, but I''d love to know more about it if you know!

Garnets are fine. Not sure where the red white and blue statement came from, but as I have already dissagreed with tanzanite, then I stand in contrast to that statement.

However, most of the home units do not vibrate at a high enough speed to be problamatic to any but the most fragile stone (other than something like opal doublets which are in danger of becomming unglued and of course pearls which will absorb the liquid through their drill holes if drilled, causing them to look wierd...).

Some of the professional models get to nearly boiling in the course of the day since they are often left on all day. That is when you get the thermal shock and awe!

Wink
 
Date: 1/9/2008 7:58:01 PM
Author: Wink
Date: 1/9/2008 6:08:15 PM

Author: WishfulThinking


Date: 1/9/2008 2:33:32 PM

Author: aljdewey

I''ve always understood ultrasonics to be safe for ''red, white and blues''.....diamonds, rubies, and sapphires.


Do you know if the ''red'' applies to garnets as well? I''ve heard they''re very durable, but I''d love to know more about it if you know!


Garnets are fine. Not sure where the red white and blue statement came from, but as I have already dissagreed with tanzanite, then I stand in contrast to that statement.


However, most of the home units do not vibrate at a high enough speed to be problamatic to any but the most fragile stone (other than something like opal doublets which are in danger of becomming unglued and of course pearls which will absorb the liquid through their drill holes if drilled, causing them to look wierd...).


Some of the professional models get to nearly boiling in the course of the day since they are often left on all day. That is when you get the thermal shock and awe!


Wink

Thank you so much Wink for your response and your informative posts!
 
You are very welcome, and thank you for understanding my tired sense of humor, I think it is about time to go home for the night...

Wink
 
I clean garnet and amethyst in mine with no problem. I use the jar cleaners without amonia for my aquas.
 
One of the things to watch for are inclusions.

If you have a sapphire or ruby with a lot inclusions especially liquid ones, I would be very wary of putting them in an ultrasonic. Ditto with other stones.

I do put my tsavorite in, I''ve been over every mm with a loupe and I''m still looking for an inclusion, so I''m pretty sure it''s safe - I do use the lowest setting though.

I''ve also put peridots, amethysts and spinels through with no problems.

My FSIL is really sad she went for emerald pear sidestones and not tsavs as she can''t put her e-ring in and her 1.5ct rb gets pretty grubby fast!
 
Thanks for all the replies. How about tourmaline?
 
Date: 1/11/2008 1:58:57 PM
Author: old-fashioned girl
Thanks for all the replies. How about tourmaline?
I was also wondering about peridot.
 
Date: 1/11/2008 2:05:28 PM
Author: Sparkalicious

Date: 1/11/2008 1:58:57 PM
Author: old-fashioned girl
How about tourmaline?
I was also wondering about peridot.
Here is what the website I cited above says:

AUGUST BIRTHSTONE - PERIDOT

The apple-green color of Peridot is the gemstone designated as the August birthstone. ...Peridot is somewhat durable with a MOH''s hardness of 6.5 -7, but should still be handled with care. use care when cleaning peridot ultrasonically, however we recommend you avoid cleaning it with a steam cleaner since extreme heat may cause fracture in the stone.

And for tourmaline:
The alternative October birthstone is tourmaline, more specifically pink tourmaline. Tourmaline is found in every color of the rainbow, except blue. Pink Tourmaline is the most popular and varies in color from pastel pink to mauve to hot pink.
Tourmaline is a fairly durable gem with a MOH''s hardness from 7 to 7.5, but be careful when cleaning ultrasonically and/or with steam cleaner. Exposure to extreme heat can be risky as it can cause a color change.


If any of this doesn''t sound right, experts, please chime in!
 
personally, i''m old school: no steam cleaning for color stones.

movie zombie
 
Date: 1/11/2008 7:09:59 PM
Author: old-fashioned girl
Tourmaline is found in every color of the rainbow, except blue. If any of this doesn''t sound right, experts, please chime in!
Indicolites and Paraibas are blue and beautiful.

Separately, can spinels go in the ultrasonic?
 
Date: 1/11/2008 7:09:59 PM
Author: old-fashioned girl

Here is what the website I cited above says:

AUGUST BIRTHSTONE - PERIDOT

The apple-green color of Peridot is the gemstone designated as the August birthstone. ...Peridot is somewhat durable with a MOH''s hardness of 6.5 -7, but should still be handled with care. use care when cleaning peridot ultrasonically, however we recommend you avoid cleaning it with a steam cleaner since extreme heat may cause fracture in the stone.

If any of this doesn''t sound right, experts, please chime in!
Thanks so much old-fashioned girl! I appreciate the information!
2.gif
 
I only put peridot through occasionally.

I would NEVER steam clean any coloured stones at all either.
 
I wonder if anyone has ever considered using alcohol or peroxide to clean vitruous colored stones and if this is not allowed, wny not?
 
Status
Not open for further replies. Please create a new topic or request for this thread to be opened.
GET 3 FREE HCA RESULTS JOIN THE FORUM. ASK FOR HELP

Featured Topics

Top