Does anyone know how to clean jade?

[EFerrari]

My dear, amazing Antonia, cat lady extraordinaire, called today, and she's feeling badly. Recovering from pneumonia. :(

But she said she found some sculpture in the attic that seems to be jade and wants to know how she should clean it.

I don't think it's the Maltese Falcon and I don't think baking soda will work.

Has anyone cleaned jade?

:shrug:

[Redstone]

1. Use an ultrasonic cleaner, with 80% water, 10% dish detergent, and 10% ammonia.

If you don't have an ultrasonic cleaner, use the same solution and a SOFT toothbrush.

Rinse thoroughly, and dry in a SLIGHTLY warm (105-110 degree) oven, on a dish towel (No paper, because most paper contains sulphur.)

Trust me, I was a jeweler for some time, way back when.

Redstone

[EFerrari]

2. I hope you know, if that formula is wrong, I'm a dead person.

lol

And, wow, I didn't know paper had sulphur in it! I've been closer to hell than I ever knew.

:hi:

[pitohui]

5. no he's right

but take it seriously about the SOFT toothbrush, if for some reason you scratch it, a large jade carving is an unpleasant thing to re-polish in my view

i was a very poor cutter though, i don't doubt that redstone was a fine one

[Redstone]

6. The formula is bulletproof. And yes, common paper has sulphur in it; have you ever seen

a photograph or print that's been framed with a piece of common cardboard as a backer? It'll be all burned to blazes (the white parts turning yellow) because of the sulphur in the cardboard.

(Among many other things, I do conservation-grade mounting and framing. I do know this stuff.)

Redstone

[EFerrari]

8. Thank you so much. I passed it on.

:)

[pitohui]

3. yes here's some suggestions

i use a very soft cloth and a very mild dish detergent, this should be good to get dust off the jade and see what you got

actually you could just put the whole thing under running water, if it didn't seem to be too delicate, but assuming it's intricately carved, just use caution -- don't use a hose on high, be a little careful about wetting it down

if after cleaning it proves to be scratched -- hoo boy! jade is hell to polish and you need to talk to a stone polisher who is experienced and willing -- probably won't come cheap but you could ask for contacts through your local rock shop or local gem and mineral club for a highly respected rock cutter/polisher

it is most unpleasant polishing that material and i admire the patience of those who cut/polish jade, it is something i will not do again in this lifetime

it's worth getting the pieces appraised as well, if only for insurance purposes, a fine jade carving can be surprisingly valuable

there's a chance the jade is serpentine, a much softer stone, which can be easily scratched in cleaning or if dropped somehow

i would be very, very cautious if i were not sure, a very high grade serpentine can be difficult to tell, and in times gone by it was deceptively sold as jade

[Redstone]

7. You know exactly what you're talking about, and I hope the OP listens to you.

Even excellent-grade jadeite scratches easily; it's a tough stone, but not a hard stone.

(For the OP: Nephrite is dark-green jade, and not worh NEAR as much as is light-green, inclusion-free jadeite. And serpentine, as its name might imply, is dark green with very dark stripes. A handsome stone, but it isn't jade, as pitohui pointed out.)

Redstone

[Rabrrrrrr]

4. Mara Jade?

Sorry, geek joke.

Move along...

[Blue-Jay]

9. Stop reading Star Wars books, ya dork!

uh oh.....

:yoiks:

[Rabrrrrrr]

10. Ha ha! You're a geek!

:rofl: