How to Clean Gemstone Jewelry - The Ultimate Guide
Gemstone Jewelry is something to cherish for its unique beauty and par excellence. Keeping their shine and brilliance in mind, who would not want to treasure such valuable pieces in their jewelry box? Unfortunately, over time you might see dullness, discoloration, and other damages that have occurred because of improper care and using methods of your jewels. However, you can prevent all this by adopting a multitude of ways to correctly clean your jewelry so that you can extend its long-term usage.
So, today we are going to talk about all the hacks and measures that you can adopt to keep your favourite jewels alive with time. Here’s the ultimate guide for you on how to cleanse your Gemstone Jewelry effectively to protect them from discoloration and illuminate its beauty.
Time To Draw a Bath For your Jewelry
In order to accurately clean your accessories, it is best to wash and clean them from time to time. So, when is the best time to draw a bath for your jewelry? All jewelry you wear acquires small particles of dirt, making your jewelry appear dull with time. Thus, you must wash your accessories from time to time when you feel it is getting dull. Or you might have come to think that you have recently been prone to some physical activity that has caused the dirt to accumulate around your jewels.
Although it is always suggested to wash your jewelry over a period of a month so that any dullness is removed. But after all, it depends on the usage and the way you carry your jewels; you can decide your own wash period. Of course, you can always schedule a visit to professional jewelry cleaners to clean your gems properly, yet if you are planning to do the job on your own, you can follow some of the pointers mentioned below. Here’s how you can wash your favorite Sterling Silver Jewelry so that it keeps its bling.
- Simply wash it under running cold water. Some stones might react with hot water and can cause a permanent color change. Thus, if you are aware of your gem's properties, washing it under running water is the best option.
- Use a soft cloth and brush to clean the corners and sides of the jewels that are hard to reach. Any usage of stiff brushes or equipment can cause scratches on the surface of your gemstone and can decrease the shine and luster of the gem.
- Do not leave your jewelry for a long exposure to water as certain gemstones are porous in nature and can absorb water inside them. For example, Aquamarine Jewelry needs quick handling with water as it is a water-sensitive stone, and absorbing water will make it appear dull over time.
- Do not use any soap or detergent without knowing about your stone, as it can react with your crystal and may affect its color.
- It is always suggested to use non-reactive jewelry cleaners that are actually harmless for your accessories.
- Use a soft cloth to wipe away all the water as soon as you are done cleaning it. Pat it dry and do not leave any water on its surface so that it doesn’t absorb any moisture inside it.
Once you are done following the steps mentioned above, you are there with your brand new jewelry just like it first arrived at you. Accessories such as Gemstone Rings require more frequent cleaning schedules as they are the ones that directly interact with everything we touch and thus acquire more dirt. Therefore, you might decide your cleaning sessions according to the accessory and usage. All these water cleansing and cleaning procedures will not only keep the shine of your jewels intact but also help recharge and maintain the strong energies of your gem. So, now you can enjoy the high healing powers of your crystal most effectively.
Cleaning While Activating
Cleaning your gemstone jewelry doesn’t always just mean cleaning it physically. It also includes cleaning all the negative energies your crystal has acquired over a period and activating it again. Usually, people clean the negative energies of the stone from time to time to keep enjoying the metaphysical benefits of their jewel. This can be done whenever you feel that you are no longer able to resonate with the energies of the crystal or feel like it has stopped doing the magical wonders in your life.
Since each crystal is unique, activating them requires a different procedure and approach accordingly. For instance, Moonstone Jewelry is believed to be associated with the potent energies of the moon. Thus, you can charge your Moonstone by simply keeping it overnight under the flashing light of the moon by keeping it at a safe place such as a window edge. Please do not leave your accessory directly out in the open overnight; instead, keep it in a safe place only.
Similarly, you can charge other crystals such as Peridot Jewelry by simply placing it on the ground and meditating with it. Letting it re-energize with the powerful energies of the nature will help you alleviate all the negative energies absorbed by the gem and prepare it for the upcoming journey of life.
Tips and Precautions To Rescue Your Jewelry
- Keep a Check on Skin Products
Do not directly expose your accessories such as Rose Quartz Jewelry to skin products such as makeup, lotion, perfumes, etc., as it dulls the shine of your precious gems. Instead, you can wear your jewelry once you finish your skincare routine. This will help you to stop direct exposure to your accessories.
- Hard stones
Look out for storing your jewelry with other hard crystals. For instance, avoid storing Opal Jewelry with any other hard gem, as opal ranks around 5 on the Mohs scale of hardness, making it quite delicate. In addition, keeping your jewels with other hard stones might cause scratches on their surface, leading to breakage or permanent damage. To avoid such results, you can place your gem covered in a soft cloth in a separate box.
- Store in a Closed container
Avoid leaving your jewelry out in the open, as direct contact with air and moisture in our environment can dull your metal and stone. Therefore, it is always suggested to store your accessories in an airtight closed space so that they don’t react with the moist air outside and remain intact. In this manner, you can enjoy the best shine of your jewels for a more extended period.
- Avoid Sunlight
Another precaution you must follow is to prevent your accessory from getting directly exposed to sunlight for a long time. For example, although Citrine Jewelry exudes the bright and warm energies of the sun, it is pretty afraid of the sun itself. Thus, any prolonged exposure to direct sunlight or heat might cause the gem to discolor and fade with time.
- Say No To Chlorine
You must avoid wearing your jewelry when dealing with chlorine, such as in swimming pools. Consider removing your precious jewelry, such as Garnet Jewelry, in the pool, as it can permanently damage your crystal's color.
- Removing Jewelry Before Physical Exercise
Suppose you are an active enthusiast who loves being at the gym and doing regular physical exercise. In that case, we advise you to avoid wearing precious pieces such as Tanzanite Jewelry before performing any heavy physical workout. This may cause your gem to break and can have major damage on your lovely accessories.
Sterling Silver Jewelry Maintenance
If you have been using Sterling Silver Jewelry for a while now, you might be aware that its property to get tarnished. So, we will share some of the DIY options for you to keep your sterling silver jewelry shining. You can easily manage your jewels by following these tips and taking certain precautions. Irrespective of the jewelry, whether it is Amethyst Jewelry or any other stone studded with pure 925 sterling silver, you can effectively clean your jewels by using these methods.
- The Dish Soap Method
Mix your dawn soap in a bowl filled with Luke-warm water and dampen a soft cloth in the solution. Use this cloth to clean the silver and remove any excess tarnish or dirt from the metal. Following the step, you can run your whole accessory under cool running water and buff dry it with a soft cloth.
- Soda Comes to Your Rescue
Did you know that you can use baking soda to clean your precious jewelry? You can use this hack when you are trying to work over a heavy tarnish. Add some baking soda to a bowl filled with water and apply the baking soda solution to a lint-free cloth. Use this cloth to clean the crevices of your silver metal, and don’t forget to wash your jewelry with the water once you remove all the tarnish. Buff-dry your jewel after completing the process.
- Toothpaste Power
Toothpaste is an excellent option when it comes to exploring your options for at-home cleaning solutions for silver. Toothpaste is excellent at removing tarnish without damaging your precious silver. Put a small dab of white toothpaste on your tarnished silver and gently clean it with a soft cloth. Rinse well afterward with Luke-warm water and dry it with a soft cloth.
Cleaning Valuable Jewelry such as Engagement Rings
Engagement Rings are pretty valuable in everyone’s life and represent your love and commitment toward your partner. Engagement rings come in all shapes, sizes, and a variety of stones; thus, they also require proper cleaning and care to keep them shining. After wearing ring for a while you might notice some dullness and discoloration in the shine of the crystal. You must eliminate this to maintain the bling of your precious accessory, just like your love for each other. This is why you must clean your unique engagement rings from time to time so that they remain the same with time.
Since most engagement rings have a unique and complex design, cleaning them requires a little mastery so that both metal and crystal don’t lose their charm. There are several methods that you might pick from to clean your Gemstone Engagement Rings. Here’s a list of a few ones that will help you do the job safely and aptly.
- Use Jewelry Cleaners to wash out any dirt that the crystal has acquired over time. Don’t forget to clean the area precisely beneath the crystal.
- Do not use hot water to clean your gems as the crystal might react to the heat and can cause permanent color damage to it.
- Although people often choose a hard stone such as London Blue Topaz for their engagement rings as they are supposed to be worn daily, you might avoid cleaning your precious jewel with any stiff brush or other tools. This might leave scratches over the surface of the gemstone and can reduce the shine of your gem.
- Use a soft-bristled brush to clean the complex corners of your ring and gently remove any dirt and grime. Next, rinse your ring with cool running water and dry it with a soft cloth.
- Ensure that you protect your crystal from any ultrasonic rays as it may damage the color of your crystal permanently. Until you are aware of the properties of your gem and what might harm its color, it's best to avoid adopting any unnatural methods to cleanse them.
- You can also schedule a cleaning session with your professional jewelry cleaner from time to time so that you do not risk choosing the wrong method to clean your jewelry.
Conclusion
The hardness of your gem doesn’t determine its capacity and resistance to all types of exposure. Therefore, do not assume that a high hardness stone can be cleaned and exposed to any cleaning method. It is just an index used to measure a crystal's physical property, yet every gemstone's nature varies according to its composition and unique features. Thus, you must be careful before exposing your precious jewels to any of the cleaning methods and choose only the natural ones to protect your jewelry from any damage. For instance, Swiss Blue Topaz Jewelry might have a high hardness range but is sensitive to heat and thus cannot be cleaned with hot water.
Also, look for any additional color treatments your gem might have undergone to enhance its appearance and color. Ultrasonic treatments for such crystals might damage their appearance and color permanently. Thus, choose a cleaning method that is best suitable for your gemstone accordingly. Rest, and enjoy the long-lasting brilliance of your lovely gems at their best.