Maintain the right precautions while cleaning the gemstones to avoid any damages.
Cleaning your gemstones after they get dirty is only part of proper care. Pre-use care is also important.
Caring for Your Gemstone Jewelry Before You Clean
Apply your perfumes, colognes, and hairsprays before you put on gemstone jewelry. Not only will these chemicals reduce gem brilliance, the ability to return light, they can be highly destructive to some gems, such as pearls, which react violently to acid and alcohol.
If possible, wear your perfumes and colognes in areas that won’t come in contact with your gems. In the case of pearls, try to keep them out of contact with skin, whether you’re wearing perfume or not.
Recommendations for At-Home Gemstone Jewelry Cleaning
If cleaning with mild detergent at home it is the best course of action, here are some recommendations:
· Most commercially prepared jewelry cleaners are safe, but beware of those that contain ammonia or chemicals that can damage sensitive gems like pearl or amber.
· As a first step, let your jewelry piece soak for a few moments in a solution of warm water and mild detergent or cleaning solution.
· Use a soft brush to gently scrub your jewelry.
· A shaved matchstick or toothpick is quite good at picking out accumulations, but don’t be too harsh. Patience pays off.
· When you’ve finished scrubbing, dip the jewelry piece back into the solution for one last wetting. Then rinse in warm running water, preferably about the same temperature as your solution. Radical temperature changes are dangerous and should be avoided.
· Shake or blow on the jewelry piece to remove excess liquid, then gently polish with a soft lint-free cloth or chamois.
· Here’s a jeweler’s trick to avoid any liquid stains on a gem or precious metal setting. Dispense with the cloth and immerse the jewelry piece in a bed of dry maple wood chips. Once dry, blow away the chips. The piece will be free of water spots. The wood chip technique works best for large gems.
What Kind of Brush Should You Use to Clean Gemstone Jewelry?
Nowadays, you can easily purchase toothbrushes with bristles designated “soft” or “extra-soft.” These are fine for cleaning most jewelry stones at home. However, avoid using any brush with hard, inflexible bristles or any toothbrush with bristles designated “medium” or “firm/hard.” While most gems typically used for jewelry have a hardness greater than 5, gold and silver alloys commonly used for settings only have a hardness of 2 to 3. Platinum has a hardness of 4.5. A toothbrush with medium or hard bristles could easily scratch jewelry settings made from these metals.
