Caring for Gemstones and Pearls

 

Here are some tips on caring for fine jewelry with gemstones:

 

Some gemstones are more porous than others and should not be immersed in cleaners or soaked. This includes stones such as pearls, emeralds, peridot, coral and turquoise. Use a cotton swab dipped in water with a squirt of dishwashing liquid to clean these stones.

 

Only the toughest gems (diamonds, rubies and sapphires) should be placed in ultrasonic cleaners, and then only if the metal parts of the jewelry are pure.

 

Pearls especially need protection from lotions, hair spray, perfumes and other cosmetics. Also, pearls should be wiped clean with a soft cloth after each wearing, as the oils of our skin will also damage these gems. Do not store pearls in airtight containers; they need to “breathe”.

 

Opals contain water, which gives them their particular shine and colors. Protect them from heat and sunlight so as not to dry them out and never use ammonia or other chemicals to clean opals.