AL / Jewelry Style by Ana Luisa Jewelry
AL / Jewelry Style by Ana Luisa Jewelry

How to Clean Gemstones – Care Guide Part II

how to clean gemstoneshow to clean gemstones
Ruxandra by : Ruxandra 5985 views

In the first part of this guide, you learned how to clean gemstones such as diamonds, amethysts and many more. But there are other gemstones as well and in this part, you will understand everything about how to clean gemstones like opals, pearls, rubies, and sapphires. Read further to understand the difference between various gemstones and how to properly take care of your beautiful gemstone jewelry.

How to clean gemstones according to their properties

how to clean gemstones

It is crucial to know the difference between opals and sapphire, for example, in order to understand how to clean gemstones. Some gemstones are more durable than others. Some of them are resistant to heat, while others are not. And last, but not least, not every gemstone can withstand mechanical cleaning. Usually, when you take your gemstone jewelry to the jewelry shop, the jeweler will know how to clean gemstones without ruining them. However, you should also be aware of the risks. Information is power and, in our case, it means the possibility to care for your jewelry. So read further and bookmark this page so that you can return to it every time you need to know how to clean gemstones.

  1. Moonstone care & cleaning

This gorgeous and mysterious gem is pretty fragile. It has a 6 on the hardness scale and it is sensitive to heat. You should never use mechanical cleaning methods on moonstone jewelry. Steaming, boiling or ultrasonics are out of the question. Moonstones don’t like water too much, so just use a damp lint-free cloth and rub them gently.

  1. Opal care & cleaning

Opals are soft and fragile. They have between 5 and 6 on the Mohs hardness scale and they are extremely sensitive to thermal shocks and pressure. This means that you can’t use ultrasonic or steaming methods on opals. You can clean opals using lukewarm water and a very soft jewelry brush.

  1. Pearl care & cleaning

When you learn how to clean gemstones, you also have to remember which gemstones are organic. Pearls are produced by oysters, so they represent organic gems. Depending on their type, pearls can have a hardness between 2 and 4. This means they are very fragile and you could easily ruin them if you do not take care of them properly. Mechanical cleaning methods, such as steaming and ultrasonics are out of the question. But you should also know that even soap and water may ruin pearls. This is why, when cleaning pearls, just rub them very gently with a moist cloth. Don’t dip them in water and don’t forget to dry them thoroughly.

  1. Peridot care & cleaning

Peridots are medium tough and have a hardness between 6 and 7. They are sensitive to heat, so no steaming please. We don’t recommend ultrasonics because this mechanical cleaning method can ruin them. However, you should clean peridot jewelry often because this gemstone is also sensitive to acids, including perspiration. Just use warm soapy water and a soft jewelry brush.

  1. Ruby care & cleaning

With a hardness of 9 and excellent durability, rubies are tough. They can withstand mechanical cleaning methods like steaming and ultrasonics, but heat could damage them. The sensitivity to heat happens when the ruby has crystal inclusions. When cleaning rubies at home, use lukewarm water and a soft jewelry brush.

  1. Sapphire care & cleaning

How to clean gemstones is something everybody should learn because you also learn interesting information. One of those interesting facts is that rubies and sapphires are made of the same materials. This means that sapphires also have a 9 on the hardness scale and are durable. They are less sensitive to heat than sapphires, but can also withstand mechanical cleaning methods. When cleaning them at home, use warm soapy water and a soft brush or lint-free cloth.

  1. Topaz care & cleaning

Even though the topaz has 8 on the hardness scale it is not a very tough gemstone. It is risky and dangerous to use mechanical cleaning methods for topaz jewelry because vibrations and heat can damage them. Just clean your topaz jewelry with warm soapy water and a jewelry brush.

  1. Turquoise care & cleaning

This uniquely colored gemstone has only between 5 and 6 on the Mohs hardness scale and a poor toughness. When learning how to clean gemstones, you should also remember which ones are porous. Turquoise is one of them, so no soap or detergent, please. Don’t use mechanical cleaning methods or soapy water as it can infiltrate the stone. Just wipe them with a damp cloth and dry immediately with another lint-free cloth.

  1. Tourmaline care & cleaning

Tourmalines are fairly tough and have a hardness of 7. However, they are brittle so mechanical cleaning methods could ruin them. To clean tourmaline jewelry, just use warm soapy water and a very soft brush.

  1. Zircon care & cleaning

Zircons don’t have a great resistance to breakage and have between 6 and 7 on the hardness scale. This stone can be affected by thermal shocks and vibrations, so avoid mechanical cleaning. Just like with tourmalines, clean zircon jewelry with warm soapy water and a soft brush. Don’t forget to dry immediately after.

Now that you know how to clean gemstones properly, you can take care of your beautiful jewelry. To discover more important jewelry advice, read our other articles as well. Click this link to view Ana Luisa’s gemstone jewelry collections. You will find unique designer jewelry of the highest quality at fair prices.


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Ruxandra

Ruxandra
Ruxandra is a fashion blogger who teaches fashion stumped twenty to thirty somethings how to shop their jewelry boxes for polished new ensembles. Her work has been featured in Vogue, Fashionista, Nylon, and Refinery29.