How to clean amber if it has become cloudy: 5 cleaning methods and care rules

Amber, a mineral formed from hardened resin, is one of the most vulnerable gems due to its softness. Its hardness is only 2–3 on the Mohs scale. Jewelry with amber requires special storage and cleaning from the owner. Cloudiness, cracking, and fading are the main problems that stone lovers face.

What makes amber cloudy?

Gem jewelry appears dull for several reasons.

Fracture

The impression of turbidity is created by cracks on the surface of the stone. They appear due to careless handling of the stone. Therefore, following the care rules is crucial:

Store it in a box lined with soft fabric on the inside. Bags are not suitable - the beads will rub against each other.
The box is placed away from heating sources, cold window sills, and places with temperature changes.
Beads or a bracelet in a box are not placed together with other jewelry in a frame. Metal parts will scratch the amber, and in proximity to them it will become cloudy.
Cracks will appear if the stone is dropped or hit.

You should not show off your jewelry in the cold, in a steam room, sauna, or similar places. Amber left in open space for a long time loses its luster.

Spotting, fading

For amber, interaction with cosmetics, household chemicals, and dirty hands is harmful: they leave stains or stains. Jewelry is put on when makeup and perfume are applied. Taken while doing household chores.

The stone has a special relationship with the sun. Prolonged exposure to the scorching rays of the sun is useless, but gentle baths will restore radiance.

How to care for stone

Amber is sensitive to the external environment and is easily deformed, so jewelry requires care according to certain rules.

Storage

To ensure that there are fewer problems with the appearance of amber, it is provided with comfortable conditions.

The gem is kept separately from others. The best option is an individual box with soft fabric inside. A thick cardboard box will also work. The main thing is that the inside is soft, spacious and there are no “neighbors”. A bag made of natural fabric is conditionally suitable; it will wear out in it.
The proximity to metal jewelry is dangerous - silver, cupronickel or gold earrings, rings, chains provoke clouding of amber.
The gem is not left near a heater, radiator, air conditioner or in the cold. Due to temperature changes, it becomes cloudy, becoming covered with cracks.

This is a sun stone, but this should not be taken literally. Short-term sunbathing is useful, but from many hours of exposure to direct rays it fades and changes color. It is advisable to dose even daylight.

General rules of care

In order for the stone to remain sparkling, it requires care. It is useful to learn how to properly clean amber jewelry:

To care for amber, only soft fabric (flannel, velvet, fleece, microfiber) is suitable. It is recommended to use a new one.
Smooth beads and cabochon inserts are cleaned with a napkin. Embossed, in gold, in a different frame - with a cotton swab, a brush with natural bristles, a soft toothbrush.
After each water procedure, the amber is rinsed and immediately wiped dry. If you put it off until later, the stones will fade again.
Stones cleared of dirt are polished. Oil is applied to fabric or palms, but not to stones. Each bead or insert is rubbed separately in a circular, leisurely motion.
Polishing amber is time-consuming: to clean amber beads at home, you will have to sacrifice your weekend. But without it, restoring shine is problematic. New amber is polished at the factory to make it shine.

Cleaning natural amber at home will become less tedious if you wipe off sweat and dust from the jewelry immediately after wearing it.

Washing with clean warm water is beneficial.

Polishing stone at home

Whatever cleaning method you choose, polishing will make your stone shine with renewed vigor. For high-quality polishing, we recommend choosing a soft cloth, such as velvet or flannel. Polish the stone using gentle, circular motions. If these are beads, you need to polish each stone in turn.

Once polishing is complete, apply a few drops of olive oil to the material and rub the item well. As a result, your stone will gain a luxurious, glossy shine.

Clean and polish your jewelry regularly, and it will last you a long time, delighting you with its shine and beauty.

As you can see, there is nothing complicated in caring for amber. We hope that our advice will help you learn how to properly care for such products, and the sunstone will become your faithful companion. Wear amber jewelry with pleasure and make yourself happy.

How to revive clouded amber

Cloudy beads and inserts can be cleaned of plaque using different methods. Cleaning methods depend on the cause and degree of cloudiness.

Dustiness

Even a box cannot save amber from dust. If it starts to become cloudy, simply wash it off:

The container is filled with boiled or filtered water and ice is added.
The decoration is left in the water for 5–7 hours or until the morning.
Take it out and blot it with a soft flannel napkin.

The container is chosen so that the jewelry is placed in one layer.

Soaking is beneficial: you don’t have to fuss with each bead. The use of ice adds shine to amber.

Pollution

Serious contamination makes the stone dark. There are several ways to clean it.

Oil

Each pebble is treated with a napkin soaked in olive oil (almond oil is also suitable). You don’t need to take a lot so as not to get it into the gaps between the gem and the frame or other recesses. Remaining oil will collect dust and dirt. When absorbed, polish. Oil levels out minor scratches.

Salt

To make amber shine, using salt is effective. The decorations are left in the solution (27–30 g of salt per 210–230 ml of boiled warm water) for 15–25 minutes. Dry on cloth. Polish with a woolen cloth and rub with oil.

Paraffin powder

For amber that has become very cloudy, use a mixture of paraffin and baby tooth powder. Paraffin is rubbed on a grater or rubbed on a cloth, and powder is poured on top.

Knead the mixed components until smooth:

coat the stone;
polish the surface;
the remaining mixture is removed with a napkin;
rub with a dry cloth.

The method is applicable for removing heavy stains, smoothing large scratches, and filling cracks on the surface of amber.

Soap

Children's or soft varieties are suitable. The order is as follows:

Prepare a solution: a tablespoon of crushed soap or 27–35 g of gel per about a liter of warm water.
The product is immersed for several minutes.
Each insert or bead is wiped with a damp cloth.

This method is used as a last resort.

Ammonia

Heavily contaminated items are left in a weak solution of ammonia (9–12 drops per 210–230 ml of water) for 5–8 minutes. Rinse thoroughly and wipe with a soft cloth. Ammonia is used rarely and carefully.

Methods for cleaning natural stone

Often women notice that the beads become cloudy after they have been in the box for some time. The reason for this is the dust that covers each pebble and deprives it of its characteristic shine. To clean your jewelry, follow these steps:

Pour cooled boiled water into a small bowl.
Throw 3-4 ice cubes into the container.
Place the product in water and leave it.
After 6 - 8 hours, remove the decoration from the basin and gently blot it with a dry cloth.

As you can see, washing the product is quite simple.

To get rid of blackness, you will need a soap solution. To prepare it, add 1 tbsp to 1 liter of warm water. a spoonful of soap shavings (hard soap) or 25 ml of liquid product.

Cleaning steps:

Place your amber earrings or bracelet into the basin and wipe each bead with a soft, damp cloth or sponge. To penetrate deep crevices, use a toothbrush, which not only cleans, but also polishes the product.
Wipe each element with a clean, dry cloth.
Apply olive oil to each pebble, when it is absorbed, polish with a piece of cloth.

This is a long-term procedure that will help fight plaque and more serious stains.

If the beads are round in shape without cracks or creases, then they can be cleaned with tooth powder. To do this, take a little dry substance, apply it to a soft toothbrush and rub it gently.

A flannel napkin is often used for this purpose. It is not recommended to use toothpaste, as it gets into the cracks of the mineral and changes its color.

If the amber becomes very cloudy, it is polished. This is an effective way to restore the original appearance of jewelry, however, it is more suitable for small items. Long beads with amber will have to be polished over several days.

To begin cleaning your jewelry, take a new velvet or flannel cloth and gently rub each bead in a circular motion until a shine appears. After polishing, each element is rubbed with olive oil, and it is important to ensure that it does not flow into the recesses. If oil gets into a crack, it will attract dust and dirt.

If the stains do not disappear after polishing, try removing them in a salt bath. To do this, mix 25 g of salt with 220 ml of warm boiled water. When the salt has dissolved, dip the amber product into the liquid and leave it for 8 hours.

Then take out the decoration and dry it on a napkin for half an hour. After this procedure, it is recommended to polish the beads with a piece of wool and rub them with olive oil.

How not to restore amber

To clean natural amber at home without spoiling it, follow the following rules:

Strong household chemicals, alcohol, and pastes used to clean precious metals or other stones are contraindicated. Never use these products: their components will change the composition of the mineral, causing permanent whitishness.
Products should not be cleaned with abrasives, brushes, sponges - scratches will remain.
Do not wash or clean the gem with hot water.
Cleaning with a steam generator (or steam from a kettle) or ultrasound is prohibited. The steam will destroy the amber, and cracks will appear from the ultrasound.
You should not use toothpaste: it penetrates into the cracks, causing the mineral to turn green.

Luxury jewelry is not washed, but wrapped in a damp cloth, then wiped to enhance shine. We also recommend that you watch the video on what not to do with amber.

What is not used to clean minerals?

The gem is fragile, so standard methods of exposure and cleaning agents are not applicable to it. For fossilized resin the following are prohibited:

ultrasound - the mineral will crack;
steam generator - may break;
alkali, acids, and other aggressive household chemicals will lose their natural shine and darken;
alcohol or compounds containing it - a white coating forms on the stone;
hard sponges, brushes, and other abrasives will get scratched.

Only laundry or baby soap is suitable.

The jewelry cleaner is chosen carefully - not everyone is suitable for amber.

Cleaning from energy negativity

Adherents of the paranormal are sure that amber is affected by external negative energy. A porous mineral absorbs it more strongly than others; having accumulated, it becomes cloudy.

There are two ways to clean amber:

Water . Rinsing a pebble under it, you imagine how all the blackness is washed away. The procedure is carried out on the waning moon, preferably on the final three days of the lunar month.
Moonlight . Decorations are displayed in an open space or on a windowsill. The duration of the procedure is three nights, from the full moon.

The mineral, freed from negative energy, should shine. If the stones have not changed after magical or ordinary manipulations, it is most likely a fake.

Usage

Amber products are magnificent, they need to be cared for and cherished.

Handle the decoration only with well-washed hands.
Worn when perfume and cosmetics are applied.
After each wearing session, the stone, without putting it aside, is thoroughly wiped with a dry soft cloth until sweat, grease or cosmetics penetrate deeply.
Do not take it to the beach, long summer walks, bathhouse or sauna, so as not to fade.
Before cleaning, washing dishes or preparing dinner, jewelry should be removed.
Drops can cause scratches or cracks on the mineral, so it is better not to drop it or throw it on the table.

If the cloudiness remains after cleaning and polishing, it may not be amber. Read how to distinguish a natural mineral from a fake on this page.

The healing properties of amber beads

The health benefits of amber beads are not denied even by very conservative official medicine. This is exactly the rare case when doctors do not recommend relying on the healing power of “tears of the sea” (as amber is poetically called), but do not deny it either.

The first mentions of the extraordinary properties of amber that have reached us belong to the father of medicine, Hippocrates. Many prominent medici of the past knew about them, although they could not provide a scientific basis for their empirical knowledge. Amber was widely used in traditional Chinese medicine and was idolized in Ancient Rome and the East.

Silver necklace with amber (go to the SUNLIGHT catalogue)

In Medieval Europe, amber was widely used for various purposes. It was considered an excellent remedy against poisons, it was used to treat ailments arising from an excess of “bad blood” (that is, hypertension), all kinds of wounds, goiters, migraines, and relieved menstrual and childbirth pains.

Church reformer Martin Luther, who suffered from gallstones, preferred to eat dietary dishes using a spoon carved from a single piece of fossil resin.

The excitement that reigned around amber in the Middle Ages died down somewhat at the beginning of the 20th century, but by the middle of it it flared up with renewed vigor. This is due to the prevailing passion for bioenergy at that time. Secret development of “cheerfulness pills” was carried out by Nazi Germany, and after the Great Patriotic War, interest in “tears of the sea” arose among scientists of the Soviet Union.

Professor Maria Kondrashova made a significant contribution to research into the healing properties of amber. She proved that succinic acid with natural additives (succinate) is a storehouse of useful substances. In the course of research conducted by a group of an ambitious professor in Kaliningrad, it was found that succinic acid is a natural catalyst for metabolic processes that can give the body a boost of vigor and energy without the slightest side effects.

As often happened in the USSR, Kondrashova’s research interested high ranks from the KGB. Their results were classified and amber again became just a fossil resin, suitable only for making jewelry.

Now interest in the medicinal properties of amber beads has flared up with renewed vigor. And for good reason: amber cannot be used alone in the radical treatment of serious diseases, but as an adjuvant in the treatment of certain ailments, it has proven its effectiveness in practice.

Succinic acid is part of many dietary supplements. And those who like to have fun probably know that the best cure for hangover has not yet been invented!

So, let’s figure out what amber beads help with. They are endowed with a number of healing properties:

help with joint diseases, respiratory and infectious diseases of any etiology;
help stabilize blood pressure and prevent cardiovascular diseases;
reduce the intensity of migraines and other headaches;
have pronounced antiseptic properties, thanks to which they promote rapid healing of wounds;
reduce weather dependence and help to survive magnetic storms more calmly;
has a beneficial effect on blood composition, and therefore on oxygenation and blood supply to all organs;
stimulate the nervous system and protect against stress;
stabilize the functioning of the digestive and excretory organs;
promote the removal of toxins and waste;
improve the condition of skin, hair and nails;
have a pronounced restorative, rejuvenating and tonic effect on the body.

Do amber beads help with thyroid diseases?

Many people wear amber beads around their necks to prevent and treat thyroid diseases. This is completely justified: under the influence of the heat of the human body, the beads heat up and the process of releasing useful substances is activated.

This occurs in close proximity to the thyroid gland, so that a significant part of the beneficial substances penetrates through the skin directly next to the organ. And among these useful substances is not only iodine, which is vital for the normal functioning of the thyroid gland, but also a lot of other microelements: iron, zinc, calcium and others like them.

View all amber jewelry from the BALTIC GOLD brand in the SUNLIGHT catalog

This makes amber beads a good aid in the treatment of hypothyroidism and other thyroid ailments. It is recommended to wear the beads directly over the thyroid gland to facilitate the transport of nutrients to the organ. To make beads, we use exclusively unprocessed amber (preferably Baltic) without a frame.

Reckless faith in the healing power of stones can lead to tragic consequences. Wearing jewelry cannot replace qualified medical care!

Features of storage and carrying

The above rules are necessary to know for those who are interested in how to clean amber jewelry. However, it is equally important to comply with the storage conditions for such items. They are as follows:

Amber jewelry should be stored separately from other items. It is recommended to cover the inside of the box with a soft cloth.
Do not keep metal products near jewelry. Such a proximity will cause the stone to become cloudy.
Should be stored in a dry and dark place.
After wearing, it is recommended to immediately wipe the stone with a soft cloth.
It is necessary to prevent perfume from coming into contact with amber.

In order for the sunstone to retain its original shine for a long time, a number of recommendations should be followed:

do not keep amber products near heating and other devices that change the temperature in the room;
remove jewelry when going to the sauna and steam bath;
Before picking up the stone, you need to wash your hands;
Avoid prolonged exposure to sunlight and open air. Because of this, the amber becomes cloudy.

If the sunstone becomes cloudy, you can use the tips below for cleaning your amber.