Elk ivory is the rarest jewelry component in the world. Often referred to
as the "pearl of the west", elk ivory has been found among artifacts
5,000 years old. Native Americans often used elk teeth as a decorative element
in jewelry and clothing. The first confirmed elk ivory ornaments in the U.S.
were unearthed at the Fort Yates archeological dig in south central North Dakota,
along the Missouri river, dating back roughly 530 years. Elk teeth are still
used in decoration today and can make a unique, one of a kind jewelry piece.

If you are imagining a string of teeth with holes drilled through them and
strung on a piece of leather, you haven't seen a contemporary, well-made
piece of elk tooth jewelry. "Elk teeth can be a gorgeous centerpiece
for rings, pendants, belt buckles, cuff links, bracelets, and more with stunning
results" says Sarah Buckles Larner, an elk tooth and precious stone
custom jewelry designer in Steamboat Springs, Colorado. "Just like a
traditional jewelry setting using precious stones, you can use elk teeth with
metals like sterling silver, 14K yellow or white gold, or a combination of
those metals to create a lovely piece."

Elk hunting is big business in Colorado. Elk are abundant; therefore hunting
season yields plenty of material for a designer or elk tooth jewelry enthusiast.
Sarah's customers range from hunters with their own elk teeth to clients
that just appreciate the unique style of an elk tooth pendant or ring. "If
a customer brings in their own elk teeth and they are not already cleaned,
they are carefully boiled, cleaned, and then carefully polish of all the rough
edges and buffed to a pearl-like finish. Then they are ready to use"

Once the elk ivory tooth is polished, the color and highlights are unique
to each tooth. Depending on the shape and the polish, the colors range from
a milky white ivory color to dark chocolate brown. When the teeth are polished
it may give you a better idea of the type of jewelry that you would like to
have created. You can use a single tooth to create a ring, a pendant or a money
clip while a matched pair of teeth can be put in a belt buckle, a silver and
gold bracelet or cuff links.

Cleaning platinum, one of the most durable and rarest precious metals, in an ultrasonic cleaner is a cinch but with a few precautions.

Ensure that the platinum jewelry pieces are not stacked one above the other while placing them in the ultrasonic cleaning basket. The pieces might get scratched due to close contact. It is recommended to clean platinum jewelry at least once every six months, so they retain their sheen and beauty. Platinum is also resistant to discoloration and tarnishing that usually occurs on exposure to chemicals such as chlorine.

While the conventional method of cleaning jewelry manually is more suitable for sensitive metals and soft stones, you can clean gold, silver and platinum jewelry in an ultrasonic cleaner without giving it a second thought. For sensitive metals and soft gemstones, the high temperature produced in the cleaning chamber tank may damage certain gemstones that are sensitive to heat. They may also cause irreversible damage as heat alters the crystalline structure of stones. In addition to this, metals and stones with hairline cracks should not be cleaned in an ultrasonic cleaner. The cavitation process may widen the fissure and further damage your jewelry.

Gold, silver and platinum are hard and tough metals that have a relatively high resistance to heat when compared with other metals, precious and semi precious stones. Watchbands, rings and chains that are made of only platinum can be cleaned thoroughly using ultrasonic technology.

Platinum jewelry that is used along with a single gemstone or a combination of gemstones like aquamarine, amber, opal, chalcedony, rubies, tanzanite, tourmaline, rose quartz, smoky quartz, emerald, peridot, topaz, etc should never be cleaned in an ultrasonic cleaner. These gemstones are softer when compared with other stones. Some of them are also heat treated to bring out the color and subjecting them to the high temperature and pressure conditions may ruin them.

Certain types of diamonds, citrine, sapphires and garnets are also not to be cleaned using the ultrasonic cleaner. Many diamonds are treated artificially to enhance their appeal and look and in turn increase their value in the market. Some may have fractures that are filled and polished. These types of fracture filled diamonds and enhanced diamonds must never be cleaned in an ultrasonic cleaner. These are expensive gemstones and any damage caused to the external surface or internal structure could result in huge financial losses. Another problem associated with the use of ultrasonic cleaners in cleaning jewelry set with gemstones is that they loosen the setting in which the gem is fitted in and increase the chances of the stone slipping and falling out.

If you are not totally confident about using an ultrasonic cleaner, it would be best to leave the task of cleaning your platinum jewelry to trained jewelers. Professional cleaners are experts when it comes to choosing the most suitable temperature and frequency settings that the jewelry can be subjected to without causing any damage.