Exquisite and alluring, gemstones are fascinating pieces which attract attention as a result of their varied shapes, colors, and brilliance. Their rarity and toughness are what make these stones precious. However, despite their natural toughness, gemstones need to be cared for just like any other pieces of jewellery. To maintain their sparkle and beauty, here are five tips for caring for your precious gemstone jewellery.
Handle with Care
When putting on jewellery containing gemstones, do not exert so much pressure on them as this could result in their destruction. Pulling bracelets by the stones or pushing rings on can loosen the fastenings leading to the loss of stones.
Protect from Sunlight and Heat
The heat and rays from the sun can be harmful to your jewellery as they can affect the color and durability of a precious stone. Direct sunlight results in the fading of stones with smoky quartzes and amethysts being the main victim. Other gems such as ivory and pearl can get bleached due to the direct heat from the sun. Additionally, heat can lead to the drying up of moisture in some gemstones, thus compromising their quality. Therefore, make sure you keep your gemstone jewellery away from direct rays and heat from the sun.
Clean your Jewellery
It is always advisable to clean your jewellery, but you need to be careful when using an ultrasonic cleaner. This type of cleaner is effective when it comes to cleaning stone jewellery but there are some stones that could get destroyed by it. Some gemstones such as emerald and moonstone are susceptible to damage when cleaned by an ultrasonic cleaner. Therefore, it is advisable to use this cleaner only when you are confident it will not damage your stones. You can take them to a jeweller if you are unsure of how to clean your gemstones.
Store Gemstones Separately
By their very nature, precious stones are hard. Nonetheless, these stones vary in their degree of hardness. For example, diamond stones are the hardest followed by rubies and sapphires. Topazes, emeralds, and aquamarines follow on the hardness scale. Peridots and pearls are relatively softer stones and these are about half as hard as rubies or diamond. With that in mind, you need to store your gems separately to prevent them from rubbing against each other and causing damage.
Check out for Loose Stones
If your jewellery is studded with gems, you need to check them regularly to see if there are loose stones. There is a high chance that the stones will become loose in their setting. Losing a stone or two from your gold necklace or platinum rings can be devastating. For that reason, check the stone trinkets to make sure the prongs that hold the stones together aren’t worn out.
With the above tips, you will be in a position to keep your jewellery strong and shining throughout. Gemstones, beings as precious as they are, need to be taken care of in the best possible way. If you feel there are problems with your jewellery that you cannot handle, you can always take it to the jeweller to have the problem fixed.
