Is Ultrasonic Cleaning Safe For All Gems And Jewelry
Ultrasonic cleaners have evolved as the best products to take complete care of your gemstones and expensive jewelry items
. These cleaners clean well and also maintain the health of these stones. The cleaners preserve the shine and make the stone look younger.
There are however some stones that should never be cleaned with an ultrasonic cleaner. These stones face a variety of problems when cleaned with such a cleaner and its not worth the risk considering a precious gemstone is in question.
Pearls: They are made out of Calcium Carbonate and are very fragile. They are natural stones and have to be handled with care. They have a tendency to break if not handled well. Thus it is advisable that you keep the ultrasonic cleaner away from that pearl necklace.
Opal: These are gemstones which have floating molecules within them. These gems have a typical shine which increases their market value. They are probably the most expensive gemstones. The use of ultrasonic cleaners on this beautiful gem will make the molecules fly around and damage the stone.
Gems which should not be cleaned by ultrasonic cleaners
The other stones which should not be cleaned using these cleaners are Amber, Tanzanite, Emerald, Peridot, Agate, Amazonite, Topaz, Aquamarine and Turquoise.
While Amber is just like the Opal, that contains water molecules and might experience cavitations and fragmentation if cleaned using these ultrasonic jewelry cleaners. The quality and colour of the Tanzanite may get damaged in the process of ultrasonic cleaning. Oil is used to coat the Emerald stone; the ultrasonic cleaners may damage this layer of coating and make the stone look worn out.
Peridot is another gemstone that is highly sensitive and may get damaged due to the use of these cleaners. The change in temperature causes the Peridot to lose color and shine. Agate is also sensitive to the change in temperature and might lose its sheen.
The Topaz is another stone that is very popular among the jewelry enthusiasts. This stone does not show immediate effects of the cleaning but will pale over the course of time. The others mentioned also do not survive the effects of the ultrasonic jewelry cleaners and lose their worthiness with time.
These gemstones command a price and once you shell out that amount it is necessary to take complete care of these stones.