QuestionHow do you clean jewelry (gold rings and necklaces) that were in a fire? They were not burned but have heavy smoke damage on them.
AnswerIrene, thanks for this question. Please know, this is not your answer. I wanted you to know I will answer tomorrow evening when I get home from work.
Keep your hopes up on the jewelry looking fine again. About a year ago I cleaned jewelry from a fire and have done that more than a few times over the years. As long as the heat has not damaged in certain ways, general smoke damage and residue from the fire can be removed ok. Sometimes this is not a do-it-yourself job and is best left to a jeweler with better cleaning methods and equipment. We will get right to it tomorrow evening. Fair enough?
Thanks again. God Bless and Peace. Thomas.
follow-up with answer--------------------------------------
Irene, I am back. Please feel free to get back to me if need be or if you run into special problems I could not know about.
The very best advice I can give you for cleaning jewelry which has damage from a fire, whether smoke residue or discoloration from heat is to have it cleaned professionally by a jeweler. Why? A jeweler can do the job generally with more thoroughness than any at home attempts. A jeweler can also should examine any gemstones and jewelry fittings for damage which may not be immediately apparent. Some gemstones can take the normal cleaning methods and others cannot due to the nature of the stones. A jeweler will finish off by buffing the jewelry to restore a shine, a difficult process to do well at home without buffing wheels and machines.
Ok, you want to try to get the jewelry clean at home. Yes, even though I am a jeweler, if I was not a jeweler and had the dirtied jewelry I would try it myself first. If you want to, I will suggest a few methods of approach.
Items which are gold may be first soaked and even boiled in a solution of dish detergent with a bit of household ammonia added. If any of the jewelry is silver, ammonia will damage it so do this in the detergent water first. Boil for a few minutes and remove to see if any of the residue is coming off. Residue from a fire can consist of resins from wood, plastics, vapors of all sorts and other stuff which goes into the air and is deposited and sometimes almost baked onto the metal. The detergent/ammonia boil is a first attempt to remove more easily soluble materials.
Take a piece from the hot solution and brush with a tooth brush to see if the residue is coming off. Some will simply come off in the cleaning solution but you will be very lucky for much to come off immediately by the boiling only.
Only some gemstones are safe for boiling and if stones are involved I do suggest you contact a jeweler on those items.
Another cleaning approach it is using lye. This will loosen or dissolve most organic substances. Lye is quite caustic and if mishandled can spit onto you when mixed. A safer but still caustic approach is to use spray oven cleaner and let it soak on and into the jewelry for half an hour while all is preferably outside with good ventilation. Rinse well and brush gently as needed.
The gentlest abrasive you can use in cleaning jewelry is baking soda. Soda is only abrasive while in crystal or powder form and is used as a wet paste. Rub the paste on jewelry with your fingers. If cleaning is taking place you will know it right away.
These are the best at home cleaning methods I can suggest for the fire damage. Best wishes and may the sooty stuff come of easily!
God Bless and Peace. Thomas.
