What to do if the amber becomes cloudy?

Amber is a natural nugget born from ancient pine resin, which is about 40 million years old. It is no secret that this is not a stone at all, but a fossilized resin, therefore more fragile and difficult to care for. Amber does not tolerate careless treatment. Paradoxical as it may seem, the sunniest stone does not like direct sunlight. Amber jewelry is best preserved in a dark box at a relative air humidity of 40-70%. Too dry air, as well as prolonged exposure to the sun, cause the stone to dry out. Amber tends to become cloudy over time. To prevent premature aging, you need to follow several rules.

Basic rules for caring for amber jewelry

In the open air, over time, the gem may begin to dry out and become cracked, so from time to time it is recommended to wash the jewelry in clean water or wrap it with a damp cloth, and then wipe it with a soft natural cloth until it shines. Amber jewelry is quite finicky and does not tolerate too much temperature changes – both high and low. They can simply crack. It is also undesirable to store products in metal containers, since amber is not a stone, but a fossilized, but still resin, and may well get scratches and abrasions on the metal. Set aside a separate box for amber items, lined inside with soft velvet. Do not allow drops of various sprayed cosmetics to come into contact with the surface of the stones: hairsprays, deodorants, eau de toilette, etc. Avoid getting particles of household chemicals on your amber jewelry. With the right approach to cleaning amber and proper subsequent care, jewelry made with it will please the eye for a long time.

How to clean amber jewelry

When worn daily, jewelry becomes covered with fat, sweat, and traces of cream. The product loses its shine and newness. The easiest way is to thoroughly but gently wash the jewelry. To do this, you need to take soft baby soap and “wash” it in warm boiled water until foam forms. Immerse the product in the soapy solution and gently rub with a cotton cloth. Please note that you need to use a soft fabric so that it does not scratch the stone. Then rinse the product in clean boiled water. It is important to wash in boiled water to avoid lime and salt stains from hard tap water. Afterwards, be sure to wipe with a dry cloth until completely dry. If you notice that dirt has clogged up the holes of the beads, a thorough cleaning is required! To do this, you need to disassemble the beads, but keep in mind that most likely you will not be able to reassemble them using the same thread, so take care of a new nylon jewelry thread in advance. The lock is usually easy to dismantle and reuse. The hole of the beads can be cleaned with a needle after soaking them in a soap solution. After cleaning, rinse the beads well in boiled water, wipe with a soft cloth and let dry at room temperature. Only then collect it on a new thread or fishing line.

How to polish amber at home

If the amber has become cloudy over time, its surface has lost its mirror shine and has become matte, you can try polishing the product. To do this, the stone is first washed as indicated above, then softly polished with flannel, natural wool or suede cloth. Polishing should be gentle and long enough not to damage the stone, and at the same time give it shine. Home polishing has a number of disadvantages. It is impossible to polish equally well with a cloth all the curves and places where the jewelry frame meets the stone, as well as irregularly shaped beads. Please note that beads, bracelets and necklaces are polished in disassembled form. Still, for high-quality polishing, it is recommended to contact a specialized jewelry workshop. Amber jewelry is quite finicky and does not tolerate too much temperature changes – both high and low. It is also undesirable to store products together with gold or silver jewelry, since amber is not a stone, but a fossilized, but still resin, and may well receive scratches and abrasions on the metal. Set aside a separate box for amber items. Do not allow drops of various sprayed cosmetics to come into contact with the surface of the stones: hairsprays, deodorants, eau de toilette, etc. Avoid contact of amber jewelry with particles of household chemicals. With the right approach to cleaning amber and proper subsequent care, jewelry made with it will please the eye for a long time.

How can you not clean amber?

Many housewives like to improvise when solving any household problems at home. However, when it comes to caring for amber jewelry, it is better to calm down and learn what cannot be used to clean this mineral. Contraindications include: ultrasonic technologies, which work great with other jewelry, but are not suitable for amber; harsh chemicals; alcohol and alcohol solutions; cleaning products for metal products; abrasives and hard brushes.

Amber is a capricious stone, which with age and due to poor care becomes dull and cloudy. If the stone becomes cloudy, the jewelry loses its relevance. By listening to useful tips, you can revive gems and return to their original shine, bright color.

Why does amber become cloudy?

Amber is a soft stone of organic origin, its hardness is only 2,2-2,7 points. This is very small, so microcracks form on the surface with any rough contact. Amber beads, bracelet, pendant will quickly become cloudy, if the housewife puts them in her purse along with other items (comb, lipstick, mascara, etc.).

A surface covered with small roughness reflects light less well, so amber jewelry loses its glassy shine

Not only scratches spoil the appearance. Fossil resin absorbs odors, suffers from contact with skin covered with cream, from drops of perfume, deodorant. From exposure household or perfumes the initially transparent amber ceases to transmit light, and the jewelry loses its decorative qualities.

How to save clouded amber

There are many useful tips on the Internet that you can use to restore amber to its original shine at home. An antique amber product is best classified as to a good jeweler. There is no point in risking expensive rare jewelry.

How to remove small dirty deposits

Amber has a porous structure, so dust, microparticles of epithelium and sebum are retained on the surface of the stone. Dirt can be removed without damaging the decoration using wet cleaning:

• the product is immersed in cold water, the soaking time depends on the degree of contamination and the size of the product (from 10 minutes to several hours);
• remove, remove excess moisture with a soft cloth;
• All amber parts of the decoration are rubbed with felt or flannel until they shine.

While working, control your efforts and rub the surface of the jewelry without excitement, very carefully. Tap water often contains impurities, so before the procedure it is left to sit for a day, and ice cubes are added to cool it. After a cold “bath” the lung the cloudiness disappears.

Advice on how to restore shine to amber beads

This method is used if the beads have stopped shining and local darkening is visible on them. Add salt to the settled water (standard proportion – 2 tbsp/tbsp). Beads with clouded amber are poured with a salt solution.

Ammonia (1-2 drops per glass of water) saves amber from severe contamination. The stone is dipped into the solution for several minutes, dried, and polished.

After 20 minutes the decoration is taken out. Rinse thoroughly in several waters. Place on a towel and let dry. Glossy shine returns polishing, olive oil is used for this. Drop a couple of drops onto a piece of flannel and wipe each bead.

Paraffin and tooth powder for cracks

Amber jewelry loses its shine due to scratches. Microscopic defects are removed using pastes, prepared with your own hands. The recipe is simple:

• paraffin is ground to a powdery state;
• mix 1 part of tooth powder with 1 part of crushed paraffin;
• stir until a homogeneous mass is obtained.

Using a soft cloth, apply a small amount of paste to the cloudy stone and rub in lightly. Excess polishing mixture is removed with a dry and clean flannel.

Conclusion

The tips from the video will help you understand how to restore the shine and beauty of an amber piece of jewelry at home. After watching the video to the end, you will find out what fossil resin is afraid of and what products should not be used for removing stains и opacities: