Cleaning Nuggets

[Tony Teixeira]

Hi Folks,

As I search this forum and others I notice everyone has their own method of cleaning nuggets, some use Whink, others use an acid bath, Unc used soda and limeaway which worked wonders on his last find.

Just wondering can cleaning have a negative effect on the value of a nugget?

Thanks again!

Tony Teixeira

[nuggethunting]

Hello Tony,

I used to just use an old Toothbrush and Liquid Hand Soap to clean gold nuggets. However, many years ago a good friend, John Blennert, showed me a GemOro Ultrasonic cleaner. This unit really makes gold nuggets and specimens beautiful. I seen first hand some of his specimens that he cleaned and just had to get one.

I ended up purchasing one with the heater, which really makes the difference. I also purchased some gold and silver cleaning solution called "Magic Green."

Not only can you clean gold, but silver and other precious metals. I even cleaned several gold & diamond rings.

Here is a link to the one I purchased. It's a bit pricey, but works great.

http://www.renterprises.net/catalog/i1.html

Take care,

Rob Allison

[gus in idaho]

Hi Tony,

Yes you can definatly devalue a nice specimen nugget like Uncle Rons using Hydroflouric acid or Whink.

That type of nugget with the pretty white quartz is better left alone. I have only cleaned one nugget in my collecting with Whink.

Most of my nuggets I have cleaned with CLR, Lime away, and toothbrush and soap. I also have a UltraSonic jewelry cleaner, none of these cleaners will eat the rock.

Happy birthday by the way.

Gus-

[Tony Teixeira]

Hi Tony,

Yes you can definatly devalue a nice specimen nugget like Uncle Rons using Hydroflouric acid or Whink.

That type of nugget with the pretty white quartz is better left alone. I have only cleaned one nugget in my collecting with Whink.

Most of my nuggets I have cleaned with CLR, Lime away, and toothbrush and soap. I also have a UltraSonic jewelry cleaner, none of these cleaners will eat the rock.

Happy birthday by the way.

Gus-

Thanks Rob and Gus,

I googled "gold acid cleaning" and YIKES! You really need to know what you are doing, too dangerous for me but CLR, Limeaway and a toothbrush I can handle. Someday I will be able to justify a UltraSonic cleaner.

Hey and thanks for the Happy Birthday! You know what I did on my Birthday? I went to the doctors to get a shot of Methylprednisolone sodium (some type of Steriod) for nothing is going to stop me from visiting Arizina next week. I knew 2 weeks ago when I was gold hunting that I was walking through poison oak and I was very...very...carful and dressed accordingly but still managed to get it in some areas, thought I had it licked a few days ago for I kept the itching to a minimal and it was going away and then BAM started appearing on my stomach and back, said heck with this and went to the doctors....the shot really helped and I am sure the predisone will too.

Like I said nothing is going to stop me from visiting Arizona where I only have to worry about rattlesnakes, scorpions and cactus .... my daughter bought me some "Snake Gardz".

.....and I thought Nugget Hunting would be easy.

Thanks

Tony

[gus in idaho]

Tony,

I hate poisen oak. I got into it real bad when I was about 15 years old. I also had to get steroids. The roids worked great, It cleared up within like 2-3 days.

But watch out that stuff comes back for years to come..... I broke out with it 3 following years just about the same time each year that I had originally encounted it. I had to have steroids for it 4 years in a row, and I only touched the plant 1 time. But I did more than touch it, I fell into the plant while out fishing without a shirt on.

It stays in your system... Thats why they call it the seven year itch.

Good luck in Az.

Gus-