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Gems/stones and metals that react poorly to salt water cleansing?

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    Gems/stones and metals that react poorly to salt water cleansing?

    This is a geology/chemistry question: I have moonstone, tigers-eye, jet (I think--it was a gift), and hematite. My favorite purification for applicable materials is soaking in a light salt water solution, and while I do this for my quartz I'm worried about the above stones. Will any of them be damaged by it? What about the sterling silver accents on one of the necklaces in question?

    #2
    Re: Gems/stones and metals that react poorly to salt water cleansing?

    As far as I'm aware, moonstone doesn't react to any purifying methods, so yours should be fine, the iron in Hematite may react with water. Hope this helps
    "Otwarty świat; rany zamknięte."
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      #3
      Re: Gems/stones and metals that react poorly to salt water cleansing?

      Salt water will corrode silver over time. Stones in metal settings can be rinsed, but I wouldn't soak them in anything.

      I've never had a tigers eye or agate react badly to salt water, but I did completely destroy a malachite cabachon w/salt water - stripped the shiny right off it & I could never restore it.
      The forum member formerly known as perzephone. Or Perze. I've shed a skin.

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        #4
        Re: Gems/stones and metals that react poorly to salt water cleansing?

        Don't use salt water on copper or copper alloys (brass, bronze, fake silvers - German silver/nickle silver, or fake golds - nu-gold/Merlin's gold, etc.), unless you want them to turn mottled antique green.

        Actually, high zinc brass (naval brass) is kind of resitant to salt water corrosion (hence it's use by the Navy), but it will eventually rust green, particularly under conditions where it gets damp and dries out repeatedly.
        Every moment of a life is a horrible tragedy, a slapstick comedy, dark nihilism, golden illumination, or nothing at all; depending on how we write the story we tell ourselves.

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          #5
          Re: Gems/stones and metals that react poorly to salt water cleansing?

          [quote author=B. de Corbin link=topic=1202.msg22431#msg22431 date=1292377569]
          Actually, high zinc brass (naval brass) is kind of resitant to salt water corrosion (hence it's use by the Navy), but it will eventually rust green, particularly under conditions where it gets damp and dries out repeatedly.
          [/quote]

          The Navy's answer to corrosion...
          Wonderful Life: The Burgess Shale and the Nature of HistoryPagan Devotionals, because the wind and the rain is our Bible
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            #6
            Re: Gems/stones and metals that react poorly to salt water cleansing?

            Anything medium or heavy metal will corrode over time.. but if it contains oxidizing retardants like: tin, zinc, chromium or lead, it can sustain a certain number and time of salt washes. Because the element being oxidized first is the tin, zinc, chromium or lead. However when the retardant is sufficiently oxidized, the base metal can no longer be protected, like silver, iron and copper.

            All cationic light metals will burn immediately even if you added a retardant because they have a too great electron affinity like: calcium, sodium and magnesium.

            The exception are the light anionic metals, they can sustain a lot of salt washes on their own before being oxidized because of their low affinity to electrons, like aluminium, silicium, metallic carbon (footnote about carbon: it can be organic, mineral or metallic... it's a question of electron layout).

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              #7
              Re: Gems/stones and metals that react poorly to salt water cleansing?

              Awesome science, we haz it!!1 ;D

              Thanks, guys. I'm not sure what the exact composition is of the sterling beads (there's something else in/on 'em because there are black lines in the recesses of the textured pattern), so I'll err on the safe side.

              Time to get some more incense...

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                #8
                Re: Gems/stones and metals that react poorly to salt water cleansing?

                I have all those same stones and I have soaked them in salt water and they were fine. In fact I soak all my stones in salt water and I never had a bad reaction to any of them.

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                  #9
                  Re: Gems/stones and metals that react poorly to salt water cleansing?

                  Tiger eye, tiger iron and hematite are all varieties of iron ore ... Iron reacts quite well with water and salt ... It makes this nice reddish powder ...
                  I won't be wronged. I won't be insulted. I won't be laid a-hand on. I don't do these things to other people, and I require the same from them ... John Bernard Books


                  Indian Chief 'Two Eagles' was asked by a white government official; "You have observed the white man for 90 years. You've seen his wars and his technological advances. You've seen his progress, and the damage he's done."

                  The Chief nodded in agreement.

                  The official continued; "Considering all these events, in your opinion, where did the white man go wrong?"

                  The Chief stared at the government official for over a minute and then calmly replied.. "When white man find land, Indians running it, no taxes, no debt, plenty buffalo, plenty beaver, clean water. Women did all the work, Medicine Man free. Indian man spend all day hunting and fishing; all night having sex."

                  Then the chief leaned back and smiled; "Only white man dumb enough to think he could improve system like that."



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