How To Properly Care For Your Gemstone Jewelry

by Sam Sternweiler October 29, 2017

Since ancient times jewelry has been some of our most intimate and treasured possessions. This is why understanding how to care for and protect your jewelry is of the utmost importance. Properly caring for gemstone jewelry allows it to maintain its beauty and sparkle for generations to come. Caring for your beloved gemstone jewelry is surprisingly easy, and I will outline the basics for you below.

Your jewelry should be the last thing that you put on in the morning, and the absolute first thing you take off at night. Being the last item you put on in the morning prevents your gemstone jewelry from being exposed to perfume and cosmetics that can harm gemstones and precious metals in excess. Additionally, taking your gemstone jewelry off before bed prevents scratches and impacts when you sleep at night.

After each time you wear your jewelry, be sure to wipe down your gemstone pieces with a clean, slightly damp, soft cloth. This process will remove any chemicals and oils that might be on the surface of the gemstones, and enhance their luster after a long day out. Chemicals and oils can be harmful to the sheen and color of your gemstones jewelry if allowed to remain for extended periods of time. Even simple natural oils from your fingertips can damage a colored gemstone after many years if not properly cleaned away.

Frequent cleanings are an important part of caring for your gemstone jewelry. Gemstones often get smudged, soiled, and dusty, from everyday wear or even sitting on a shelf. Lotions, soaps, oils, and grease, can create a layer of film on top of your gemstone jewelry, significantly decreasing their brilliance and obscuring their color. A thorough cleaning of your gemstone jewelry is recommended every 3 or 4 months.

Jewelry Cleaning Methods

Jewelry cleaning can be done in many different ways, the two most available to consumers are ultrasonic cleaning and hand cleaning. Ultrasonic cleaning machines clean jewelry by emitting high-frequency sound waves which creates many small cavitation bubbles. These bubbles agitate a liquid which then clears the surface of the jewelry from any contaminant substances. There are many types of household ultrasonic cleaners available for purchase, usually for around $150 or less. While they can be a convenient way of cleaning jewelry in the comfort of your own home, ultrasonic cleaners can damage many kinds of jewelry. When caring for gemstone jewelry it is critical to understand if your gemstone jewelry is suitable for cleaning with an ultrasonic cleaner. Brittle or porous gemstones such as tanzanite, emerald, lapis lazuli, and topaz are especially susceptible to sustaining damage, and pearls should also never be put into an ultrasonic cleaner. Ultrasonic cleaning can even be dangerous for hard and durable gemstones such as rubies and sapphires as the vibrations caused by the machine can sometimes shake gemstones loose or chip them. Err on the side of caution when cleaning with ultrasonic cleaners, understand how to operate the machine properly, and make sure you understand which stones are able to be cleaned with this method.

The best method of caring for your gemstone jewelry also happens to be the most affordable and conveniently the easiest. Hand cleaning gemstone jewelry with soap and water is both unobtrusive and safe. Mix together a solution of dish soap and warm water, and then gently scrub your gemstones with a soft bristle brush or tooth brush. Afterwards rinse the jewelry in a bowl of clean water, and dry thoroughly with a microfiber cloth. Hand cleaning jewelry can be fun, easy, and will provide you with instant results, without hurting your wallet in the process.

Caring For Gemstone Jewelry

Other than cleaning, there are a few other important tips for maintaining and caring for your gemstone jewelry, especially if you wear it daily. Do not wear gemstone jewelry when cleaning or doing any other rough work. Even diamonds can be chipped, and harsh household chemicals can damage and discolor both gemstones and their metal mountings. Always remember to remove your jewelry when entering a chlorinated pool or hot tub as chlorine can discolor metal, create pits in settings, and weaken the overall integrity of your gemstone pieces.

Storing your gemstone jewelry properly is absolutely crucial to ensuring the long life of your pieces. Caring for your gemstone jewelry means storing it in a clean and dry place such as a jewelry box, or a case that is fabric lined. Ideally, choose a style of jewelry box that has many small compartments to ensure that each piece is well organized and separated. Additionally, obtain a jewelry box that has hooks for hanging bracelets and necklaces to keep them from becoming tangled. Without proper organization pieces may knock into each other, which can lead to gemstones becoming scratched or chipped. This level of organization will ensure that your gemstone jewelry stays 100% intact and ready to be worn whenever you need it.

By dedicating the time and attention to your gemstone jewelry that they deserve you can ensure that their beauty and radiance will remain as strong as the day that you purchased them. Jewelry can be a long-lasting heirloom continued to be admired for generations to come. Properly caring for your gemstone jewelry using proper storage, cleaning techniques, and contentious wearing, will keep your precious pieces sparkling until the end of time.

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