|
Post by gr on Jun 30, 2011 20:37:36 GMT -5
This is a nice piece of mushroom jasper That Clint gave me and has some real nice amathyst crystals that are almost covered up by what I think is caliche. I'd like to keep as a specimsn and would like to expose the crystals. Is muratic acid the thing to use? Any help would be appreciated! This is the side I would like to clean up Thx!.....gr
|
|
|
Post by jakesrocks on Jun 30, 2011 21:01:07 GMT -5
Muriatic or oxalic would probably work. But you'd probably loose those floater crystals near the top. You might try soaking it in water for about 72 hours first, and scrubbing the softer areas, to see if it can be cleaned.
|
|
|
Post by rockmanken on Jun 30, 2011 21:38:04 GMT -5
A safer way would be to use Super Iron Out, a laundry cleaner. In the laundry isle. Soak for a day or two and then soak in water for the same amount of time with baking soda added as a neutralizer. Use in warm water to start to get the SIO to disolve. Works great on the crystals we get from Ark. and Diamond Hill, SC. Ken
|
|
|
Post by tanyafrench on Jul 1, 2011 12:14:11 GMT -5
Awesome display piece when cleaned.
Tanya
|
|
AGATEGRRRL
spending too much on rocks
AGATEGRRRL
Member since October 2007
Posts: 466
|
Post by AGATEGRRRL on Jul 2, 2011 19:16:20 GMT -5
Hi Gary, Try muriatic acid - you can get it at the hardware store. Mix it at 5 to 1 & be sure to add the acid to the water, not the other way around. Also, there is a product called a linen gun from japan that shoots a very fine, high-pressure stream of water that would take that calcite right off.
|
|
|
Post by NatureNut on Jul 2, 2011 20:23:08 GMT -5
Maybe someone else can confirm if this would work, but if it's calcite, why don't you soak it in a CLR solution. That removes calcium, lime and rust. Jo
|
|
|
Post by johnjsgems on Jul 3, 2011 7:49:43 GMT -5
I hear CLR pretty frequently. Probably has same acid as Super Iron Out. Oxalic is kind of the old standard. Muriatic is stronger and available with swimming pool supplies usually. You need to use it outside and be really careful. Somebody once told me they used a "foot Fixer" with acid. I found one in my mom's many unused gift pile. Set it just outside my garage with muriatic acid and some rust stained quartz. Came back to check an hour later and found the foot messager empty, big acid etched stripe running down my concrete driveway.
|
|