In the world of jewelry maintenance, citrine needs our careful care for its unique charm and rarity. Water cleaning is a common and effective way to clean citrine, but there are many details and steps that need attention to ensure that dirt and impurities can be removed during the cleaning process without causing damage to the citrine.
Preparatory work
Appropriate container selection
First of all, choose a suitable container for citrine cleaning. The best container is a shallow bowl or cup made of ceramic, glass or plastic. Ceramic and glass material properties are stable, not easy to chemical reaction with citrine, and the surface is smooth, will not scratch the crystal. Plastic containers are lighter and less likely to break.
Avoid using metal containers, because metals may react with citrine in water, especially some containers containing metal components such as iron and copper, which may cause discoloration or other damage to the surface of citrine. For example, if citrine is placed in an iron container for cleaning, trace iron ions that may be dissolved in the water will adhere to the surface of citrine, affecting its beauty and luster.
Selection of clean water
The best water to clean citrine is distilled water or pure water. Distilled water after distillation treatment, almost free of impurities and minerals, can effectively avoid impurities in the water in the cleaning process attached to the citrine surface. The purified water has also been filtered and purified by multiple layers, which can also meet the cleaning requirements.
Ordinary tap water contains a variety of minerals and chemicals such as chlorine, calcium and magnesium, and long-term use of tap water to clean citrine may leave white water stains or mineral precipitation on the crystal surface, affecting its transparency and gloss. For example, in some areas with hard water quality, the citrine surface after being cleaned with tap water may appear a layer of white scale, which is difficult to remove.
Preparation of auxiliary tools
Also need to prepare some auxiliary tools, such as soft brush, clean soft cloth and so on. A soft brush can be used to gently brush dust and dirt off the surface of citrine, such as choosing a wool brush or nylon brush with soft bristles that won’t scratch the crystal. Soft cloth is used for drying after cleaning, it is best to choose a cotton texture of lint-free soft cloth, so that it can absorb moisture, and will not leave fiber fluff on the citrine surface.
Cleaning procedure
Preliminary flushing
Pour the selected amount of distilled or purified water into the prepared container, and then gently drop the citrine into the water. Let the citrine soak in water for a moment, generally soaking for 3-5 minutes, this step can make the relatively loose dust and dirt attached to the citrine surface initially soften. After that, gently rinse the citrine with a slow water flow. The water flow should not be too large or too fast to avoid impact damage to the citrine. You can place the container under the faucet, open the faucet slightly, and let a thin stream of water slowly flow over the citrine surface, washing away some of the dirt.
Brush cleaning
After an initial rinse, remove the citrine and place it on a clean, soft cloth. Then, gently scrub the citrine surface with the prepared soft brush. For the citrine facet part, brush gently along the direction of the facet to avoid transverse or reverse brush resulting in facet wear.
For example, when cleaning the facets of a citrine pendant, brush gently along the edge of each facet. For the surface texture or convex part of citrine, you can carefully clean up the dirt with a brush, but you should also pay attention to the strength control. In the scrubbing process, if you find that there is some dirt that is difficult to remove, you can put the citrine in the water again for a while, and then continue to scrub until the surface is basically clean.
Rinse and soak again
After cleaning the brush, rinse the citrine again in water to remove any dirt that came off during the brushing process and any bristles that may remain. This rinse can be extended slightly to ensure that there are no residual impurities on the citrine surface. After washing, citrine can continue to soak in water for 5-10 minutes, which helps to further purify the energy field of citrine, although the purification effect of the energy field is difficult to be directly observed with the naked eye, but from the perspective of some energy theories, water can absorb and take away the negative energy around the citrine. During the soaking process, the container can be placed in a quiet and clean place to avoid contaminating the citrine again with dust from the surrounding environment.
Wipe and air dry
After soaking, gently blot the citrine surface with the prepared clean soft cloth. Be careful to blot rather than wipe dry, to avoid wiping hard to cause scratches on the citrine surface. You can gently cover the citrine with a soft cloth and press gently to allow the soft cloth to absorb water. For some corners or crevices that are difficult to blot, you can gently wipe them with a corner of a soft cloth.
After absorbing most of the water, place the citrine in a well-ventilated and clean place to air dry. Avoid placing citrine directly in the sun, as high temperatures may cause changes in the internal structure of citrine, affecting its color or transparency. You can choose to place citrine in the indoor window position, let the natural wind gently dry it, generally takes a few hours, citrine can be completely dry, restore its crystal clear beautiful state.
Matters needing attention
Avoid excessive temperature difference
In the process of cleaning citrine, special attention should be paid to avoid excessive temperature difference. When the temperature of citrine changes rapidly, the internal structure may be damaged, resulting in cracks or other defects. For example, do not wash citrine that has just come in from the cold outside directly in hot water, or dry it quickly with hot air after cleaning. If the citrine is in a low temperature environment, it should be placed at room temperature for a period of time, so that its temperature is gradually close to room temperature before cleaning.
Collision damage prevention
Whether during the cleaning process or when placing citrine, it is necessary to prevent it from colliding with other hard objects. Although the hardness of citrine is relatively high, it may still cause damage such as cracks, cracks or scratches during collision. When cleaning in the container, make sure there are no other sharp or hard objects in the container. In the process of washing, brushing and placing to air dry, you should also be careful to avoid citrine falling or colliding with hard objects such as tables and walls.
Periodic cleaning frequency
The frequency of citrine cleaning should be determined according to the environment in which it is worn or stored. If you often wear citrine jewelry, due to the skin secreted oil, sweat and contact with dust and other dirt more, it is recommended to wash every 1-2 weeks. If the citrine is only stored as a decoration, and the storage environment is relatively clean, it can be cleaned every 2-3 months. Regular cleaning can maintain the beauty and good energy state of citrine, extend its service life, so that it can always accompany us with a crystal bright attitude.
Conclusion
Cleaning citrine with water seems simple, but it contains a lot of knowledge and skills. From the careful selection of containers, water and tools in the preparation work, to the careful operation in the cleaning step, to the strict control of temperature difference, collision and cleaning frequency in the precautions, each link is related to the safety and cleaning effect of citrine in the cleaning process. Only by following the correct water cleaning method, can citrine always maintain its charming charm in the long river of years, whether it is worn as a precious jewelry, or as a beautiful decoration home, it can bloom its unique brilliance, adding a crystal clear beauty to our life.
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