Chad G.

Dear Mr. Chad,

    I have a quick question that I hope you might answer. I purchased a couple of bags of Cat's eyes at a garage sale. I got them home and started examining them but they were ' sticky' (eew). (I think that I found an Akro classic moss agate that I will post later! Yay!) I soaked them in warm water and dish soap for a few minutes. After rinsing, they still felt sticky so I soaked them in rubbing alcohol for a few more minutes. They felt better after drying, but some of the marbles still had grime lodged in some of the dents, dings, and scuffs. I took a toothbrush to them but some of the grime/dirt seems pretty stubborn. Any advice on how to dislodge those tiny bits without harming the surface, or dulling the shine? Any advice would be helpful. I figure that your advice would help clean the surface of any marble in our collections without resorting to grind/polishing. Unless absolutely necessary, I'd rather not go that far to help a marble look its best. Thank you and best wishes---R