| With regard to metals in microwaves, the arcing occurs because the air next to the surface of the metal becomes electrically charged or ionized. When completely submersed in water, there are no air particles, thus no ionization, and thus no arcing. (I wouldn't recommend bringing the water to a boil though!)
I'd be more than willing to set up a series of experiments for those interested in this technique. Would anyone like to purpose a set of tests that could be refined here on the forum before commencing?
Sorry, there was no accidental "oops, I nuked the pearls" story to tell behind the technique. Another jeweler passed it on to me. It affects the consistency of the epoxy, thus making removal of the pearl a simple task. |