Jewelry Care
Education | Gemstones | Diamonds | Pearls | Opals | Precious Metals
General Cleaning Tips
Here are some tips to help you keep your fine diamond and gemstone jewelry clean and sparkling and in good condition. We recommend you consult a gemologist or jeweler for the best cleaning procedure for your particular gemstone jewelry.
Be sure to visually inspect your gemstone jewelry before cleaning to be sure all stones are secure in their mountings. If in doubt, have your local jeweler inspect the piece and perform any necessary maintenance.
If cleaning jewelry over a sink or lavatory, be sure to close the drain before beginning. Almost all colored stone jewelry can be safely cleaned using a mild soap and water solution and a soft brush. Commercial jewelry cleaners are safe for most stones, but be sure to read the label carefully before using any commercial cleaner, especially on delicate stones such as pearls or opals. Also remember that gold and silver are soft and can be scratched, so always polish with a clean, soft cotton cloth and never use abrasive cleansers.
Be extra careful with ultrasonic cleaners. Some gemstones are fragile and can be damaged by ultrasonic cleaners, and a stone that is not secure in its setting could come out during the cleaning process.
Always thoroughly rinse and dry your jewelry and polish with a soft cloth after cleaning and before storage.
Diamonds
Extremely dirty diamonds will benefit from a professional steam cleaning. Most jewelers will clean diamond jewelry at no charge as a customer service, and really good ones will do a cursory examination of the prongs and settings as well.
Pearls
Pearls are lovely organic gems that must be treated with special care. Pearls should always be put on after all cosmetics and hair spray have been applied. Before cleaning a pearl strand, inspect it to make sure the pearls are secure. Fine pearls are strung on silk thread, which can weaken over time, and they should be professionally re-strung every two or three years. When cleaning pearls, be careful to avoid any form of abrasion. Use only soft cotton cloth dampened with distilled water, or a commercial jewelry cloth.
Opals
Opals also require special care because they are relatively soft, porous, and can be quite fragile. Never use harsh chemical cleaners on opals. To remove light amounts of grime, create solution of warm, soapy water gently scrub your opal with a soft brush. Rinse the opal and buff dry. If your opal has lost its original shine and luster you should visit an opal specialist and have your opals professionally cleaned.
Silver
Sterling silver jewelry will, by nature, discolor with exposure to air. The best way to prevent tarnish is to wear your silver jewelry on a regular basis. Clean jewelry will remain bright longer if stored in a box lined with anti-tarnish paper or sealed in a plastic bag. Polishing with a silver cloth is usually enough to keep your jewelry bright. However, you must be careful not to pull the jewelry out of shape while polishing. If your all-metal piece becomes badly tarnished, it may also be cleaned with commercial silver jewelry cleaner or any traditional silver cleaner. Do not use commercial silver cleaners on gemstone pieces, as they may damage the stones. Use a silver polishing cloth only. If your silver and gemstone jewelry becomes badly tarnished and will not clean up with a silver polishing cloth, it may require professional cleaning.
If you don’t like chemical cleaners or just don’t have any silver cleaner at hand, you can try the following method on all-metal pieces, such as chains or bracelets. Again, do not use this method on jewelry containing gemstones. The heat may cause them to crack or change color.
Find a bowl, cup or pan suitable for the type of jewelry being cleaned, and line with aluminum foil. Place your jewelry inside the lined bowl and cover with a small amount of baking soda, just enough so you can barely see the jewelry. Next, pour hot water over the jewelry and wait for the bubbling to stop. After the solution has stopped bubbling, remove the piece, rinse with warm water and buff dry with a soft cotton cloth. You may need to repeat the process up to 5-6 times for badly tarnished pieces.
Wearing
Apply all cosmetics, perfumes, lotions and hairspray before putting on gemstone jewelry. This is especially important for delicate stones, such as pearls. Remember, “last on, first off.”
Don’t wear your gemstone jewelry while swimming, and either remove jewelry before using household cleaners, or wear rubber gloves. Saltwater and chlorine, as well as other harsh chemicals, may slowly erode the finish, polish and possibly the color of gemstones.
Do not subject gemstone jewelry to sudden temperature changes. Consider your gemstone jewelry during your daily activities. Some stones are brittle and should not be worn when doing household chores or any other activity where the stone could be hit or damaged. Make sure to wipe your gemstones after wear to remove any chemicals, oils or perspiration.
Storing
After wearing, wipe your gemstone jewelry thoroughly with a clean, soft, slightly damp cloth and polish with a soft, dry cloth. This will enhance the luster of the gemstones and ensure that your jewelry is clean before storage. Store gemstone pieces individually in soft pouches to prevent scratching. You may prefer to store pendants hanging on hooks in a jewelry box or lay them flat in a drawer or jewelry roll to prevent tangling.
Insuring
Did you know that most homeowners’ insurance policies don’t properly cover their fine jewelry? Insurance laws vary from state to state and country to country, so it is important that you speak to your insurer and find out exactly what type and how much coverage you have on your fine jewelry and gemstones before a loss occurs.
Proper coverage begins with a proper appraisal. You should seek out a gemologist appraiser who has the training to write an appraisal that ensures you will be “made whole” in the event of a loss, but not better. Inflated appraisals may make you feel good, but it could cause you to pay an inflated premium needlessly. Insurance companies always seek to replace an item with another of like kind and quality at the lowest price to them. Rarely do they “cash out” on an item, so you are far better off with an appraisal that accurately describes your item, because that description is what the insurance company will look at, not the appraised value.
Gemstone Treatment and Care Overview
| Gemstone | Accepted Enhancements | Gemstone Care |
| Amethyst | Heated to alter color | Basic Gemstone Care |
| Aquamarine | Heated to alter color and clarity | Basic Gemstone Care |
| Blue Topaz | Heated and/or irradiated to alter color | Basic Gemstone Care |
| Citrine | Heated to alter color | Basic Gemstone Care |
| Emerald | Oiled to alter clarity and/or color | Do not use ultrasonic cleaning. Avoid sudden temperature changes, chemicals, perfume, cosmetics, and hairspray |
| Garnet | None | Avoid sudden temperature changes |
| Opal | Can have a variety of treatments to alter surface consistency and durability | Do not use ultrasonic cleaning. Avoid sudden temperature changes, chemicals, perfume, cosmetics, and hairspray |
| Pearl (natural and cultured) | Bleached, dyed, polished and irradiated | Do not use ultrasonic cleaning. Avoid sudden temperature changes, chemicals, perfume, cosmetics, and hairspray. |
| Peridot | None | Basic Gemstone Care |
| Pink Tourmaline | Irradiated to alter color | Do not use ultrasonic cleaning and sudden temperature changes |
| Ruby | Heated and/or diffused to alter color and clarity | Avoid household chemicals and ultrasonic cleaning |
| Sapphire | Heated and/or diffused to alter color and clarity | Avoid household chemicals and ultrasonic cleaning |
| Tanzanite | Heated to alter color and clarity | Do not use ultrasonic cleaning and sudden temperature changes |
-Cynthia B. Reuschel
