How to clean amber at home

Amber jewelry and products have always been highly valued in the markets of women's accessories, semi- and precious compositions, and even various sets. Archaeologists, for example, confirm with their finds that this stone was used by people already in the Upper Paleolithic (during the time period that flowed 40-12 thousand years ago). In the vast majority of cases, coarse and slightly processed pieces were used, probably with the aim of showing the power of a person in the tribe. Now this mineral is used even in the pharmaceutical and chemical industries.

Cleaning and proper care for a variety of jewelry that contain amber, it is necessary to build on the properties of this semiprecious mineral. Since real amber, not artificial, is the usual fossilized fossil resin of conifers that existed about 100-30 million years ago, it becomes obvious that this stone is very fragile, and if handled carelessly, it can easily be damaged and split into many small parts.

Important: it should be noted that at present there are types of “artificial” amber, which are created using the resins of trees that are growing now. The price of such minerals is much lower, and to distinguish them from the present, fossil, is quite simple (there are even special manuals that describe in detail the differences of one species from another).

Methods for cleaning amber at home

There are a lot of ways to clean amber, each of them has its own effect on the mineral, therefore, in terms of duration, they should not take more than half an hour or an hour (of course, unless you have to clean a kilogram copy).

The use of one or another method depends on the degree of change of the mineral, its condition and appearance, therefore it is worth approaching the choice responsibly. So, the following methods are distinguished:

1. Cleaning with water. The easiest way to clean amber, which is suitable if it has lost its former brightness by lying, for example, in a casket for a long enough time. In this case, it is necessary to wash the mineral in a container, in no case under the powerful pressure of water from a tap or shower head. For cleaning, it is recommended to use a minimum water temperature; After completing the procedure, to give additional shine, wipe the amber dry with a napkin or soft towel.
2. Flannel and velvet rags do an excellent job of giving the mineral extra shine by polishing it. It is recommended to wipe it with neat circular movements, without excessive friction, even if there is dirt on the surface, therefore, before this procedure, it is recommended to rinse the amber well first. If the described operations do not help to restore the color of amber, it can be rubbed with olive oil and stopped in this state overnight.
3. You can use ordinary salt for cleaning amber, which is used in cooking. It must be added to water at room temperature, and then completely stirred until it is completely dissolved (enough a teaspoon). After that, amber is placed in a glass and left overnight; then, in the morning, it should be removed and wiped dry with a rag.
4. Heavily contaminated amber can be cleaned with paraffin and tooth powder. These two components must also be mixed until completely dissolved in water, in which a soft rag or cloth should be moistened.She should already wipe the mineral, and then rinse the latter under water.

Tooth powder can be added not only to water with paraffin, but also with salt. At the same time, you should know that it is impossible to use toothpaste in any case, since it contains elements that will adversely affect the state of amber.

What you can not clean amber and jewelry made from it

Amber is often called the “sun stone" because of its ability to shimmer in the light with different reflections of orange, yellow and red. If any decoration is made from a real fossil mineral, then it should become cloudy over time due to the natural process of oxidation that occurs in air.

This is due to the fact that while amber is in its natural position (that is, it is associated with other rocks), then the environment, firstly, is favorable for it (since the mineral could be in it for millions of years), and secondly, it plays the role of a kind of defender against external attacks.

As soon as a person removes the stone, he immediately finds himself in a new environment with new conditions, which contributes to his turbidity (sometimes the word "aging" is used). Moreover, it becomes very fragile, for example, leaving a scratch on it with even a pencil is not difficult. That is why it is necessary to know what amber can not be cleaned with in any case.

So, in order to clean this mineral you can not use:

1. Steam generators, since they, directing steam at a sufficiently high pressure, dilute amber.
2. Aggressive chemicals, especially alkaline (professionals do not recommend using even soap).
3. Alcohol, its solutions and various abrasive brushes; the latter will leave so many scratches and “wounds” on the surface that it will be impossible to get rid of them in the future.

Care for amber jewelry and compositions

The rules for caring for jewelry containing amber are quite simple. In order for the mineral to retain its classic sun-golden sheen, it is necessary, firstly, to regularly wipe with soft rags, napkins or small towels. This will allow him to keep color for a long time and protect him from the accumulation of harmful substances, dust, etc.

Tip: if the mineral has any pits, cavities and other irregularities on the surface, they can be cleaned with soft cotton swabs.

Amber is advised by many jewelers to keep it separate from all jewelry, either in a casket or in a separate soft recess, because the slightest contact with the sharp ends of other jewelry and sets can cause the mineral to age quickly (the appearance of a deep crack will cause air to enter the core of the mineral, which will cause the oxidation process to occur, which can no longer be stopped).

If the jewelry is used, for example, as an accessory for an evening out, you should pay attention that when spraying perfumes, drops do not fall on the mineral. Various elements included in their composition can cause the appearance of a white film on amber.

Tip: if, for some reason, drops of some chemical product fall on amber, then it must be wiped dry as soon as possible, even with a sleeve of clothing. Upon arrival home - polish using the methods described above.

Amber should in no case experience serious temperature changes, especially when moving from negative to positive. This is due to the fact that the smallest particles of possible condensate can freeze at night on the surface and, as a result, increase in volume. Such cyclic processes can cause cracks and accelerate the oxidation process.

Video: how to distinguish amber from a fake