Malachite jewelry stands out thanks to the green-colored elements that malachite is known for.
And thanks to its beautiful and unique color elements, you may be tempted to wear your malachite jewelry all the time, everywhere, including the shower.
But should you do this? We don’t think so, which is why this guide takes you through everything you need to know about wearing malachite jewelry.
So, let’s get right into it.
Can you wear malachite in the shower?
No, it would help if you tried as much as possible not to wear your malachite jewelry in the shower.
Why?
You should keep your malachite jewelry from getting in contact with water because these crystals wear out faster when exposed to water, with the speed of wear increased by the presence of soap in shampoo and soap, among other chemicals that will increase the rate of wear off the malachite, damaging these gems permanently.
But that is not all; there is also the fact that malachite jewelry is often coated in resin. While resin offers an elaborate protective barrier to the malachite, water will increase the rate at which the malachite resin layer wears out.
Water and soap will get rid of the protective barrier of malachite. Additionally, malachite releases an array of unhealthy fumes when exposed to water, which is to be avoided at all costs to protect the value of malachite.
Keep in mind that malachite is not the safest material to have on your skin or to come in contact with your skin, especially after the resin layer wears out, because malachite is formed with a large percentage of copper – malachite formation takes place when the copper minerals get altered when they come in contact with other minerals.
In most cases, the interaction of copper and limestone results in the form of malachite, and it’s the reason why malachite features a very high concentration of copper.
While copper is an important metal that serves specific roles in the human body, the concentrations of copper in malachite is too high, beyond safe levels.
In such high concentrations, copper can be quite harmful to both human beings and animals, especially when very high levels of copper get exposed to you.
Copper poisoning may lead to kidney failure and even damage the nervous system – and this exposure worsens when the protective resin layer is washed out.
So, if you are planning to wear malachite jewelry, you should do everything possible to avoid wearing malachite bracelets. Also, the risks involved mean you shouldn’t wash up the malachite bracelets. Also, don’t lick malachite.
You shouldn’t risk exposing malachite pieces to water, especially if the resin coat has worn off. The wet malachite would trigger a chemical reaction that forms sulphuric acid, which is beyond hazardous and corrosive.
What to do if malachite gets wet?
Despite the risks, malachite jewelry will become wet, mainly because you must sometimes clean the bracelet.
If your malachite pieces get wet, the first thing you’d want to do would be to pat dry the malachite pieces.
And after months, you may want to get the malachite stones protected by applying a new coat of resin.
How to clean malachite jewelry
So, how do you clean your malachite jewelry pieces?
Even though malachite is historically interesting and lovely, it is also quite complicated, and its striking green color makes malachite highly sought after. So, how do you clean your malachite jewelry pieces?’
Even though malachite is quite temperamental, especially when cleaning jewelry, but it is not completely impossible to clean it.
You need to keep it away from water because it will release toxic fumes, and when the stones need to be polished or cut, you may end up breathing in dust. So, to clean malachite, you must ensure that you do that without increasing the risk of damage or getting poisoned.
Simplest cleaning strategies for malachite jewelry
- First, if you wish to clean the raw stones or the stones that you may have collected just recently, you must first make sure that the space you will be cleaning the jewelry is very- well ventilated. So, open the doors or maybe even clean the stones from the outdoors.
- The second precautionary measure to take is to wear gloves, and you also need to wear protective clothing, goggles, and other protective clothing.
- If the malachite stones are covered in dirt, you should brush or rub the stones using a dry toothbrush, submerge the malachite stones in water for a few seconds, and then scrub the malachite stones, checking what comes off the stones. You may have to use a very mild detergent if the dirt isn’t coming off. If the dirt is too stubborn, you may have to soak the stones in soapy water in a ventilated space, preferably overnight.
- The good news is that malachite is generally very soft, and you wouldn’t have to go through all these steps to clean it appropriately.
- You should avoid using chemicals or bleach – this means no vinegar or bleach.
- Finally, for the simpler malachite bracelets or necklaces that aren’t that dirty, you can clean the pieces easily by wiping the stones using a dry, clean cloth.
How to take care of malachite jewelry
- The best way to take care of malachite jewelry is to keep it safe by taking off the jewelry before showering or going to bed.
- Also, avoid exposing the jewelry to cleaning detergents, even the mildest soaps.
- You should also cleanse malachite.
- In case you need the malachite pieces to shine again, the bright luster of the stone can be restored by taking the jewelry to the jeweler for cleaning and re-polishing.
Conclusion
Malachite is a brilliant hydrous mineral that is formed in wet, copper-rich environments, as well as carbonate ions.
There is one catch, though, water encourages further, unsafe reactions, meaning that you should avoid exposing the malachite pieces to water which will spark reactions that form sulfuric acid or expose the body to high and unsafe levels of copper, which is unsafe for you.
So, you should avoid exposing malachite to water. Wiping the stones would be ideal, and in most cases, it may be safer for you to take the jewelry to the jeweler for safe cleaning.
If you want to know more about other gemstone jewelry, you should read here or here!
Tiger is a fashion&jewelry lover. He is also a fashion jewelry manufacturer that help thousands of small business to grow and also do business with some big fashion jewelry brands. He is a truly metal expert and he will share some information you are looking for.