I do sterling silver jewelry and need a cleaner to keep in my studio.
I often combine a lot of different gemstones and pearls in one piece,
so cleaning them can be a challenge. I also do soldered chains in
sterling silver. I am considering the Speed Brite cleaner and would
like to hear from someone who uses one. How does it work on silver?
Thanks…Diana
www.sohosouthimports.com
Diana,
I have had a SpeedBrite Ionic cleaner for about 5 years and love it.
Last week I brightened up some silver chains and collars that were
looking a little shop worn and dingy and tarnished from traveling to
various shows and being subjected to various conditions. Now they
look like brand new and I didn’t have to risk my fingers buffing
them.
I haven’t damaged a stone yet with the SpeedBrite.
My SO does filigree and it’s great to clean up tarnished pieces.
When we are getting ready to go out for the evening it’s not unusual
for her to hand me a piece to clean up so she can wear it.
The only downside I can see to them is that the lid is kinda flimsy
plastic and gets brittle Mine broke to pieces after a couple years.
But I was able to make a replacement lid out of a 3/8" piece of
plastic cutting board which is similar to Corian counter top
material. I cut it to fit just inside the lip of he SpeedBrite and a
screen door handle on the top. Now better as new.
Rick Copeland
rockymountainwonders.com
Diana -
I have the small model, works on a 9v battery. Works best when the
solution is mixed correctly! (Read the bottle.)
I worked for someone who must have used it full strength - lots of
fizzing, but the silver came out with a grey sludge look and had to
be hand-cleaned. Also, theirs was the larger model that had an AC
adapter, so was always at the same voltage.
My success could also be that the battery was rarely full-strength,
and the sludge wasn’t deposited at lower voltages.
best regards,
Kelley Dragon
Diana,
I have one and I find it very useful. I normally don’t see the items
I have made once they have been sold, but my wife and I have items
that I have made and it works very well. Plus it is soft gem stone
friendly. I would recommend one.
Ken Moore
www.kenworx.com
Diana,
We use the speed brite for the shops that I work at…they can
really, i mean really save some pieces… However, pieces that have
been oxidized (on purpose) can’t go in since it will clog up the
machine. We haven’t had problems with stones…but we did test a
piece with amber in it…that did not go well. It made the amber
seem like it had a terrible film over it. I saw a machine that took
a beating…meaning someone let it rust out…but surprisingly it
did still work.
All in all, it beats the time in hand polishing…and the toxic smell
of some of the sprays.
hello there tonyar et alli was the original poster of this thread
and my question was about the stone issiue. I use my speed brite a
bit and works well, as it says for the softer stones and pearls in
silver and gold. But the peach moonstone turned brown, the problem
you had with the amber was it repairable or the cloudy film was
permanant into the stone?I am just wondering if the machines electric
current that goes through the peice is somehow messing around with
the stones coloration/structure electrically? any body having
problems with this?
H Hratch Babikian
Atelier Hratch Babikian
contemporary Jewelery and sculpture
Hratch: I found this link on the speedbrite site…(not sure if you
have seen this) but others may be curious
Amber is not technically a stone…and technically is a soluble
material (i.e. it disagrees with acetone & alcohol)…
We haven’t tried to repair it at this point…but something tells me
it can be polished up…so that is going to be the next experiment.
I was thinking it was the “gem sparkle” solution itself more than the
ions…even if it is a super gentle solution.
That’s interesting about the moonstone…but maybe it “dyed” it
somehow…
Amber is not technically a stone...and technically is a soluble material (i.e. it disagrees with acetone & alcohol)...
A test to separate fossil amber from copal, which is not fossilized,
is to use acetone. Fossil amber does not react to acetone, and copal
gets sticky.
Richard Hart G.G.
Denver, Co.
i just sent a message to speed brite to see if they had and ideas to
shed some light on the dicoloration issiue of the moonstone.thanks
for your reply it helped a bit further.
Hratch Babikian