Cleaning Copper related Minerals?

I have some nice Specimens of Malachite, Azurite and Galena that has a tough 'outer core' of rock on it ... I would like to remove some of the 'Rock' if possible and expose the true colours and extent of the Copper related minerals... but don't have my Lapidary gear set up ATM...

Any ideas on what would work?
Here are 2 examples:



LW....

Wow they're good looking samples LW! Love the bright blues in them! I think the brown sets it off really nicely for a bit of contrast though.

How to remove the rock? Tricky job without the lapidary set up. Maybe rubbing it on a coarse sandpaper or a metal file, or chipping away at it carefully with a small geologist hammer? Not sure how hard the samples are to handle that one without breaking up though. Labour intensive, but I think I'd try the file first.

Good luck!

Cheers,
Megsy

MegsyB007 said:

Wow they're good looking samples LW! Love the bright blues in them! I think the brown sets it off really nicely for a bit of contrast though.

How to remove the rock? Tricky job without the lapidary set up. Maybe rubbing it on a coarse sandpaper or a metal file, or chipping away at it carefully with a small geologist hammer? Not sure how hard the samples are to handle that one without breaking up though. Labour intensive, but I think I'd try the file first.

Good luck!

Cheers,
Megsy

Click to expand...

A dentist's drill can remove some of that surface material. Not sure that I would want to though, as some consists of other minerals (e.g. white cerussite forming from the galena). With copper minerals you can tumble them, but galena is brittle and tends to break up (tumbled polished azurite and malachite can look great).

Thanks for the replies... It is certainty a tricky one... That's why I posted this... I know how to clean most things, but the methods I use on Crystals and things, I would never try on this stuff.... So
I might get a Dremel and see how I go as chipping away with a small Geo pick is too violent and has broken some... :/
I would like to expose some of the Malachite/ Azurite/Galena a little more in some pieces. Well that's the goal anyhow...
I have tried a gentle Tumble and ruined a few pieces as the Galena is mixed with the 'Other Minerals' in some specimens and other samples are solid Galena or solid Malachite.. so on to the next method I think...
There is some nice Cerussite caverns that I would like to clean up too, but that stuff is very fragile... so best I leave them alone...

Lucky I have several buckets to play with... :|
All collected from our Gemorama Field Trip venue...
We are going to the same place next year as well... There is enough of it around for the next 10+ Gemoramas...

LW....

Hi lone wolf,i have a dremel,i find it very handy for doing the task,s mentioned,make sure you get a flexi drive with it to keep the motor dry.I use the sanding disk,s as i find the drum,s to expensive,if i can not get the grits i want to use i get wet and dry sandpaper and make my own(i think it is the sand vik brand the paper is heavier, get it from the paint shop not bunnings)and i use old diamond cut wheel,s as a backing plate(about $10.00 for 20 disc,s from china, cheaper than $20 for 1 disc at bunnings)the wet and dry and the cut off wheel,s idea came from a artisan jeweller i know, keep the revs down and let the tool do the work and all is good :beer:

My Sister has a Dremal and I can borrow it ....
As for the Discs, I have heaps here and can use them up before I make my own.... I bought an Aldi Dremel a few years ago but it died after the second use, so I took it back... but kept the discs and attachments that came with it by accident...

Thanks for all the ideas... :Y: erfect:

LW...

Malachite if its dense enough will polish/cabochon/sculpt but as gr stated, it can be very frail too. Carbonate easily falling apart in water. The stuff with radial patterns or banding seems to be more solid that just a mass of it. Probably same goes for azurite. I just keep it as natural specimens

Can you get access to a diamond saw and cut some sections from it, might be an easier way to view the various minerals in the specimens.

Yes I can get access to My Trim saw, after I pull half the shed apart to get to my Lapidary Gear... Still packed after our move and as We might be moving away from here i much prefer to leave them where they are for the time being... :argh:

LW...

Try alternating grits of wet dry sandpaper flat on a piece of glass, stuck down by a dribble if water.

Trickle water here and there and rub the rock away at sandpaper. Only work it wet, keep any dry dust away. Can collect the dust if you want though. After youve collected the wet 'mud', place in a shallow glass dish with water..let it evaporate in sun till turns to powder and keep it in a container/glass jar. Throw it on a fire one day for green flames. Woooo

I will try that AtomRat... sounds fun..

LW.....