Scintillating and magnificent, gemstones have fascinated people since the ancient times. These diamonds and gem draw attention due to their range of colors, shape, and brilliance. What makes them so precious is their rarity and natural toughness. But if you think that gemstones do not need any kind of care due to their tough nature, then you are mistaken. To maintain the beauty and attraction of your gems and gem-studded jewelry, you have to treat them with care. Here is a guide to care for your gemstones and maintain their beauty.
All precious and semi-precious stones must be cleaned with a frequent time period. Most stones cab be cleaned with mild detergent and warm water by simply scrubbing them using a soft brush, preferably a baby brush with soft bristles. Avoid scrubbing too hard else you may end up scratching and damaging the stone. Rinse the stone and dry it gently with the help of a soft, lint-free cloth to absorb the water. Gem-studded jewelry must be rinsed in a bowl of water. There are possibilities that sometimes the stones on a piece of jewelry may become loose in their settings. Rinsing them in a sink or wash basin may pose a risk of losing such gems.
Almost all precious stones such as diamonds, rubies, emeralds, and others can be cleaned with mild detergent and water, but a little more exercise must be done about different gemstones and their nature before cleaning them. Some stones are of a sensitive nature. Learn how to clean them before attempting to do so at home. If you are applying any soaking method to clean your gem-studded jewelry, do so with care. For example, soft stones like turquoise, opal and amber shouldn’t be soaked for a long time in water; it may damage their polish and shine.
Make sure to wipe off any trace of makeup from your gemstone jewelry when you remove them after use. A soft pure cotton cloth is the best way for wiping jewelry. If you have jewelry with organic gems, such as amber or pearl it is advised to always use a soft cloth to wipe them clean.
Ultrasonic cleaners are a renound method know which offer an effective way to clean your stone jewelry but you should take a note that they are not safe for cleaning all kinds of stones. Some gemstones like moonstone, emerald, coated gems, gems with lesser toughness are prone to damage when you clean them in an ultrasonic cleaner. Use it only when you are sure about how and which gems are safe to be cleaned in it. When you are unsure how to clean your precious stone jewelry, take them to a trustable jeweler.
Do’s
Keep gems/diamonds and jewelry separately
All precious and semi-precious stones, vary by hardness. For instance, diamonds are the hardest gem in the world closely followed by rubies and sapphires. Emeralds, topazes, and aquamarines come next in the hardness scale. Pearls, Turquoise and Amber are comparatively softer gems. That is why you should store your gems separately. If you store all such ornaments together, your diamond rings may rub against your pearl earrings, thereby causing damage to the softer one. Keep in mind that some gems like opals and pearls absorbs moisture from the air. So, avoid storing them in safe boxes with fabric lining
Keep Gems away from cosmetics and chemicals
Chemicals can be very harmful to gemstone jewelry made of gold, while gold, or platinum. Even things used every day can damage them severely such as perfumes, hairsprays, cosmetics, lotions, etc. because they all contain chemicals which can impact the gem. So, it is important that you protect your gem-studded accessories from cosmetics and chemicals.
Don’ts
- Do not wear your gemstone jewelry while gardening or any tuff activity
- Don’t toss your gemstone jewelry on top of the dresser or in a drawer. Precious stones get scratches when you keep them carelessly at such places
- Protect gems from sunlight/heat and sudden temperature change
- Do not use perfume or any other chemical over the gem that can react with the composition of the natural gems
