12/17/2023 0 Comments Quartzcrystal escape the matrix![]() Finally, your cleaning options may be limited if your quartz specimens are associated with delicate associated minerals. If you clean a lot of quartz from a particular locality, you will quickly learn what they can tolerate and what they can not. Nevertheless this is something to think about when cleaning your quartz crystals. Most quartz crystals are tolerant of considerable temperature change. Crystals from some Herkimer county localities seem to be more sensitive to thermal shock than others. Not doing this risks shattering the crystals or creating internal cracks in some of the often beautifully clear "herks". Then, in a day or so, they are carefully cleaned with water that is at the same temperature as the quartz. When removed from the ground, some collectors have learned to quickly wrap them up, mud and all, and put them in an ice chest to let them get used to life outside of the pocket they formed in. The quartz from Herkimer, New York appear to be some of these. Quartz crystals from some localities seem to be more sensitive to thermal shock than those from others. "water quartz/fenster/jacaree/elestial", Minas Gerais, Brazil 6.5cm wide Rough cleaning of crystals of quartz crystal specimens like this, may cause the crystals to separate from each other where they are attached to one another. You may have some of the metal rub off on the quartz crystals, however, which you may have to clean off.Īre there any exceptions to this? Yes, if the quartz crystals are loosely joined together, like the cluster of slightly intergrown quartz crystals pictured below from Herkimer, New York. You can even use steel or aluminum bristle brushes if you want since quartz is harder than these metals. In addition you can put them in most any strong acid without etching them or dulling the shiny natural luster that many quartz crystals have on their surfaces (an exception however is hydrofluoric which is discussed below). ![]() By that I mean you can go after most of them with a stiff brush and scouring powder. Quartz crystals are pretty tough customers and you can clean them quite aggressively, both by mechanical and chemical means. The offending "iron staining" on the above specimens are fine grained iron minerals that are typically associated with quartz crystals when they are dug from the ground. A close up picture of a quartz crystal specimen that needs to be cleaned./pic> A table full of Arkansas, USA quartz crystal specimen in need of cleaning
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