Basic Gemstone Jewelry Cleaning Tips
1. Use a soft microfiber cloth to regularly wipe and clear away dirt and dust from your gemstone jewelry.
2. For a deeper clean, you can use a non-abrasive jewelry cleaner. Alternatively, a
homemade jewelry cleaner made of warm water mixed with a few drops of mild
soap works just as well.
it gently with a soft brush. A toothbrush with extra-soft bristles is a good option.
4. Dip the jewelry back into the solution, rinse with warm water and dry with a microfiber cloth.
Stone-by-Stone Cleaning Guide
Different types of gemstones have unique attributes that determine the best method of care. While many can be cleaned according to the basic instructions described above, others have special considerations.
Agate: Follow basic gemstone cleaning instructions for the best agate jewelry care.
Amber: Follow basic gemstone jewelry cleaning guidelines to keep your amber pieces looking new. Avoid steam cleaning, ultrasonic cleaning, sudden temperature changes, and exposure to chemicals, cosmetics, perfume, and hairspray. Don’t immerse your amber jewelry in a cleaning solution.
Amethyst: Follow the basics of gemstone cleaning and avoid high temperatures to protect your amethyst jewelry.
Apatite: Care for your apatite pieces with basic gemstone jewelry cleaning instructions.
Aquamarine: Clean your aquamarine jewelry using basic gemstone cleaning instructions and avoid high temperatures.
Aquamarine: Clean your aquamarine jewelry using basic gemstone cleaning instructions and avoid high temperatures.
Black Diamond: Use the basic gemstone cleaning guidelines to ensure the best results for your black diamond jewelry.
Black Onyx: Follow basic gemstone cleaning tips for regular maintenance of your black onyx jewelry.
Black Spinel: Care for your black spinel pieces using basic gemstone cleaning instructions.
Blue Topaz: Keep your blue topaz radiant using basic gemstone cleaning instructions. Avoid steam cleaning, ultrasonic cleaning and sudden temperature changes.
Carnelian: Gently clean your carnelian pieces using basic gemstone cleaning instructions, but never steam clean this gem.
Chalcedony: Follow basic jewelry cleaning instructions to keep chalcedony gemstones looking their best.
Chrome Diopside: Practice simple care with basic gemstone jewelry cleaning instructions for optimal results.
Citrine: Care for your citrine jewelry with basic cleaning instructions. Avoid sudden temperature changes, high temperatures and chemicals.
Coral: Keep your coral jewelry looking like new by following basic gemstone cleaning instructions. Never immerse coral in cleaning solutions, and avoid steam cleaning, high temperatures and exposure to chemicals, cosmetics, perfume, and hairspray.
Diamond: Clean your diamond regularly with the basic gemstone jewelry cleaning instructions to maintain sparkle. While diamonds won’t be damaged by an ultrasonic bath, the settings, such as intricate pave work, may be.
Emerald: Care for your precious emerald with the basic gemstone jewelry cleaning instructions. Wipe it lightly with a moist cloth, but avoid steam cleaning, ultrasonic cleaning, sudden temperature changes, and exposure to chemicals, cosmetics, perfume, and hairspray.
Fire Opal: Follow basic gemstone jewelry cleaning instructions to protect your fire opal. Avoid steam cleaning, ultrasonic cleaning, sudden temperature changes, and exposure to chemicals, cosmetics, perfume, and hairspray.
Garnet: Keep your garnet radiant by following basic gemstone jewelry cleaning instructions and avoiding high temperatures.
Iolite: Clean as needed with basic gemstone jewelry cleaning instructions. Avoid steam cleaning, ultrasonic cleaning, high heat, and sudden temperature changes.
Kunzite: Follow basic gemstone jewelry cleaning instructions. Avoid steam cleaning, ultrasonic cleaning and direct sunlight to maintain the beauty of your kunzite pieces.
Labradorite: Use basic gemstone cleaning instructions to keep labradorite jewelry sparkling.
Lapis: Care for your lapis jewelry with basic gemstone cleaning instructions. Avoid steam cleaning, ultrasonic cleaning, sudden temperature changes and exposure to detergents, chemicals, cosmetics, perfume, and hairspray.
Moonstone: Maintain moonstone pieces by following basic gemstone jewelry cleaning instructions. Avoid steam cleaning and ultrasonic cleaning.
Morganite: Use basic jewelry cleaning instructions to keep morganite gemstones dazzling for years.
Opal: Care for your opal jewelry with basic gemstone cleaning instructions. Avoid immersion, steam cleaning, ultrasonic cleaning, sudden temperature changes, and exposure to chemicals, cosmetics, perfume, and hairspray.
Peridot: Your peridot pieces will last a lifetime if you follow basic gemstone jewelry cleaning instructions. Avoid steam cleaning and exposure to high temperatures.
Prehnite: Follow basic gemstone jewelry cleaning instructions for the best results in maintaining longevity.
Quartz: Care for quartz pieces using basic gemstone jewelry cleaning instructions.
Ruby: Keep your ruby jewelry gleaming by following basic gemstone cleaning guidelines.
Sapphire: Protect your sapphire jewelry with basic gemstone cleaning instructions.
Spinel: Follow basic gemstone jewelry cleaning instructions for the best care of your spinel pieces.
Tanzanite: Clean tanzanite gemstones using basic jewelry cleaning instructions. Avoid steam cleaning, ultrasonic cleaning and sudden temperature changes.
Tourmaline: Maintain tourmaline pieces with basic gemstone jewelry cleaning instructions. Avoid steam cleaning, ultrasonic cleaning and sudden temperature changes.
Turquoise: Keep your turquoise jewelry looking its best with basic gemstone jewelry cleaning instructions. Avoid steam cleaning, ultrasonic cleaning and exposure to chemicals, cosmetics, perfume, and hairspray.
White Agate: Follow basic gemstone jewelry cleaning instructions to protect your white agate jewelry.
White Topaz: Carefully follow basic gemstone jewelry cleaning instructions for maintaining the beauty of white topaz. Avoid steam cleaning, ultrasonic cleaning and sudden temperature changes.
How to Care for Pearl Jewelry
Pearls have a delicate luster that requires a little more attentive care, but the lasting beauty of well-kept pearl jewelry is worth it. The most important tip for wearing pearls is to follow the last on, first off rule. You should always put jewelry with pearls on last, only after applying perfume, hairspray and makeup. Jewelry with this soft gemstone should also be the first thing you take off when you get home, ensuring that you don’t put the jewelry in contact with chemicals or perfumes.
Keep your pearls gleaming by wiping them gently with a soft cloth when you take them off. For a deeper clean, use a soft, damp cloth dipped in a mild soap and water solution. Be careful not to fully immerse a pearl necklace in the solution. Avoiding immersion helps protect the thread and keeps excess moisture out of drill holes.
After cleaning, ensure that your pearl jewelry is completely dry before putting it away. Store your pearl necklaces flat in a soft cloth bag to keep the string from stretching. Other types of pearl jewelry can be stored in a fabric-lined jewelry box to protect against scratches.