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Sound technical content, curated with aloha by
Ted Mooney, P.E. RET
Pine Beach, NJ

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How to clean mercury from gold bracelet

I am working in a cosmetics industry while working the thermometer breaks and falls in to my bracelet. It is my brother's; how to clear it out, please help me.

Regards,

ARUNA [surname deleted for privacy by Editor]
CHEMIST - PONDICHERRY, India
2007

Try immersion in 10% nitric acid(or stronger, it depends on purity of gold,18-22 ct must be very resistant, even to pure nitric acid) --it must work. Good luck!

Goran Budija
- Cerovski vrh Croatia
2007

Aruna
Usually, gentle baking in an oven will drive off the mercury (don't breathe the fumes). The gold may need polishing if it gets dull.
I suggest that you change your mercury thermometers for alcohol filled ones and don't wear jewellery at work.

Geoff Smith
Hampshire, England
2007

Coconut Oils
coconut_oil

on eBay or

Amazon

(affil links)

A. Hi, Aruna

Geoff is speaking of an industrial oven, not suggesting that you heat the bracelet in your home oven. But please see letter 13044 where countless people reported successful restoration by boiling the jewelry in coconut oil.

Good luck.

Regards,

Ted Mooney, P.E.
Striving to live Aloha
finishing.com - Pine Beach, New Jersey
July 30, 2011

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