jax Posted August 12, 2009 Share Posted August 12, 2009 So I loaded up with about 20-30 pounds of the stuff yesterday, and need to know what the best way - to clean it? -polish it? -protect it? I have a block that is about 4in long and 3 wide. It has 10 billion sides on it. Even since i dug it up, it has started to get dull. Except the 2 pieces i have in my pocket are shiney.... I'll post some pics when i get home. Justin Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MikeD Posted August 12, 2009 Share Posted August 12, 2009 Put in in your pocket for awhile. I have several pieces from that site. Some are shiny, some of the "rods" and "bullets" are have a little rust on them. The chunkier pieces seem to be really stable and have a nice green or purple patina to them along with that odd looking crystalline structure. Some are shiny. I haven't noticed that any of them have tarnished. I've had one on my bathroom counter for about a year and it is still as shiny as the day I found it. I asked that same question to one of my mineral collector friends and he said to use Iron Out (I know, it seems weird). I tried it on a couple of pieces. It cleaned them up a pretty nice, but the surface has a dull gold color afterward. I kind of like them the way they are. I know another mineral guy that has a lot of pieces from there, but I haven't seen him in a while. I'll email him and see what he says. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
texaswoodie Posted August 12, 2009 Share Posted August 12, 2009 Seems like Iron Out would destroy Iron Pyrite. I use a toothbrush, soap and water. Makes 'em shine nicely. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tracer Posted August 12, 2009 Share Posted August 12, 2009 google "pyrite disease" and read some of the hits. i also think there's been a couple of threads here that you can find. i'm read quite a bit about it and still am not sure about the true nature of it and whether arresting it is best effected by protecting from oxygen or trying to address bacterial action or both, and what might actually come closest to working. i'll let you decide. for the time being, i address the problem by not owning anything that i care about that's made of pyrite. if i were to find something highly desirable made of pyrite, i would probably address the problem by simply handing it to tj and moving on... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mike Owens Posted August 12, 2009 Share Posted August 12, 2009 Seems like Iron Out would destroy Iron Pyrite. I use a toothbrush, soap and water. Makes 'em shine nicely. That's the best thing to do. I have several pieces of macasite that I've had for over 30 years & I can refresh them with warm soapy water & a toothbrush. -----"Your Texas Connection!"------ Fossils: Windows to the past Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
manta Posted August 12, 2009 Share Posted August 12, 2009 I know that some of my minerals can not be stored next to each other so i guess this would make sence. My pyrite ammonites seems to have no probs but I dont store it neat any minerals Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fig rocks Posted August 13, 2009 Share Posted August 13, 2009 I've heard you can use oxalic acid to clean it up. I've got a bunch of pyrite from the US that I received in an ice cream pail and I washed it in warm soapy water and dried it with a towel and it cleaned up nicely. I have specimens from China, Spain, and Peru and I've had no issues with tarnishing even though I've had the Peruvian specimen for a couple years. The US stuff I sell out of a basket and if you play with it your fingers tend to get a little black but it cleans right up with a cloth. I have a ton of minerals in my store(literally)and have not noticed any interactions with the other rocks. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Frank Menser Posted August 13, 2009 Share Posted August 13, 2009 Frequently Pyrite can be unstable due to its varying composition. The best thing you can do is to keep your specimens away from any moisture as this is often the cuprit when it comes to dulling and decompostion. Be true to the reality you create. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MikeD Posted August 14, 2009 Share Posted August 14, 2009 OK, Justin, here is the reply I got. Also attached an article on cleaning including the method described below. Looks like you guys got some nice pieces (in the other post). That is a great place for some cool looking pyrite. Chemistry_of_Rust_Removal_DRL.pdf Greetings Mike, For pyrite cleaning it is a matter of personal choice. If it is only slightly oxidized (still shiny but not "brassy"), I don't have an issue with cleaning the tarnish off. If it is deeply oxidized, I generally leave it as it is since cleaning it willl make it look "unnatural". I like the mahogany color so I generally leave them alone, but either way works. When I do decide to clean a specimen, I use the Wahler method since it is milder than the other choices. I have attached an article I wrote for the Houston Gem and Mineral Societies newsletter (the Backbenders Gazette) on the subject of rust removal from mineral specimens that has the details and references. -Dean Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jax Posted August 14, 2009 Author Share Posted August 14, 2009 Thanks Mike! I still have over 100 more pieces I need to clean. I have been out of commision for the past few days. Doc says I have strep throat, but it feels like I got hit by a freight train. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Auspex Posted August 14, 2009 Share Posted August 14, 2009 Thanks Mike! I still have over 100 more pieces I need to clean. I have been out of commision for the past few days. Doc says I have strep throat, but it feels like I got hit by a freight train. Sorry to hear that You sure it's not pyrite disease? "There has been an alarming increase in the number of things I know nothing about." - Ashleigh Ellwood Brilliant “Try to learn something about everything and everything about something.” - Thomas Henry Huxley >Paleontology is an evolving science. >May your wonders never cease! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MikeD Posted August 14, 2009 Share Posted August 14, 2009 Sorry to hear that You sure it's not pyrite disease? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jax Posted August 14, 2009 Author Share Posted August 14, 2009 I just looked at my toes, and they are gold, with cubes growing on them..... I think I better get to the ER!! The worst part of this is my sore muscles. Arms and legs are tight and just hurt. maybe they are turning into pyrite... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Frank Menser Posted August 14, 2009 Share Posted August 14, 2009 But what of your teeth? Are those really fillings???? Be true to the reality you create. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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