Gemstone Care Guide
In addition to being aesthetically pleasing, gemstones have astrological, medicinal, and sentimental significance. Whether you wear a diamond for elegance, an emerald for balance, or a ruby for strength, taking good care of your gemstones will keep them beautiful and robust for many years. Your go-to resource for preserving the structure, brilliance, and purity of all your precious and semi-precious stones is this gemstone care guide.
Henceforth, it is essential to take good care of your gemstones and make for this you should also be aware of how to do it. This is why we have a guide for you that will help you understand the importance of regular cleaning and maintenance of your gemstone jewellery. Moreover, with this guide we will also tell you different methods of cleaning and maintenance.
Why is Gemstone Care Important?
Maintaining the beauty of your diamonds is not the only goal. Maintaining things properly:
- Prolongs the stone's life
- Maintains sentimental and commercial value
- Prevents scuffs, haziness, and breaks
- Guarantees energetic qualities (for those who think that crystal healing works) while remaining intact.
- Soft stones that are readily scratched or cracked include turquoise, pearls, and opals.
- Amber, emerald, and lapis lazuli are examples of porous stones that may absorb oils, aroma, and moisture.
- Even while hard stones like diamonds, sapphires, and rubies are more resilient, they still need to be cleaned and cared for on a regular basis.
The hardness, structure, and chemical sensitivity of each gemstone differ. Consequently, individualised care is essential.
Gemstone Care Guide
Knowing the kind of gemstone, you own is crucial before going into care advice. This is the reason:
Mohs Scale | Gemstone | Special Care Tip |
---|---|---|
10 | Diamond | Avoid keeping it with softer stones |
9 | Ruby, Sapphire | Do not keep it entirely in dark places. These stones require certain exposure to sunlight to maintain their shine. |
8 | Blue Topaz | Avoid exposing it to harsh chemicals. |
7.5-8 | Aquamarine, Emerald | Avoid ultrasonic cleaners. |
7-8 | Amethyst, Citrine | Avoid prolonged sun exposure |
6.5-7.5 | Garnet | Avoid exposure with harsh chemicals. |
6.5-7 | Peridot | Avoid storing it with other gemstones. |
6-6.5 | Moonstone | Store it in soft material things to avoid scratches. |
5.5-6 | Opal | Never expose it to rapid temperature changes. |
5-6 | Turquoise | Store it in soft material things to avoid scratches. |
3-4 | Pearl | Store separately and wipe it after every use |
Gemstone Care Tips for Everyday Use
Some of the essential everyday tips that should be taken care of while wearing a gemstone jewellery for maintaining its lustre and longevity are as follows:
Avoid Harsh ChemicalsRegardless of whether your gemstone jewellery is composed of platinum, gold, or silver, chemicals can be quite damaging. And by "chemicals," we don't mean a bottle of hydrochloric or sulphuric acid. They can be harmed by everyday objects. Because they all include chemicals in varying degrees, these products include lotions, cosmetics, hairsprays, fragrances, and more. Protecting your gem-studded trinkets from your cosmetics box is crucial.
To protect your glittering beauties from chemicals, you can take a few easy precautions. First, develop the practice of wearing your necklaces, rings, bangles, and earrings adorned with gems last. Additionally, it needs to be the first thing you take out. By doing this, you can ensure that no chemicals will encounter your stones.
If you enjoy swimming, be sure to take off your jewellery before entering the pool. These beauties can suffer significant harm from chlorine water. Any household item that contains bleach, chlorine, or other potent oxidisers should be kept away from your gemstone jewellery.
Protect from SunlightIn addition to damaging your skin, the sun's harsh rays can also damage your stone jewellery. The hue and durability of a precious stone can be affected by heat and light. Many stones, such as smoky quartzes and amethysts, can be weakened by direct sunshine. Certain jewels, such as pearl and ivory, are susceptible to bleaching from exposure to sunshine.
Certain gemstones' natural moisture content may be dried out by heat. Certain gemstones may also shatter as a result of abrupt temperature fluctuations and intense heat. Therefore, be careful to keep your jewels out of direct sunshine and heat.
Store Gemstone Jewellery SeparatelyAll precious and semi-precious stones are hard. They differ in their level of hardness, nevertheless. For example, sapphires and rubies are the next hardest stones in the world, after diamonds. On the hardness scale, aquamarines, topazes, and emeralds follow. In comparison, peridots and pearls are softer jewels. They are only half as hard as a diamond or ruby on the hardness scale.
For this reason, you ought to keep your diamonds apart. Your pearl bracelet may get damaged if you store all these jewels together since your diamond rings may rub against it. Keeping them in different sections of your jewellery box is the finest option. They can even be kept in various pouches. Remember that certain stones, such as pearls and opals, absorb moisture from the atmosphere. Therefore, do not keep them in safe deposit boxes. Such jewellery should ideally be kept in a jewellery box lined with linen.
Gemstone Cleaning: At Home Methods
Want to know how to maintain the glistening of your gems? Professional assistance is not always necessary for cleaning gemstones. To securely clean your stones at home, follow these steps:
General Method- Add a few drops of mild dish soap to some lukewarm water.
- Let the jewellery soak for ten to fifteen minutes.
- Use a gentle toothbrush to gently scrub the gemstone.
- Use a microfiber cloth to dry pat after rinsing with fresh water.
Note: Steer clear of boiling water, particularly when working with layered or porous stones.
Specific Gemstone Cleaning by Gem Type- Sapphires, diamonds, and rubies: Safe for steam and ultrasonic cleaning. However, stay away if there are any cracks or impurities in the stone.
- Opals and emeralds should only be cleaned with gentle cloth and a little soapy water. Avoid using ultrasonic or steam cleaners.
- Coral and pearls: Only use a moist cloth. Due to their high porosity and organic nature, avoid soaking.
Pro Tip: For sensitive settings or vintage items, use a cosmetics brush rather than a toothbrush.
Professional Gemstone Cleaning
Although at-home techniques work well, it is advised to get your gemstones cleaned by a professional on a regular basis:
- For jewellery that is worn frequently, once every six to twelve months.
- To check for cracks, scratches, or loose prongs.
- For complex environments that are challenging to completely clean at home.
If your stone allows it, jewellers frequently utilise safe, effective, high-quality steam and ultrasonic cleaning equipment.
Gemstone Cleaning Tips for TravelersBringing gemstone jewellery on a trip? Here's how to safeguard it while you're on the go:
- Make use of jewellery cases that are cushioned and have separate sections.
- Jewellery should always be kept in carry-on luggage rather than checked luggage.
- Keep a small care kit with soft pouches, ziplock bags, and microfiber cloth.
- Before washing your hands, especially with alcohol-based hand sanitisers, take off your gemstone rings.
Even the best-meaning treatment can go awry. Be mindful of these errors:
- Soft stones like opals or emeralds can be cleaned with ultrasonic cleaners.
exposing rocks to lotions, hairsprays, and fragrances. - Using strong chemicals or boiling water.
- Keeping every piece of gemstone jewellery in a single box.
- Doing housework or gardening while sporting diamond rings
Maintaining the brilliance of gemstones is only one benefit of investing in their proper maintenance; another is respecting the worth, significance, and memories that each piece holds. Your treasured stones will continue to shine for many years to come if you heed the practical advice in our gemstone maintenance guide.
Include the maintenance of gemstones in your jewellery regimen. Since every gem has a backstory, you should be able to shine all the time.
FAQs
No, both the material is harsh and can damage soft or porous stones.
You can clean your everyday jewellery once a month and get it professionally cleaned every 6 to 12 months.
Start with a toothbrush and warm, soapy water. See a jeweller if the cloudiness continues; it could be a sign of surface accumulation or internal damage.