Found a cool trick for cleaning quartz crystals last week

I was working on some specimens from an old dig in Arkansas and they were covered in that stubborn iron oxide stain. Last week, I tried soaking them in a mix of oxalic acid and water for about 48 hours. The red stains just faded away without hurting the crystal faces at all. It worked way better than the vinegar soak I used to do. Has anyone else tried this method on different types of mineral stains?

2 comments

2 Comments

andrew_kelly15d ago

Whoa, hold on a second. Oxalic acid is some serious stuff and it's actually pretty dangerous to just casually recommend. That stuff can be poisonous if you breathe it in or get it on your skin. I've seen it ruin a specimen's luster before, too, making it look all dull and chalky. Honestly, a lot of old timers would tell you that a long soak in plain water and some gentle scrubbing is safer and works just fine over time.

nora53515d ago

Actually used it for years on quartz and feldspar. You dilute it way down, wear gloves, outside. Never had a luster problem if you rinse it good. Water alone won't touch some of that heavy iron staining.