Jewelry Care – All About Gemstones

At Gallery Byzantium, each piece of our jewelry is handcrafted to last a lifetime and beyond. Through regular cleaning and proper jewelry care, you can keep your precious treasures looking their very best through the years.

Regular care and cleaning will keep your well-loved jewelry looking like new and help to preserve it for future generations.  As we wrote in an earlier blog: “Jewelry care doesn’t need to be expensive or time-consuming – a few good habits will keep your jewelry looking magnificent for generations to come!”

A big part of jewelry care is knowing how to care for the gemstones that adore your favorite pieces.  This week, we’re all about gemstones with this handy guide to caring for those precious, sparkling rocks.

Keeping Gemstones Sparkling Like New

As Gem Society writes, know your gems before you start cleaning.  “Different gemstones have different physical properties. That means they can react very differently to heat, light, acids, and scratching.”  What works for a hardy diamond, for example, could prove detrimental to a sensitive pearl.  Fire Mountain Gems has a great guide to help introduce you to your gemstones, their hardiness, and best cleaning practices (click here to view).

It is important to not assume that a gemstone is indestructible because it ranks high on the Mohs Scale.  The Mohs Scale ranks stones based on hardness, which only refers to the ability to resist scratching.  Diamonds may be relatively impervious to scratches but they may have imperfections that leave them vulnerable to some cleaning methods such as ultrasonic.

So, what is the safest way to clean your gemstones? The best and safest way happens to also be the cheapest (and uses materials you most likely already have in your home): mild dish soap and warm water.

  • Let your piece soak for a moment or two in a solution of detergent and warm water.
  • Then, use a soft brush to gently brush away any dirt or grease (some sources even recommend using a Water Pik or similar dental cleanser to wash away grime).
  • Rinse in warm water and gently polish with a soft cloth.

While ultrasonic cleaners are readily available, they’re not necessarily recommended for gemstone jewelry.  Many gemstones are surface treated, which can negatively react to ultrasonic cleaning, or (in the case of pearl, opal, or turquoise) some stones are just too delicate for such a harsh cleansing.  The excessive vibration can also lead to stones coming loose from their settings.

Proper care of your jewelry doesn’t just involve cleaning, however.  It is also important to avoid extreme heat or cold when wearing your jewelry and apply any perfumes, hairspray, lotions, or cosmetics before putting on any pieces (and try to make sure that these products won’t come in contact with your gemstones):

“Fine jewelry should be removed before diving into a chlorinated swimming pool or before using household cleaners. Many of these cleaners contain ammonia, which can be too harsh for delicate gems or vintage jewelry. Chlorine bleach, another common household solvent, can pit or damage gold alloys.”

Sources
How to clean your gemstone jewelry – https://www.gemsociety.org/article/clean-gemstone-jewelry/
Tips on caring for jewelry – https://www.gia.edu/gia-news-research-tips-caring-jewelry
Education: Care of Jewelry – https://gemguide.com/learning/education-care-of-jewelry/

 

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