To clean your gemstone jewelry, you’ll need the following items. Mild detergent, warm water, and a soft brush are an excellent start for many pieces. Add a little gemology to the mix before you decide to clean your collection yourself, or even if you leave it to a professional jeweler. Before you start cleaning your jewelry, you should make sure it is safe to wear. You should avoid submerging it in water, and only use a soft cloth to scrub the stone clean. Always use lint-free clothes, as dirty ones can scratch the gem. You should always let your jewelry dry naturally, as they are susceptible to scratches. Precious metals like gold should be air-dried and do not put your jewelry in the microwave or dishwasher.
Know Your Gemstones Before You Begin Cleaning. Have you properly recognized the gemstones in your jewelry? Physical qualities vary depending on the gemstone. That means they can react to heat, light, acids, and scratching in very varied ways. Heat is a factor in some gem materials. Chemicals may cause other materials to react violently. Some gem specimens may be weakened by inclusions, small crystals, and fractures. Some stones, on the other hand, are extremely long-lasting. Nonetheless, the safest cleaning materials for almost all jewels are warm water, a light detergent, and a gentle brush.
A Gem’s Hardness Doesn’t Mean It Can Resist Everything Exposures Of All Kinds
Don’t assume that a gem’s resilience to one sort of exposure is the same as its resistance to other types of exposure. Hardness is a regularly used physical property for gemstones, and those with high Mohs hardness, such as diamonds, rubies, and sapphires, are desired jewelry options. A high Mohs score, on the other hand, does not make a gemstone unbreakable. Hardness is only defined as the capacity to withstand scratching. Diamonds, for example, have the highest hardness of any natural material. They may, however, contain inclusions or incipient cleaves that react badly to heat or mechanical cleaning.
Enhancements & Treatments For Gemstones
While gemstone treatments can improve appearance, they can also interfere with various cleaning techniques. Gem dealers, for example, sometimes use oils to heal microscopic fissures in emerald jewels. This increases the transparency of the emeralds. Heat or ultrasonic cleaning, on the other hand, could damage an oil-treated emerald.
Get A Professional Gem Appraisal & Identification
The first step in determining the best cleaning process is to understand your collection. Reputable jewelers should be able to offer you information on the jewels you buy. Your jewels, as well as any treatments they’ve received, can be precisely identified by gemologists. They can also examine the inclusions and physical characteristics of specific gems you own, which may have an impact on their care. The International Gem Society has a list of gem identification laboratories and appraisers that they endorse.
Recommendations For Cleaning Gemstone Jewelry At Home
Consult our gemstone care guide to learn how to clean your jewelry after you’ve identified your jewels. If you decide that cleaning with a light detergent at home is the best option, here are some suggestions:
- The majority of commercially prepared jewelry cleaners are safe, but those that contain ammonia or compounds that can harm sensitive gems like pearl or amber should be avoided.
- Allow your jewelry piece to soak in a mix of warm water and mild detergent or cleaning solution for a few moments as a first step.
- Scrub your jewelry lightly with a gentle brush.
- Picking out accumulations using a shaved matchstick or toothpick works well, but don’t be too harsh. Patience is rewarded.
- After you’ve completed scrubbing, return the jewelry piece to the solution for a final soak. After that, rinse under warm running water, preferably at the same temperature as your solution. Temperature swings of this magnitude are harmful and should be avoided.
- To remove extra liquid, gently shake or blow on the jewelry piece, then polish with a soft lint-free cloth or chamois.
- To avoid liquid stains on a diamond or precious metal setting, use this jeweler’s tip. Remove the cloth from the jewelry piece and place it in a bed of dry maple wood chips. Blow away the chips once they’ve dried. There will be no water spots on the artwork. Large stones are ideally suited to the wood chip process.
Before You Clean, Take Care Of Your Gemstone Jewelry
Cleaning your diamonds once they have become filthy is only one aspect of appropriate maintenance. It’s also crucial to take care of yourself before you utilize something.
Before you put on gemstone jewelry, apply your fragrances, colognes, and hairsprays. These chemicals will not only impair gem brilliance, or the ability to return light, but they can also be quite damaging to some stones, such as pearls, which react violently to acid and alcohol.
Wear your perfumes and colognes in places where they won’t come into touch with your diamonds if at all possible. If you’re wearing pearls, try to keep them away from your skin, whether or not you’re wearing perfume.
Perspiration wreaks havoc on pearls. If you can’t keep your pearls away from your skin (for example, if they’re on chokers or bracelets), wipe them clean with a moist towel as soon as you take them off.
What Kind Of Gemstone Cleaning Brush Should You Use?
Brushes with bristles labeled “soft” or “extra-soft” are readily available nowadays. Most jewelry stones can be cleaned using these at home. Avoid brushes with stiff, inflexible bristles, as well as toothbrushes with bristles labeled “medium” or “firm/hard.” Toothbrushes with “medium” or “firm/hard” bristles may damage tooth enamel, which has a Mohs hardness of 5 on the Mohs scale. While the hardness of most stones used in jewelry is greater than 5, the hardness of gold and silver alloys generally used for settings is only 2 to 3. Platinum has a 4.5 hardness. A toothbrush with medium or strong bristles can readily harm these metals’ jewelry settings.
What Is The Best Way To Clean My Gemstones?
It’s crucial to keep your gemstone jewelry clean if you want it to endure a long time! Here are some cleaning suggestions for your jewels.
- Dishwashing soap is your ally! Cleaning your gemstone jewelry in a bowl of water with a few drops of common dish detergent is the finest method. Scrub behind the stone with an old soft toothbrush to remove any dust or soap that has accumulated. After that, simply rinse and dry with a soft cloth.
- Natural jewels are delicate. Because organic jewels such as pearls, amber, and coral are porous, they require special attention. Make sure they aren’t exposed to chemicals found in hair products, perfumes, or cosmetics. Keep them safe in a cloth-lined box or pouch, away from any jewelry that could scratch them. Simply wipe them down with a gentle towel to clean them.
- Keep your valuables safe! Remove your gemstone rings before engaging in strenuous exercise or working with your hands to maintain them looking their best. With a strong hit, some gem varieties may be damaged. Pulling your rings off by the gemstone will not harm the gem, but it will strain the metal that keeps it in place over time, making the ring lose.
How To Care For Your Silver Jewelry?
Because silver is a soft, glossy metal, it must be cleaned with care. For cleaning everyday jewelry, a solution of warm water and mild dishwashing soap, or even baby shampoo, will typically suffice. This procedure is very effective for cleaning gold jewelry.
- Warm water with a few drops of liquid dish soap In a mixing bowl, combine all of the ingredients until bubbles form.
- Soak the jewelry for 5 to 10 minutes in the solution.
- Clean any crevices with a soft-bristle brush, such as a toothbrush.
- Warm water should be used to clean jewelry.
- To dry, use a silver cloth ($8, Bed Bath & Beyond) or a microfiber towel to gently wipe the jewelry. Paper towels should not be used since they can scratch the silver.
Fine silver jewelry with diamonds or other precious gems can frequently be cleaned with soap and water. However, before cleaning valuables, consult a jeweler or have the object professionally cleaned to be safe.
What Is The Best Jewelry Cleaner You Can Make At Home?
Tea Tree Oil, Witch Hazel, and Baking Soda
The following are some suggestions from a popular website that specializes in natural cures for do-it-yourselfers:
- Place the jewels in a mason jar made of glass.
- Add 1/2 cup vinegar or witch hazel to the top. Swirl in one drop of tea tree oil to combine.
- Allow the jewelry to soak in the solution for at least one night.
- Coat with baking soda and scrub with an old toothbrush the next morning, then rinse with water.
Dish Detergent, Baking Soda, and Salt
To clean your jewelry at home, a popular resource for anything from fashion to food suggests the following:
- Toss salt, baking soda, and dish detergent into an aluminum foil-lined bowl.
- Fill a bowl halfway with hot water and drop in your jewelry, allowing it to soak for 10 minutes.
- Scrub gently with an old toothbrush.
- Rinse well and dry with a paper towel.
Baking Soda & Hot Water
A popular cleaning guide recommends the following recipe:
Allow your rings to soak in one cup of hot water with 1-2 teaspoons of baking soda for a few minutes.
Conclusion
To sum up things. When you decided to clean the jewelry, you should make sure you are using lukewarm water, as this will help keep your gemstone jewelry safe from rubbing and getting damaged. Once you’ve rinsed your gemstones, you should dry them with a soft microfiber cloth. If you don’t use lukewarm water, you risk damaging the gem’s optical properties. You should never soak your gems in water, as they will lose their luster and become too brittle.
If you are cleaning your jewelry yourself, you should never use toothpaste or baking soda. Toothpaste and soap will scratch the stone, so it’s best to stick to non-abrasive solutions and avoid using commercial jewelry cleaners. This way, you’ll avoid the risk of damaging your precious stones. A cleaning solution is essential for your gemstones, so make sure it is gentle and contains no chemicals. In general, this is the best way to clean your gemstone jewelry.
