We also have seen many examples of deteriorating blue beads, especially the ones that are turquoise blue, on hide and cloth garments in our collection.   Our policy is to either do nothing at all to them or to clean the exterior with ethanol only to make them look a little better.   We never use water.  In talking with one of the objects conservator this morning, she told me that some folks feel the deteriorated layer offers some protection, while others feel that is promotes more deterioration.   This an older article, but it has some really nice images and explanation of the problem:  S. Lougheed, "Deteriorating Glass Beads on Ethnoraphic Objects: Symptoms and Conservation" in Symposium 86: The Care and Preservation of Ethnological Materials.  Canadian Conservation Institute, 1986.  Good luck!   Susan

Susan Heald
Senior Textile Conservator
National Museum of the American Indian
Cultural Resources Center
4220 Silver Hill Road
Suitland, MD 20746
(301)238-6624 ext 6317
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Hallo and Happy New Year!
 
Blue and green beads attract "glass illness" much more frequently than any other colour beads. The reason appears to be the copper in the blue and green pigment that accelerates the process. Even small amounts of formaldehyde appear to be a strong catalyst, and a low ph is needed to start the process. Once the process has started the relative humidity should not be kept to low, i.e. not under 45%, but low temperatures will slow it down. As far as I know wet cleaning is not recommended for beads in that condition. I am afraid that this information will be no big help to you. They come from seminary on beads in Berlin.
 
 
Angelika Riley
 
Textilrestaurierung/Textile Conservation
Museum für Kunst und  Gewerbe
Steintorplatz
D-20099 Hamburg
Tel: 0049/40/428 54 27 53
Fax: 0049/40/427 92 92 35