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How to disinfect a yellow gold diamond ring I inherited
Suzie wrote:
I've even wondered if I am overreacting to this totally. You are! -- Abrasha http://www.abrasha.com |
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How to disinfect a yellow gold diamond ring I inherited
"Abrasha" wrote in message ... Suzie wrote: I've even wondered if I am overreacting to this totally. You are! -- Abrasha http://www.abrasha.com I don't know if she was, or wasn't - but I for one choose peace of mind. Last time I bought a pre-owned ring from non-jeweler I ran it through the dishwasher. For that matter, that's how I regularly clean one ring which has no good access to the pavilion facets, and doesn't respond well to my ultrasonic cleaner. Strategically clamped & placed over jet holes (making sure shank clears the washer arm), voila. Sparkly clean every time. And safe to eat off too. I do this probably at least once a week to this ring. The setting is secure, the stones (diamond in this case) are nothing someone would ever balk at putting in any other type of cleaner. Opinions? |
#13
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How to disinfect a yellow gold diamond ring I inherited
On Sun, 17 Oct 2010 19:07:40 -0700, in rec.crafts.jewelry "Nelly"
wrote: Last time I bought a pre-owned ring from non-jeweler I ran it through the dishwasher. For that matter, that's how I regularly clean one ring which has no good access to the pavilion facets, and doesn't respond well to my ultrasonic cleaner. Strategically clamped & placed over jet holes (making sure shank clears the washer arm), voila. Sparkly clean every time. And safe to eat off too. I do this probably at least once a week to this ring. The setting is secure, the stones (diamond in this case) are nothing someone would ever balk at putting in any other type of cleaner. Opinions? First thought. Geez, I wish my new dishwasher worked that well. Just bought a portable GE dishwasher from Home Depot. It's a piece of junk. They sent a repair guy to take a look, which he did, and pronounced it working fine (just listened to it run, opened the door to see the wash arms moving, and that was enough for him...) I'm trying to get Home Depot to take it back, but you wouldn't believe the hassles. So much for their happy customer claims in their so called return policy.. The darn thing won't even get a load of dishes clean when I pretty much prewash them... And I'm certain it wouldn't get even a bit of lotion off a ring's shank. So I'm jealous... But anyway. That's off topic, but I couldn't resist. And I'm the moderator, so... But for your situation, the main things that occur to me are that some dishwashing detergents contain what amounts to a bit of bleach (sodium hypochlorite) or similar chlorine compounds. If your's does, this is very bad for gold alloys, especially white gold ones. It can cause stress cracking that can lead to prongs breaking off and stones being lost. This same chemistry is why you're not supposed to put sterling silver in the dishwasher. The detergents can be too harsh. Not all of them, but some, and it's hard to know whether your's does or not. Second, while you say the settings are secure, it's a risk. If a stone falls out in your ultrasonic cleaner, it stays in the tank and you can find it. If it falls out in your dishwasher, I suspect it would remain in the innards of the machine's filter, never likely to be seen again without major disassembly of the machine. Are you proficient enough as a goldsmith or jeweler to be certain the stones are safe? Even if prongs look OK, are you sure? It can be deceptive sometimes. And a comment, do you actually have an ultrasonic cleaner, or is it just one of the "sonic" ones that merely vibrate the solution with audible frequencies (usually something near the 60 hz of line current. There's a big difference, both in cleaning efficiency and in cost. Most ultrasonic cleaners cost over a hundred dollars to start, and good ones are several hundred. The reason I say this is that it would be surprising if an actual ultrasonic cleaner had trouble cleaning your ring while the dishwasher managed it. If that's the case, then either something is wrong with your ultrasonic, or you're not using a proper cleaning solution for the job. The water in an ultrasonic cleaner should be (just like your dishwasher) hot in order to do the job well. Better ultrasonics have a heater for just this reason. If yours does not, heat the solution first (microwave it, if you like). The cleaning solution needs to be a decently strong detergent, or a cleaning solution specifically made to clean jewelry in an ultrasonic. You can do the same for less money with decent strong kitchen liquid detergents such as Mr. Clean or Top Job, to which, if they don't already have it, you add a bit of ammonia. Do that, and your ultrasonic should be able to do anything your dishwasher does, or better. Also, give the ultrasonic enough time to work. less expensive ones can take ten or fifteen minutes to do a good job. The simple "sonic" cleaners that are not ultrasonic types will need longer. Even they are not so bad, if the right cleaning agents are used, and the water is hot, and you give it time. Hope that helps. Peter Rowe moderator |
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How to disinfect a yellow gold diamond ring I inherited
"Peter W. Rowe" wrote in message ... On Sun, 17 Oct 2010 19:07:40 -0700, in rec.crafts.jewelry "Nelly" wrote: Last time I bought a pre-owned ring from non-jeweler I ran it through the dishwasher. For that matter, that's how I regularly clean one ring which has no good access to the pavilion facets, and doesn't respond well to my ultrasonic cleaner. Strategically clamped & placed over jet holes (making sure shank clears the washer arm), voila. Sparkly clean every time. And safe to eat off too. I do this probably at least once a week to this ring. The setting is secure, the stones (diamond in this case) are nothing someone would ever balk at putting in any other type of cleaner. Opinions? First thought. Geez, I wish my new dishwasher worked that well. Just bought a portable GE dishwasher from Home Depot. It's a piece of junk. They sent a repair guy to take a look, which he did, and pronounced it working fine (just listened to it run, opened the door to see the wash arms moving, and that was enough for him...) I'm trying to get Home Depot to take it back, but you wouldn't believe the hassles. So much for their happy customer claims in their so called return policy.. The darn thing won't even get a load of dishes clean when I pretty much prewash them... And I'm certain it wouldn't get even a bit of lotion off a ring's shank. So I'm jealous... Having once had to put up with a totally lame (new) dishwasher, I'm amazed any manufacturer would still produce something that's gotten so many complaints. But anyway. That's off topic, but I couldn't resist. And I'm the moderator, so... But for your situation, the main things that occur to me are that some dishwashing detergents contain what amounts to a bit of bleach (sodium hypochlorite) or similar chlorine compounds. If your's does, this is very bad for gold alloys, especially white gold ones. It can cause stress cracking that can lead to prongs breaking off and stones being lost. This same chemistry is why you're not supposed to put sterling silver in the dishwasher. The detergents can be too harsh. Not all of them, but some, and it's hard to know whether your's does or not. Sounds like the thinness of the metal in prongs puts them at particular risk. So now I have to ask about long term effects of chlorine in tapwater. My mother's water, for instance, makes her kitchen smell like a swimming pool after the faucet's been turned on. (And I wouldn't wear gold in a pool, either.) Would a new white gold ring, with rhodium layer intact be harmed? (The question's purely academic since I don't own any white gold, plated or otherwise.) Second, while you say the settings are secure, it's a risk. If a stone falls out in your ultrasonic cleaner, it stays in the tank and you can find it. If it falls out in your dishwasher, I suspect it would remain in the innards of the machine's filter, never likely to be seen again without major disassembly of the machine. Are you proficient enough as a goldsmith or jeweler to be certain the stones are safe? Even if prongs look OK, are you sure? It can be deceptive sometimes. You're right of course. And I'm no jeweler but I do take the ring in about every 3 months to have prongs checked & retightened. And sooner if anything starts getting the least bit "catchy." And a comment, do you actually have an ultrasonic cleaner, or is it just one of the "sonic" ones that merely vibrate the solution with audible frequencies (usually something near the 60 hz of line current. There's a big difference, both in cleaning efficiency and in cost. Most ultrasonic cleaners cost over a hundred dollars to start, and good ones are several hundred. The reason I say this is that it would be surprising if an actual ultrasonic cleaner had trouble cleaning your ring while the dishwasher managed it. If that's the case, then either something is wrong with your ultrasonic, or you're not using a proper cleaning solution for the job. The water in an ultrasonic cleaner should be (just like your dishwasher) hot in order to do the job well. Better ultrasonics have a heater for just this reason. If yours does not, heat the solution first (microwave it, if you like). The cleaning solution needs to be a decently strong detergent, or a cleaning solution specifically made to clean jewelry in an ultrasonic. You can do the same for less money with decent strong kitchen liquid detergents such as Mr. Clean or Top Job, to which, if they don't already have it, you add a bit of ammonia. Do that, and your ultrasonic should be able to do anything your dishwasher does, or better. Also, give the ultrasonic enough time to work. less expensive ones can take ten or fifteen minutes to do a good job. The simple "sonic" cleaners that are not ultrasonic types will need longer. Even they are not so bad, if the right cleaning agents are used, and the water is hot, and you give it time. I did mean to enquote "ultrasonic," sorry. Yes it is the cheap vibrating kind. It's probably the first time I used the thing in 15 years, since for everything else I've found that a little dental brush pick works nicely. I left the ring in there for more than an hour using softened, very warm water (120°F or so) with the prescribed cleaning powder. I suppose if I had been willing to to pay retail price for the ring (the only ring I wear anymore) I couldt justify getting a better unit to clean it with. Hope that helps. As always. Peter Rowe moderator |
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How to disinfect a yellow gold diamond ring I inherited
On Mon, 18 Oct 2010 19:20:23 -0700, in rec.crafts.jewelry "Nelly"
wrote: "Peter W. Rowe" wrote in message . .. On Sun, 17 Oct 2010 19:07:40 -0700, in rec.crafts.jewelry "Nelly" wrote: Geez, I wish my new dishwasher worked that well. Just bought a portable GE dishwasher from Home Depot. It's a piece of junk. ... Having once had to put up with a totally lame (new) dishwasher, I'm amazed any manufacturer would still produce something that's gotten so many complaints. Agreed. You'd think that if GE can build good jet engines (they do), they'd be able to figure out a dishwasher. Maybe this is a faulty unit and the repair guy just wasn't in a position to do more than look and decide whether to have it replaced or not... Interestingly, today I got an email from Home Depot corporate office responding to a somewhat bitchy response I sent them along with a "review" of the dishwasher (they rejected the review, though. Seems I wasn't supposed to mention Sears name (sears doesn't charge that restocking fee...) But the email sounds like at least someone there is going to try and make me happy. And even the response is a pleasant surprise. We'll see how it turns out. Sounds like the thinness of the metal in prongs puts them at particular risk. So now I have to ask about long term effects of chlorine in tapwater. My mother's water, for instance, makes her kitchen smell like a swimming pool after the faucet's been turned on. (And I wouldn't wear gold in a pool, either.) The thinness of the metal in prongs is a bit consideration even if there are no issues with chlorine or stress corrosion. People wear a ring for years, and it looks the same, day to day, so they don't realize just how much metal has been worn off. When the metal gets too thin, it no longer has the strength to resist being peeled back if for some reason, something catches or knocks the edge of the stone, so then stones can loosen or be lost. That, of course, can be serviced, especially with diamonds. Any decent jeweler, if the prongs are too worn, can build them up or replace them if needed. As to your mom's tap water, if ti smells like a chlorinated pool, I'd suggest getting a home water filter of some sort. That sounds nasty. Chlorine in the water is important to keep it from harboring various nasty things, but by the time you drink it, it would be best to not have so much there. Chlorine, after all, is hardly an essential nutrient... (grin) As to the ring, yes, over time, that can be a problem if it's that strong. The classic situation where chlorine causes problems with jewelry is with people who use swimming pools or spas regularly, so the jewelry gets repeated and sometimes extended exposure. The damage takes time to occur, but you don't see it happening until the metal cracks and fails. If her tap water is a strong as a swimming pool (I sure hope it isn't, though), then it would be just as capable of causing damage. But I'm guessing that though you may smell chlorine in an enclosed kitchen, you probably don't have as much as a swimming pool. Still, household tap water really shouldn't have that sort of smell in most cases. Might be worth a phone call to the water/utility company ti find out if this is normal. Strong smells in the water can be caused by other things too, which a plumber might be able to fix. Would a new white gold ring, with rhodium layer intact be harmed? (The question's purely academic since I don't own any white gold, plated or otherwise.) Yes. Rhodium helps, but does not totally seal a surface from all attack. If it is really heavy, then maybe it would, but given the cost of rhodium metal and plating solution, few manufacturers use more than needed. You're right of course. And I'm no jeweler but I do take the ring in about every 3 months to have prongs checked & retightened. And sooner if anything starts getting the least bit "catchy." You're to be commended. That's far more attentiveness to the welfare of the jewelry than most people show. Many let it go for years without a thought. Kind of like not visiting a dentist until you've got a toothache... Regular checkups will allow a sense of security since the ring gets a professional examination. Given that the store would like to be able to sell you a needed service, they seldom miss obvious needs for repair (It helps a lot if the person who's doing the checking is actually a competent goldsmith rather than just one of the sales people, by the way. Sales people range from well educated and qualified to work with jewelry, to those who look nice, talk friendly, can sell you your own mother if they want, but don't actually know anything about jewelry... I did mean to enquote "ultrasonic," sorry. Yes it is the cheap vibrating kind. It's probably the first time I used the thing in 15 years, since for everything else I've found that a little dental brush pick works nicely. I left the ring in there for more than an hour using softened, very warm water (120°F or so) with the prescribed cleaning powder. I suppose if I had been willing to to pay retail price for the ring (the only ring I wear anymore) I couldt justify getting a better unit to clean it with. One of the things about those little vibrating units is that they are sold with no knowledge on the part of the manufacturer or seller as to what you're going to put in there. Some jewelry is much more fragile chemically (like pearls, for example), so the cleaning powders they supply are very gentle detergents, nothing more. That means they won't harm most types of jewelry, but it also means they won't harm more stubborn dirt and grime. With gold or platinum, and diamonds and some other durable stones, you can use considerably more aggressive means to clean the jewelry. As I described before, the same sort of liquid kitchen detergents you might use to clean the wax off that kitchens tile floor, such as Mr. Clean, Top Job, Ajax liquid, or others, mixed to a pretty strong solution and with, if it's not already there, a bit of ammonia added... That sort of cleaning solution will do a lot more than those simple powders they supply with the cleaners. Next, is temperature. Again, not all jewelry can withstand this treatment, but most of it can. Don't just gently warm it. Boil it. Put a saucepan of that cleaning solution on the stove and simmer to just below boiling (you don't want it boiling over, after all). Unfold a paper clip to a hook so you can hang the ring on that hook over the side of the saucepan. Let is simmer for a while (15 minutes or so should do the trick). That level of heating will cause most of the stuff that gets gunked into a ring, to melt (it's grease, wax, dried lotion, etc), which lets the solution get it off much better. Then rinse and/or brush off with an old toothbrush or the like. Prior to the invention of ultrasonic cleaners, goldsmiths were faced with the same problem they now have after buffing and polishing the jewelry. It's packed full of the polishing compounds, which are also wax or grease based (the binders, at least, for the polishing agent). So an aggtessive cleaning method is needed as part of normal jewelry making and repair. Before ultrasonics, most jewelers would use what was called a "boil out pot". That amounts to the same setup I just described, though often, the cleaning agent used would be even stronger (like straight lye, sometimes... Nasty stuff) Jewelers got along with that set up for a long time without ultrasonics, and we still use such a method when cleaning things that cannot withstand the high energy of an ultrasonic. The main thing, though, is that this is for gold and platinum and harder gems. Don't do this to pearls, amber, turqoise, lapis, malachite, coral, glass foilbacks, costume jewelry, anything with stones that are glued in, etc. And be careful with cleaning silver. Some of the stronger cleaning agents can tarnish it. Above all, don't ever add bleach to the cleaning solution. Ammonia yes, bleach no. Cheers Peter |
#16
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How to disinfect a yellow gold diamond ring I inherited
Peter W. Rowe wrote:
On Sun, 17 Oct 2010 19:07:40 -0700, in rec.crafts.jewelry "Nelly" wrote: Last time I bought a pre-owned ring from non-jeweler I ran it through the dishwasher. For that matter, that's how I regularly clean one ring which has no good access to the pavilion facets, and doesn't respond well to my ultrasonic cleaner. Strategically clamped & placed over jet holes (making sure shank clears the washer arm), voila. Sparkly clean every time. And safe to eat off too. I do this probably at least once a week to this ring. The setting is secure, the stones (diamond in this case) are nothing someone would ever balk at putting in any other type of cleaner. Opinions? First thought. Geez, I wish my new dishwasher worked that well. Just bought a portable GE dishwasher from Home Depot. It's a piece of junk. They sent a repair guy to take a look, which he did, and pronounced it working fine (just listened to it run, opened the door to see the wash arms moving, and that was enough for him...) I'm trying to get Home Depot to take it back, but you wouldn't believe the hassles. So much for their happy customer claims in their so called return policy.. The darn thing won't even get a load of dishes clean when I pretty much prewash them... And I'm certain it wouldn't get even a bit of lotion off a ring's shank. So I'm jealous... But anyway. That's off topic, but I couldn't resist. And I'm the moderator, so... But for your situation, the main things that occur to me are that some dishwashing detergents contain what amounts to a bit of bleach (sodium hypochlorite) or similar chlorine compounds. If your's does, this is very bad for gold alloys, especially white gold ones. It can cause stress cracking that can lead to prongs breaking off and stones being lost. This same chemistry is why you're not supposed to put sterling silver in the dishwasher. The detergents can be too harsh. Not all of them, but some, and it's hard to know whether your's does or not. Second, while you say the settings are secure, it's a risk. If a stone falls out in your ultrasonic cleaner, it stays in the tank and you can find it. If it falls out in your dishwasher, I suspect it would remain in the innards of the machine's filter, never likely to be seen again without major disassembly of the machine. Are you proficient enough as a goldsmith or jeweler to be certain the stones are safe? Even if prongs look OK, are you sure? It can be deceptive sometimes. And a comment, do you actually have an ultrasonic cleaner, or is it just one of the "sonic" ones that merely vibrate the solution with audible frequencies (usually something near the 60 hz of line current. There's a big difference, both in cleaning efficiency and in cost. Most ultrasonic cleaners cost over a hundred dollars to start, and good ones are several hundred. The reason I say this is that it would be surprising if an actual ultrasonic cleaner had trouble cleaning your ring while the dishwasher managed it. If that's the case, then either something is wrong with your ultrasonic, or you're not using a proper cleaning solution for the job. The water in an ultrasonic cleaner should be (just like your dishwasher) hot in order to do the job well. Better ultrasonics have a heater for just this reason. If yours does not, heat the solution first (microwave it, if you like). The cleaning solution needs to be a decently strong detergent, or a cleaning solution specifically made to clean jewelry in an ultrasonic. You can do the same for less money with decent strong kitchen liquid detergents such as Mr. Clean or Top Job, to which, if they don't already have it, you add a bit of ammonia. Do that, and your ultrasonic should be able to do anything your dishwasher does, or better. Also, give the ultrasonic enough time to work. less expensive ones can take ten or fifteen minutes to do a good job. The simple "sonic" cleaners that are not ultrasonic types will need longer. Even they are not so bad, if the right cleaning agents are used, and the water is hot, and you give it time. Hope that helps. Peter Rowe moderator Weve had the same dish washer for some 40 yrs, it does all the glassess, then the plates then sausepans all in that order, This type of washer is hard to find , there rare especially here in the uk. Ours is also self propelled, ie it will use its radar to locate other left over items , and automatically add them to the process. It has 2 grippers on its front as well, which it uses to wipe down any worktops near its reach. Its very economical on water, and doesnt use much wash up liquid. It rinses the glasses as well. All it needs to get it going is a couple of glasses of wine poured into the right opening in the front. For instance it has been known to respond to thecommand of wash the car!! it indicates on its lcd screen it needs 4 glasses of wine and a roast chicken to undertake that large washing up job. Keep looking, they are about!! The only down side to these machines is they want 2 weeks holiday away from work every year. dont know whats got into them. |
#17
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How to disinfect a yellow gold diamond ring I inherited
On Mon, 11 Oct 2010 10:32:15 -0700, Abrasha
wrote: Ted Frater wrote: Suzie wrote: Hi everyone I inherited a beautiful diamond ring from my mother last year who passed away from various things. However the one thing that really worries me is the MRSA staph infection she had at time of her passing. She wore the ring right up to the time of her death. Can anyone tell me how to keep this beautiful ring as gorgeous as it is but yet give it a good sterilizing so I can feel good about touching it? I've wondered about just using boiling water and dish detergent? Boiling water kills anything, right? Thanks so much! Suzie The 2 previous replies ae useful, however thers a lot you can do yourself. Certainly boiling water is a first step forward, use a spoon to pick it up to put into the water. Put a little salt in it as well before bringing to the boil as well as the spoon of course!!. . tho Id suggest the following. It depends on the setting of the diamonds, the area difficult to clean is under the stone, so a tooth brush and tooth paste is a good way to go. Rinse well of course. Then theres the baby feeding bottle sterilising tablets. there sodium hypochlorite and one tablet in a glass of water overnite will sterilise the ring after you have toothpasted it as above. Your skin has a natural resistance to bacteria but do wash you hands well with soap, after handling the ring,. If i did the 3 steps above, Id be happy to wear the ring. Ted. dorset UK. Ted, Once again as I have requested before, please stick with the things you actually know something about. Toothbrush and toothpaste to clean jewelry is a big no no! Both the brush as well as toothpaste are abrasive and will remove any polish on jewelry. Sodium Hypochlorite?!? Are you out of your f***ing mind? That's bleach! Dude, you are crazy, and ignorant! Please do not post about things you so obviously know nothing about! Suzie, I'm a gem cutter, and what I use to clean jewelry is Super Glue Solvent. But if the ring has been worn for a long time, then it's best to just have the stone removed from the setting and cleaned using the SG Solvent and a paper towel. I cleaned one diamond ring for a woman by doing exactly that. When she first gave me the ring to clean, she didn't want the diamond any longer before it looked really bad. After it was cleaned though, she changed her mind rather quickly. Dan Starr |
#18
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How to disinfect a yellow gold diamond ring I inherited
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