Put vasaline on the inside and use vinegar, just put the whole shell in and
watch so the acid does not do any damage.  You will still have to pice a
little, but the acid in the vinegar will do a lot of work for you.  The
bleach thing works up to a point, but I have had Pectens in bleach for over
a year and the crud is still not off. A mild acid usually works alonge with
a little picking.  John
 
----------
> From: rosi neuffer <[log in to unmask]>
> To: [log in to unmask]
> Subject: Rosalic Acid
> Date: Thursday, August 27, 1998 10:46 PM
>
I've been enjoying Conch-L for several weeks now.  My filing cabinet is
getting full of wonderful information about seashells - collecting,
storing, naming, taxonomy, etc.  One particular evening there was quite
a discussion on cleaning shells.  Recently I was able to collect
approximately 200 leafy jewel boxes off an off-shore oil platform that
is in the process of being refitted.  These shells are truly "jewels" in
the "rough" and I do mean rough.  They are covered with barnacles and
bryozoan.  Someone suggested that rosalic acid works well in removing
encrustations.
 
No one in Houston Texas (including U of H) has ever heard of rosalic
acid.  There was also mention of orthophosphoric acid and natrium
sulphite as an alternative.  No one in Houston Texas has ever heard of
these products, either.
 
Can someone help me?  Does anyone out there in mollusca land know of
other names that these products may be called?  I'd sure love to know.
Or, if anyone can give me any other suggestions on how to clean these
jewel boxes, I'd be very appreciative.  It really would be a pity to
waste them.
 
Actually, would anyone out there like to have a few?  Some of them are
pretty anyway.  I'd be more than happy to send them out to you if you
e-mail me your address.
 
RoseSea
[log in to unmask]