How to clean topaz at home: basic methods

Topaz: properties and features

Topaz is a semi-precious stone, jewelry with it is very popular. The mineral is considered rare, being a product of igneous origin, it is found together with smoky quartz, feldspar, tourmaline and mica, sometimes in placer pebbles. May be a rock-forming mineral, but not often.

He has earned the love of jewelers thanks to the following qualities:

Variety of colors. There are blue, blue, brown, pink and wine-yellow topazes. It can be colorless, some crystals combine different shades.
Hardness and density. On the Mohs scale it ranks 8th. The mineral does not decompose under the influence of acid and is resistant to physical influences.

The stone shines and shimmers, it looks impressive in any frame.

Helpful information

In the past, topaz was called the “Siberian diamond”; it was found in many deposits that are now depleted. The most valuable colored minerals are mined in the Urals (colorless topazes are not in great demand).

Causes of topaz cloudiness

It’s not for nothing that many people wear jewelry exclusively in the evenings. The thing is that most stones are damaged by sunlight, topaz is no exception. It cannot be left in the light for a long time, the mineral burns out and becomes dull. The stone must be properly cared for. If it stops shining and becomes cloudy, it means:

the owner wore the jewelry for a long time without taking it off, and at the same time, forgetting about the need for regular cleaning;
the product with topaz was washed several times in plain water (contains various chemical elements harmful to stones);
it was cleaned using abrasives.

Important information

The stone should not be exposed to sudden temperature changes. If a woman wore a topaz ring outside during the cold season and then entered a warm room, then microscopic cracks may appear on its surface. The structure of the crystal is disrupted, its surface becomes cloudy.

Restore shine and color

It will not be possible to return the stone to its original color. It does not matter whether it is natural or artificial. The clouding of the surface of too bright topaz is the main disadvantage of this mineral. You can save the situation by promptly paying attention to the changes that are taking place.

The color of some stones can be restored by a professional jeweler if approached early on. Most often it is possible to restore the natural shade:

blue and dark blue topaz;
tea, pink and yellow stones.

Yellow and pink artificial topazes are re-irradiated. It is impossible to restore their color at home, but it is quite possible to restore the shine. To do this, they use products to restore the shine of precious and semi-precious stones, which can always be found at home:

Potato broth. The potatoes are cut into cubes and boiled. Place the decoration with topaz in the cooled water and leave it for 1 hour. The already cleaned stone is wiped with a soft, dry cloth.
Onion solution. Squeeze out the juice from several onions, mix it with an equal amount of water and pour the liquid over the decoration, leaving for 40-50 minutes. After this, the product is washed in clean, settled water and wiped with a soft cloth,

To ensure that the stone always remains shiny, it must be cleaned regularly.

WHY DOES TOPAZ TURN CLEAR?

Various colors of stones are usually obtained under artificial conditions.

As a result of processing, the gem becomes sensitive to external influences.

When worn, jewelry tends to become dirty, lose its luster, and become cloudy. If you find out why topaz becomes cloudy, there will be no problems with cleaning.

Causes of cloudiness:

Topaz becomes cloudy with prolonged and regular contact with tap water that contains chlorine.
In the sun, stones turn pale and fade over time. That is why jewelry is recommended to be worn mainly in evening dresses.
Due to sudden temperature changes, small cracks appear on the mineral, so the jewelry takes on a cloudy appearance.

You should be especially careful when wearing jewelry with blue tones.

Topaz

Restoring color

During use, jewelry gradually loses color and shine.

An attractive appearance can be restored at home in several ways, using improvised means or a special paste.

Ammonia

Using a solution of ammonia (ammonia) you can restore faded jewelry to its original appearance.

Add 8 drops of ammonia and a third of a teaspoon of salt to 50 ml of cold water.
The decoration is immersed in the resulting solution for 5 minutes.
Take it out and rub it with a suede cloth.

Potato

You can restore the shine of stones using raw potatoes.

You will need to peel several potatoes, chop them finely and pour boiling water over them.
After 30 minutes, the decoration is immersed in a container with potatoes for 1 hour.
After an hour, the product is taken out, allowed to dry and rubbed with a soft cloth.

Ammonia

Onion

There are several ways to cleanse minerals with onion juice:

A cotton pad is soaked in onion juice, rubbed on the decoration and left for 2 hours.
Pour enough onion juice into the container so that the decoration is completely immersed in it and leave for 45 minutes.

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After these procedures, the gem is washed with cold water, dried and wiped with a cloth.

Cleaning products

The method for cleaning topaz depends on the setting in which the stone is set. Gold is cleaned differently than silver. To clean stones without a frame, use toothpaste, vinegar or special products.

Toothpaste

Toothpaste is often used to clean stones. To do this, the decoration is moistened with water, after which a small amount of paste is applied to it. It is better not to use a hard brush. Instead, use a soft sponge or cloth. Use it to wipe the dirty surface for a minute. The cleaned product is washed in water. Contact with liquid should be minimal; you should not soak the jewelry in water.

Vinegar

Add 3-4 drops of vinegar to a glass of water and dip a ring or bracelet into it for 30-35 minutes. A clean stone is rinsed with warm water and polished with a soft cloth sprinkled with alcohol. Acid is not harmful to topaz, so this cleaning method can be used repeatedly.

Special means

Modern jewelry manufacturers offer customers not only jewelry, but also care products. There are special pastes for cleaning stones. They are safe for topaz and for those who use them. The only negative is the high cost.

How to restore shine to topaz

Even with proper care, the stone loses its shine over time. Therefore, it is good to be familiar with how to clean topaz and restore its shine at home. To do this, we have identified 3 main means: potatoes, ammonia and onions.

Potato

Probably the cheapest way to restore the former shine of a silver-cut product is to use potatoes. To do this, take 3 pieces of vegetables and cut them into pieces. Take a saucepan, pour water into it and heat to medium temperature. Place chopped potatoes on the bottom and keep on low heat; the temperature should be such that you can stick your finger into the water without getting burned. Leave everything like this for half an hour. Now turn off the heat source and gently immerse the topaz inside for an hour. After this, rinse with clean water, wipe with flannel and dry.

If you need a stronger effect, squeeze out the potato juice, heat until warm and place the product inside in the same way. But this will require more product.

Ammonia

Take regular salt, ammonia (or ammonia), water and mix in a ratio of 1:3:20. Mix thoroughly and place the product in the resulting mixture for 5 minutes. Remove and rinse with warm, clean water. Now the topaz can be polished with a regular soft cloth.

Onion

Take a regular young onion and squeeze the juice out of it, separate it from the pulp. Soak a cotton pad in the resulting juice and rub the product with it. Leave for 2 hours and rinse thoroughly with clean water to remove onion residue and odor. Wipe dry using a soft cloth. Polish the jewelry to the desired effect.

If the product is completely immersed in juice, half an hour of waiting will be enough. It's not worth keeping longer.

How to clean framed items

The framed product is cleaned with products suitable for both stone and the metal from which the frame is made.

Gold

Gold rings and earrings with stones are cleaned using:

soap solution (less aggressive baby soap is most suitable, a few drops of which are dissolved in warm water);
ammonia (the jewelry is immersed in an alcohol solution for 40 minutes and then polished using a soft cloth).

The main thing during the cleaning process is to act very carefully so as not to damage the stone or the place where it meets the frame (some stones are held in the frame by glue).

Silver

Silver jewelry with topaz can be cleaned using the same products as regular stones. You can use acetic acid, toothpaste and pastes offered by jewelers.

HOW TO CLEAN TOPAZ

In a silver frame

Before cleaning topaz at home, you should familiarize yourself with the rules.

The main thing is not to use cleaning products that contain large amounts of chemicals that can harm the gem.
Harsh preparations are not recommended for cleaning minerals; therefore, chalk and toothpaste are preferred, which, if necessary, are replaced with washing powder.
The components are mixed in equal proportions.
For application use a soft brush or makeup brush.
The mixture is applied to the product and wrapped in cloth for a couple of hours.
Then rinse quickly with warm water.
To remove moisture, use napkins or soft paper.
The mineral is allowed to dry completely, taking into account that it should not be exposed to sunlight.
Finally, polish with flannel.

Onion

Toothpaste

A popular way to clean jewelry is the toothpaste method: this removes minor stains and gives the mineral shine.

The decoration is soaked in cold water.
Apply a small amount of toothpaste.
Rub the paste in with a soft bristle brush for 3-5 minutes.
The decoration is washed and the remaining toothpaste is removed.
Contact with water should be minimal.

Vinegar

A solution of wine vinegar is also used for cleaning. It is not recommended to use other types of vinegar essence on jewelry.

You will need to take a container and pour 0.25 liters of warm water.
Add 5-8 drops of wine vinegar and mix thoroughly.
Place topaz in the resulting solution for 35 minutes.
Rinse thoroughly with clean warm water.
For polishing, use a soft cloth previously soaked in alcohol.

Toothpaste

Special means

This method is the simplest, but also the most expensive. Designed for cleaning silver sets.

We buy special products for washing jewelry in the form of a paste.
We process it in a similar way to toothpaste.

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The effect of the special paste is identical.

Framed in gold

To clean topaz in a ring, use the following method:

Add 7-8 drops of ammonia and 40 ml of liquid baby soap to 100 ml of water.
Mix thoroughly until foam appears.
The ring is immersed in the resulting mixture for 1 hour.
After an hour, the ring is taken out, rinsed with cold water, and dried.

Vinegar

If you plan to clean topaz in earrings:

Mix detergent with warm water in proportions 1:3.
Depending on the contamination, place the jewelry in the solution for 15 to 35 minutes.
Wash thoroughly, dry and rub.

Products with glued topazes are cleaned using a cotton swab, which is pre-moistened in alcohol or vodka.

How can you clean topaz?

Jewelry owners might not have had many problems associated with loss of shine and clouding of stones if they had used the correct cleaning products. Not all cleaning products are suitable for topaz. You can not do it this way:

use strong detergents and shampoos;
wash stones with topazes attached with glue in water;
use chlorine-containing products; water not passed through filters is also harmful.

Some owners of topaz jewelry try to restore their lost shine by throwing them alternately in hot and cold water. This is wrong and, most likely, will lead to the product being completely damaged; even an experienced jeweler will not be able to correct the situation. Before cleaning it yourself, it is better to consult a professional, having done this at the time of purchase.

Features of cleaning some products

The method of cleaning jewelry at home is selected depending on the material from which the frame is made. Most often, topaz is framed in gold or silver.

In gold

There are two methods for processing gold jewelry. An easy way is to clean with dishwashing detergent. The gel is mixed with water, the product is immersed in the mixture, and left for 25-30 minutes. Then the stone is washed under the tap and wiped with a cloth.

You can clean a gold ring using water, ammonia, or shampoo. After mixing the components, place the product in the container and leave for an hour. Next, it is taken out, rinsed, and polished with a piece of cloth.

Important! Some housewives prefer to use the old method of processing gold - boiling. This procedure is contraindicated for precious and semi-precious stones.

In silver

Silver jewelry is processed in two ways - using toothpaste and wine vinegar:

Thanks to toothpaste, you can restore the natural shine to the product and remove dirt. A regular white paste without cleaning particles or bleaches is suitable for cleansing. Squeeze a small amount of paste onto a toothbrush moistened with water. After rubbing the ring/earrings with a brush for 1-2 minutes, the product is washed and dried.
Many housewives prefer wine vinegar to clean jewelry. It must be diluted with a small amount of water. A high concentration of the product may dull the stone even more. Mix water (1 glass) and wine vinegar (1/2 tsp) in a container. Place the ring in the solution for 30-40 minutes, rinse and dry.

Cleaning a silver frame is easy; it is important not to use detergents with a high content of surfactants.

Earrings

It is more convenient to clean earrings in a glass or shot glass. Pouring warm water into a container, mix it with liquid soap and ammonia. It is better to choose gentle products like baby soap/shampoo. The earrings are immersed in the solution for 1 hour, washed with cold water, and wiped with a piece of cloth.

If the decoration is glued

When creating jewelry, jewelers prefer to fix the gem with glue. It is forbidden to clean such a product with water; it is allowed to use a cotton swab dipped in alcohol or vodka.

Using a professional product, you can easily clean rings/earrings attached with glue. It contains gentle, safe components that efficiently remove contaminants from the surface of the mineral. The line of special cleaners is represented by solutions, foams, sprays, wipes, dry shampoos, and polishes.

How not to clean topaz?

It is important not only to use the appropriate products, but also to clean the product correctly. Brute force will not help, it is not worth using. To clean jewelry, use soft cloths lightly moistened with water or alcohol.

When using toothpaste, the brush, especially a hard one, should be put aside. Its bristles can damage the surface of the stone. The damage caused may not be noticeable to the naked eye, but over time there will be more damage, the stone will fade and lose its original color.

If the jewelry is expensive, then at the time of purchasing it, care products are also purchased. By refusing to spend extra money, you can lose a lot more. Topaz quickly fades and loses its attractive appearance if not properly cared for. Home cleaning methods cannot always be used for expensive precious items.

Care instructions

Stones that are properly cared for will provide owners with color and shine for decades. For this:

the crystal is stored away from direct sunlight in a fabric bag and box;
Avoid contact of jewelry with cosmetics and medications. All rings and bracelets are put on after applying makeup;
before taking a bath or swimming in a lake or river, jewelry with topaz is removed;
clean topazes at least once a month;
Jewelry is not worn every day; it is worn on special occasions, preferably in the evening.

Approximately twice a year it is necessary to take jewelry with topaz to a jeweler. It needs professional cleaning.

Topazes are popular semi-precious stones, which are often used to decorate various jewelry. The mineral can be colored blue, yellow and even brown. Its value is quite high, but when purchasing, pay attention, first of all, to the fact that topaz fades over time and needs regular, including professional cleaning. If jewelry with a stone is often worn during the daytime, its shine and color may be completely lost, and it will not be possible to restore the former beauty of the item even with the help of a craftsman.