Gem & Jewellery Care
Taking care of your gems and jewellery is most important, after all, you would buy a car and then never wash or service it would you? Here I will give you information on how to keep your jewellery in top condition.
You could take good care of your jewellery by following a few simple steps : avoid contact with soap, perfume, cosmetics and hairsprays. Take chains and bracelets off at night, store chains flat, to prevent them from breaking. Use soft cloth to polish gold jewellery after wearing.
Sterling Silver To prevent your silver tarnishing place sticks of blackboard chalk in your jewellery box or wherever you keep your jewellery stored. The chalk absorbs sulphur, the cause of tarnishing.
Gold and Platinum should be rubbed gently with a clean piece of chamois. Ordinary cloths may harbour grit which will scratch them.
Opals Opals also require special care. Never use an ultrasonic, never use ammonia, and avoid heat and strong light which can dry out the water in opals.
Lapis Lazuli Lapis is quite porous and should protected from chemicals and solvents. Warm, soapy water is the best way to clean it. It should be protected from other jewellery when stored as it can scratch easily.
Tanzanite Tanzanite jewellery is delicate and should not be set in rings that are worn during strenuous activity. DO NOT clean in an ultrasonic cleaner as the stone may shatter.
Ruby Even though they are hard, rubies may crack if hit. Light coloured rubies may be cleaned in an ultrasonic cleaner.Soak rubies in alcohol (or vodka) overnight to loosen dirt. Rinse and dry.
Wood Wooden jewellery should be wiped with a damp cloth and polished with wax polish.
Jet Jet can be cleaned with soft breadcrumbs. Just rub and dust off. If not decorated with materials that water damages, it can be washed in warm water.
Jade Jade shouldn't need cleaning, but if it does, wash in lukewarm, soapy water. Rinse and dry with a clean cloth.
Mother of Pearl This should be washed in warm, soapy water. DO NOT use ammonia.
Pearls Since pearls are naturally porous, it is important that they do not absorb chemicals as this will lead to their deterioration. Never spray pearls with cologne, perfume or sprays. Always put on your perfume BEFORE you put on your pearls.
Pearls should be kept, when not being worn, in the pouch they came in. Pearls are easily scratched so don't just put them in your jewellery box with other pieces.
To clean pearls, wipe with a damp cloth. Never use ammonia.
Coral, and amber should only be wiped clean with a moist cloth. Due to their organic nature, these gems are both soft and porous. Be careful about chemicals in hairspray, cosmetics, or perfume: they can, over time, cause damage .
General Rules
Don't wear jewellery when doing housework or gardening.
Don't heap your jewellery into one drawer. Keep them separate, ideally wrapped in velvet, paper, or silk.
Do check for loose stones frequently by gently tapping the piece with your finger .
Get pearls restrung every two years or annually with frequent use.
Clean jewellery often to maintain its sparkle and beauty. Do not use toothpaste as its abrasives can damage softer gems and metals. All jewellery can be safely cleaned by soaking for 10 minutes in warm soapy water (using a non-detergent soap). Use a soft brush on harder gems to loosen any dirt around the prongs. To reduce greasy build-up on diamond jewellery, dip it in plain alcohol or vodka before soaking.
Notes On Ultrasonic Cleaners - Never use an ultrasonic cleaner and ammonia for cleaning such opaque gemstones like lapis, malachite, turquoise, malachite, onyx. They should just be wiped clean gently with a moist cloth. These gemstones can be porous and may absorb chemicals, even soap, and they may build up inside the stone and discolor it.