How to Care for Gemstone Jewellery and Keep It Looking Beautiful for Years

Gemstone jewellery has a timeless appeal. Be it a ring bearing the birthstone, a sparkling pair of earrings, or family-style jewellery items, these luxurious masterpieces often have more to offer than just their good looks. These can be an occasion for joy and provide a reminder of important life events as well.

However, gemstone jewellery like all valuable things require some care. Even the hardest gemstones can lose their shine, be scratched and damaged, if not treated with caution. Fortunately, quality gemstone jewellery does not require complicated maintenance. By following some simple, everyday routine, you can keep your favourite items beautiful for many years.

 

Understand Your Gemstones First

Before you start any cleaning of your gemstone jewelry or store them, you have to make yourself aware of how hard they are. Not all gemstones have the same resistance to wear, heat, and chemicals.

For example, diamonds, sapphires, and rubies are some of the hardest gemstones which can bear regular wears better than softer gemstones. However, some gemstones such as opal, pearl, turquoise, and certain types of natural emeralds are softer and need to be handled with care.

Some gemstones might even be treated or enhanced. Heat and various chemicals can render such treatments ineffective. If you are unsure of your jewelry’s nature, get in touch with a good jeweler.

So, the first step in cleaning gemstones is knowing what type of stone you have.

 

Keep Jewellery Away from Chemicals

To protect gemstone jewellery effectively, the best approach is to stay away from chemicals that could be detrimental to gemstones. Some common chemicals that could be harmful to gemstones include perfume, hairspray, cosmetics, lotions, cleaning products, chlorine, and even soaps. These chemicals can create residue on the gemstones and metal setting of the jewellery; with the passage of time, it can make the jewellery look dull or have damaging implications on some gemstones.

To protect jewellery, one can follow a simple norm of wearing jewellery at the end of the process of getting ready. To do it properly, it is important to put on skincare products, perfume, and makeup first, then wait for some while before putting on jewellery.

The same norm is also valid when cleaning the house. Cleaning products can be a lot more effective than was initially imagined. For example, wearing gemstone rings while washing dishes and cleaning the kitchen can expose the rings to all sorts of harmful chemicals.

If people are planning to swim in the pool or relax in a hot tub, it is crucial to remove jewellery from the body before that. Chlorine water can negatively affect not all gemstones but also metals

 

Clean Your Gemstone Jewellery Gently

Cleaning gemstone jewellery on a regular basis allows it to reclaim its original shine, although cleaning should be performed with care.

With many hard gemstones, the use of water and a bit of mild soap on a soft cloth is more than sufficient. You may rub the jewellery, or if necessary, soak it for a short period of time and then clean with a very soft brush.

Sharply clean is advisable, as abrasive brushes or scouring powders can damage the finishing of the metals and scratch softer stones.

After cleaning, rinse the jewellery well. When rinsing, do not do so over the sink, but over a container, so the ring does not slip away accidentally.

Make sure the jewellery is completely dried with a soft cloth before filing it away.

Professional cleaning of antique or natural gemstones is advisable in certain cases.

 

Be Careful with Ultrasonic Cleaners

Ultrasonic jewelry cleanings can be useful tools for keeping jewelry clean but should not be used in cleaning every type of gemstone.

The sonic vibrations from these devices can untighten jewelry stones and make stones with existing cracks and breaks even worse. Thus in case the gemstone is durable, its stone setting might come off from ultrasonic cleaning.

So unless you know for sure if the particular gemstone and its setting are the right ones for ultrasonic cleaning, it is better not to take the chances.

If you are unsure about this aspect, it is better to check with a professional. Simply getting some advice from a jeweler or an expert can spare you unexpected expenses in the future.

 

Store Each Piece Carefully

The manner in which you keep your jewellery can be just as vital as how you clean it.

Do not put all your jewellery in one box. Some metals and stones may otherwise rub against each other and mark or tangle each other up. Rather, store each piece separately in a soft pouch, in compartments lined with soft material, or in different compartments of a jewellery box.

Separating jewellery is particularly important for softer stones from the gems that are harder, as they may scratch the softer stones if stored adjacent to them.

With chains and necklaces, you should keep them locked together while storing them so that they do not twist together.

Some gemstones must also be kept away from direct sunlight and high temperatures, which may ruin their colour and composition in time. It is advisable to store your jewels in a cold and dry place devoid of light.

 

Take Your Lifestyle into Account

Not all types of gemstone jewellery require the same treatment. For example, a pair of gemstone earrings might be very comfortable for day to day use, and an elaborate-shaped ring should be saved only for special occasions.

Think about what you would most probably be doing while wearing gemstone jewellery. Gardening, exercising, playing sports, or moving heavy furniture will expose your ornaments to various conditions like pressure, dirt, and sweat that can badly affect their condition.

Jewellery that is on rings is usually subjected to the most wear and tear as hands are always in use. If you often use your hands, it is advisable to take your rings off while engaging in the activities that may expose them to external impacts.

 

Check the Settings Regularly

There are cases in which the issue lies not with the gemstone but rather with its setting. Prongs and other pieces of a jewelry’s setting become loose and worn over time. If a gemstone appears to be loose even if one opens the jewelry slightly, the jewelry should not be worn, which should be done until everything is checked by an expert.

It is also reasonable to inspect potential bent prongs, broken clasps, loose stones, or observable cracks from time to time.

Having a professional inspection of the jewelry regularly will help discover small issues before they turn into large ones. Fixing a bent prong takes less time and efforts in comparison with losing gemstones that cannot be seen anymore.

 

Remove Jewellery Before Sleeping

Sleeping with your jewels on might seem innocent but actually adds pressure on the gemstone as well as its setting. Chains often get tangled up, rings may hook onto a fabric and earrings can be uncomfortable. Moreover, constant rubbing on the bedding will wear the jewellery out, too.

Establishing a routine of taking off your jewellery before going to bed takes no longer than a few seconds and allows your ornaments to relax in their boxes.

 

Pay Special Attention to Delicate Gemstones

Certain types of gemstones require a little more care due to their delicacy, porosity, or vulnerability to environmental conditions.

Pearls, for example, usually have to be kept away from perfumes, cosmetics, and many other chemicals because they can get scratched relatively easily.

Opals might need to be protected from extreme temperature changes.

Some gemstones, such as turquoise, can be porous and absorb oils and chemicals, thus altering their color over time.

As a consequence, there is no effective cleaning method that could be used for all types of gemstones. If your collection consists of different types of stones, make sure you know how to take care of them.

 

Know When to Choose Professional Care

Household maintenance is important for daily upkeep; however, professional cleaning and inspection cannot be discounted.

Make sure to bring your valuable or frequently-worn gemstone jewellery to a qualified jeweller from time to time. A qualified jeweller can check the setting, look for signs of damage, clean the item properly, and recommend the necessary repairs.

For inherited or antique items of jewellery, professional assistance is crucial. Old items may have complicated and fragile setting or gemstones which need professional care.

Also, it is a good idea to inquire about the treatments your gemstones have undergone.

Question your jeweller about whether your stones are heat-treated, fracture-filled, coated, and so on, and based on this information, select a proper cleaning method for your stones.

 

A Little Care Goes a Long Way

To care for gemstone jewelry, it is imperative to be gentle and consistent in your efforts. You do not need any intricate steps or lavish tools in order to maintain your jewelry. In order to keep jewelry safe, do not wear it while swimming, exercising, sleeping, or cleaning. Keep the jewelry away from chemicals, clean it the right way, and carefully store it. When in doubt, consult a professional instead of risking mistakes.

The jewelry is to be worn and appreciated, so take your favorite pieces out of the drawer, cherish the memories that were made with their help, and make sure to take care of them.