Cleaning Crystal

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Gday Dappa. Yep, I've gotten ok results using the stuff Heatho mentions. Just be sure to wear safety glasses, gloves etc. I saw a nice quartz cluster a while back that bloke said had been cleaned in hydrochloric acid but you'd want to be extremely careful. Just like any cleaning chemical.

If the crystal faces are scaly, oxalic acid may not make them shiny. I've not actually succeeded in getting quartz to etch with anything yet - it's chemically different to glass and a lot harder then most normal glass types - but it might pay not to leave them in solution too long all the same.
 
Dappa said:
Heatho said:

heatho i ve found this stuff but its a powder how strong do u mix it ?

Doubt that this will have much of an effect, it is a mild alkali not acid, works more like a soap.

Not sure what type of acid you want, but for a mild one you could start with Rust Converter, this is based on Phosphoric Acid and you can get it in small bottles. It is already diluted so reasonably safe to handle. To go stronger the most readily available acid is pool acid, but this you MUST dilute.
 
Hi Dappa sorry about the late response.
I have used many acids to try and clean quartz but have found the best results from multiple baths in Oxalic acid with picking in cervices with tooth picks and pins.

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Yep, I use Diggers Rust Remover from Bunnings. Works a treat with tooth brush, children's toy-baby bottle cleaner, sharpened bamboo chopsticks, toothpicks and bagging needles.
 
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