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Care of Gemstones

To ensure that your gemstones stay looking as beautiful as ever, follow Astley Clarke's simple guide to care of gemstones .

• Store fine jewellery and loose gems in separate padded compartments or wrapped in soft lintfree cloth to prevent scratching, chipping and entanglement.

• It is important to remove your rings when doing heavy or dirty work, so they will not come into contact with harsh blows, abrasives, or unnecessary dirt.

• Porous stones, such as opals, pearls, coral, amber and turquoise should be kept away from dirty water and oils to avoid discolouration. Wipe them gently with a soft, damp cloth and remember to take jewellery containing these stones off while washing dishes or similar activities. They should also be kept away from products such as sunscreen and hairspray and should not be worn to a beach, or other hot, extreme environment.

• If you use hand lotions or creams, removing your rings before applying them will help prevent heavy buildup of dirt and oil around your gemstones.

• Opal, pearls, coral, amber, turquoise, and many collector gems are quite heat sensitive, both in terms of extremes of temperature and sudden temperature changes. Therefore it is a good idea not to leave them sitting in hot sunlight, near radiators, or in hot cars. Once an opal begins to craze (develop cracks, like in crazy paving), for example, it is usually unsalvageable.

• When cleaning nonporous (ie – very hard) gemstones, wash them very gently with a weak solution of Fairy liquid, rinse with clean lukewarm water, and dry them with a soft, lintfree cloth. Be sure to plug the sink so you don't wash your stones down the drain!

• On harder stones, it's safe to do a little very gentle scrubbing with a soft toothbrush. If you're cleaning jewellery, however, be careful not to scrub highly polished metal surfaces, as the slight abrasive action of the brush can produce hazy effects on the metal. A little soaking might be necessary to remove heavier deposits.

Links to other information pages


Care of Diamond Jewellery
Care of Gold Jewellery
Care of Pearls
Care of Platinum Jewellery
Care of Silver Jewellery
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