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How can you clean quartz crystals at home?

Kennon Young
Master Gemologist Appraiser
Kennon Young is a Master Gemologist Appraiser and the Owner of Vermont Gemological Laboratory in Burlington, Vermont. With over 20 years of experience in the industry, Kennon and his team specialize in handmade engagement rings, wedding bands, and custom jewelry. He attended the Revere Academy of Jewelry Arts, the Gemological Institute of America, and the Rhode Island School of Design Extension. He is a Jewelers of America (JA) Certified Bench Jeweler Technician and received the highest credential in the jewelry appraisal industry, the ASA Master Gemologist Appraiser, in 2016.

Kennon Young

Master Gemologist Appraiser

Expert Answer

You can use dish soap and a brush such as a thick-haired brush or horsehair brush to clean the crystals. Animal hair brushes are more sturdy. Think about what you want to remove from the quartz crystal. If you want to remove dirt, you need a more sturdy brush. But a simple toothbrush is sufficient for cleaning hand lotions and oils.

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Question

How do you clean diamond jewelry?

Kennon Young
Master Gemologist Appraiser
Kennon Young is a Master Gemologist Appraiser and the Owner of Vermont Gemological Laboratory in Burlington, Vermont. With over 20 years of experience in the industry, Kennon and his team specialize in handmade engagement rings, wedding bands, and custom jewelry. He attended the Revere Academy of Jewelry Arts, the Gemological Institute of America, and the Rhode Island School of Design Extension. He is a Jewelers of America (JA) Certified Bench Jeweler Technician and received the highest credential in the jewelry appraisal industry, the ASA Master Gemologist Appraiser, in 2016.

Kennon Young

Master Gemologist Appraiser

Expert Answer

Diamond jewelry has a gold or platinum setting. You can use a bowl of warm water, a drop of dish soap, and a child's toothbrush to clean it. Remember to clean the back of the stones. It is necessary to clean the top part. But it is also essential to clean the pavilion or underside of the precious stones.

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Question

How long will this take?

Community Answer

Expect 3-4 weeks of tumbling rocks to get a super smooth finish ready for burnishing.

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Question

Is there an oiling compound to hand polish flat stones?

Community Answer

You can use mineral oil. Drop the stones into a bath of mineral oil and leave them there for about five minutes.

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Question

What is the name of polish in the black bottle in your video?

Community Answer

It is a liquid metal polish made by AUTOSOL. "METAL POLISH LIQUID, Cleans, Polishes, Protects" is what is written on the black bottle. (See the video below the comments.)

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Question

Can I use sand instead of grit?

Community Answer

Yes. You can also use water and no grit. Using water mimics natural water from springs running over rocks over time. Tumbler and water speeds up the natural process.

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Question

I found a old, broken shell on a rock. The rock is oval. Is there a stone in it?

Community Answer

To tell if it’s a geode, knock on it. If it sounds hollow, it's probably a geode. Either way, you can crack it open to find out for sure.

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Question

We have a field with rocks the size of a small pea up to larger than a softball. Some of them have crystal-like features, bu not on the entire rock. Is there a faster way to polish them or should I just try to hammer them down to smaller-sized ones?

Community Answer

Hammering won't polish them, it'll just give you more unpolished rocks. You can make a poor man's tumbler by fixing a bolt to the lid of a jar and screwing it to a power drill.

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Question

What can I use to hand polish rocks or stones?

Community Answer

Take a container, put your rocks in, put some sand and water in; then shake the container (with the lid on). This will take a long time, but it will work.

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Question

What are some cheap polishes I can use as the finishing polish?

Community Answer

Clear fast-drying nail polish works well. Use thin, light coats and let dry fully between coats. If it's too shiny, you can you use the fine sandpaper to make it look more natural.

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Question

Can I sand a chunk of quartz?

Community Answer

You can polish quartz chrystals with sandpaper. First 50 grade, then 150 grade, then 300 or 600 grade sandpaper.

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Question

What kind of tube polish and brand should I buy to polish rocks?

Community Answer

Try rubbing compound and a soft towel. Get it at any automotive store. It works really well on limestone. If you want to polish hard stones, try it with power tools.

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Question

Is it better to drill holes in stone before or after I polish them?

Community Answer

Try drilling the hole before polishing, after sanding or tumbling the stone.

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Question

Is it possible to polish a raw emerald this way?

Community Answer

Yes. You can either tumble or sand it by hand but, either way, you can polish it. This goes for all other types of rocks and crystals too, it just depends on how hard it is as to how long it takes, if you are doing it by hand. If you do it by the tumbler, then it takes about a couple of weeks.

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Question

What's the best way to polish and clean greenstone?

Community Answer

Attach a 120-grit wheel, drum, disc or belt to your polishing machine. Start with a light pressure and increase until you see sanding in progress. Move the direction of the jade at least 90 degrees within every 15 seconds to curb gouges, chips and undercutting of the stone.

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Question

I have been finding these egg-shaped or round ball looking rocks. If I break them open, is there a fossil inside? What's the best method for this?

La_mexicana

Community Answer

This, of course, depends on where you found the rocks. If you found them near water, there is a higher chance of there being a fossil inside than if you live, in, say Indiana. You will likely want to use a chisel and hammer for these rocks.

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