Caring for your gemstones- An easy to follow guide

You must have read about a lot of articles on taking good care of and maintaining your silver and gold jewelry in the past. However what most writers skip to lay stress upon are the precious as well as semiprecious stones set into these fine designs. So I would like to dedicate this article to some easy tips and pointers to maintain your sparkling stones and make them last a lifetime.

Gemstones are among the most durable of substances. Gemstone jewelry is one of the most special gifts you can give and receive. These exquisite and alluring pieces deserve the best care to keep the gems dazzling and undamaged. While every type of gem is different and specific care instructions apply to each type, there are some general rules of thumb to follow when wearing, cleaning and storing gemstone jewelry. The only effort we need to make is to keep these thumb rules always in our mind. Below is an exhaustive list of pointers that you should always remember if you are a collector of these brilliant jewelry pieces.

Tips for Wearing and Handling

When you engage in housework or other hardy chores, make it a point to remove your jewelry as it can damage the stones. Follow this while gardening, housecleaning and similar tasks. This will save your precious gems from being banged and scraped against dirt, stones, walls and other things that could damage them.
The chemicals and oils in hairsprays, lotions and other cosmetics can dull and even damage gemstones in jewelry. Always remove it before applying makeup and cosmetics.
Check your jewelry on a frequent basis to ensure that the prongs used for setting the gemstones are properly fitted to avoid loss of stones.
Chlorine and other chemicals present in water have damaging effect on gemstones. Thus remove your jewelry when swimming, bathing or showering.
Stones are less resistant to heat, thus exposure to heat and sudden changes in temperature should be avoided.
Avoid use of brittle and soft stones in rings meant for daily wear and the setting should be designed in a manner to safeguard the gemstone.
Six prong settings are more secure than four prong ones and it is always a safer bet to replace the entire head if one of the prong breaks.
In certain cuts such as marquise and pear shape, the sharp points are more susceptible to breaking and should thus be protected by a secure setting.
When removing your rings, don’t pull them off by the gemstone as over time, it can stretch the metal that holds it in place, making the setting less secure.

Tips for Cleaning and Polishing

For jewelry that is worn all day long, it is essential to clean them regularly to let the light in so your gems can shine.
The best solution for cleaning most gems is water with a little mild dishwashing soap added. For clear stones like diamonds, a small quantity of ammonia added to the water helps in bringing back the lost sparkle. However, it can only be added in case of gold and platinum based jewelry and not for silver.
Diamonds, rubies and sapphires can be safely cleaned in ultrasonic cleaners that use commercial solutions as they are hard and can bear the friction. Avoid using these for soft and porous stones which can easily get discolored and damaged.
Opaque gemstones like lapis lazuli, turquoise, malachite, etc. which cannot use ultrasonic cleaners as well as chemicals can be wiped gently with a moist cloth. These gemstones are porous and may absorb chemicals or soap causing build up and discoloration inside the stone.

Tips for Storage

When storing your gemstone jewelry in a jewelry box, place each piece in a separate compartment or carefully wrap it in a soft cloth or jeweler’s bag. This will avoid any damage due to rubbing together of adjacent pieces. It also prevents any damage to the finish on gold, silver, platinum and other metal parts which being softer that the gemstone can be scratched by it. It also prevents scratching, chipping and entanglement of gemstones and the jewelry.

Thus, it is a very simple task to care for these sparkling gemstones set in your jewelry. A little care and common sense can add life, luster and longevity to your precious jewelry and gems. So always protect your unique investment by following the above guidelines.