Care, clean & store Gemstones, Diamonds, Earrings, Necklaces in 14K Sterling Silver. Care Red String Bendels.

Hardness

Ability to resist scratching. Diamond is a ten. Any higher number can scratch lower.  Therefore store jewels separately so they do not scratch other stones or metals.

Clarity

Internal quality of the gem. IF=Internally Flawless. VVSI Very Very Slightly Imperfect. VSI Very Slightly Imperfect.  SI1 slightly Imperfect 1 SI2 Slightly Imperfect 2. I1 Imperfect 1. I2 Imperfect 2. I3 Imperfect 3. 

Red String Bendel

Holy string from Rachels tomb. When cutting string to fit left wrist, immediately tie to avoid fraying. Use clear nail polish on end to run through sterling chain or bead.

Treatments

Some gems are bleached, coated, diffused, dyed, filled, heated, irradiated, oiled or waxed. This can lead to special care requirements. 

Diamonds

Many treatment enhancements are done. Fracture filling, temporaily turns a poor quality to visually appealing. Irradiation for better color is stable -all except green stones when heated. Coatings can be used to disguise a poor grade. These stones require special care. Heating can damage some treatments. Moissanite - looks like a diamond. Synthetic stones are worth about 5% of natural diamonds. 

Precious Gemstones

Only three colored gemstones are considered precious. Rubies, Sapphires and Emeralds. Ones of superier quality, because so rare can command a per carat price higher than a diamond. It is common for stones with inclusions and blemishes to be made into jewelry. Emeralds  are often treated with oil to enhance them -this disguishes fissures. Do not clean Emeralds in ultrasound. Emeralds can be stabilized or fracture filled. Avoid temparature changes and chemicals. Rubies are red, orange red or a purple red. Burma ruby is the finest.  Heating a ruby or sapphire is normal and no special care is needed -however an unheated is higher quality. Sapphires are slightly less valuable stones from the same family as rubies-in blues, golds,  magnolia greens, purple and pinks.Other treatments like oiling  can cover fissues, and irradiation can create intense color  -often only temporarily. Diffusion -adding a star effect, is lasting if uncut. Treated beryl is sometimes mistaken as dark blue sapphire. Garnets, red beryl and tourmaline can be mistaken for rubies.

Almost any stone can be made in a lab, but  these three are most common. If you want a perfect look stone, consider lab created. Buyers tip. Always ask if a stone has been treated and this should be noted on the appraisal.

Semi-Precious is all other gemstones than precious.

Stone  &  Care          

•  Amber          UTC      
• Amazonite     UTC        
• Amethyst       NS             Sunlight can fade color
• Aquamarine   N
• Beryl              N         
• Chalcedony     N          
• Corundum       N
• Diamond         N            
• Emerald           UTCSW     
• Garnet             T             
• Hematite          N
• Iolite                U                                    
• Jade                 U 
• Kunzite            S           
• Kyanite            UTC        
• Lapis Lazuli      UTC                                  
• Labrodite         UTC                            
• Malachite         UTC
• Mother of Pearl   UTC        
• Moonstone       UTC                          
• Opal                 UTCS       
• Pearl                 UTCSW       Dry before store.Annual restringing recommended if worn frequently.
• Peridot              NS
• Ruby                 N            U If in zoisite            
• Quartz               N            Smoky, Citrine, Amethyst, Aventurine, Tiger Eye, Rutilated, Pietersite,
• Sapphire            N
• Sodalite             UC
• Shell/Coral        UTC
• Tanzanite           US
• Topaz                N
• Tourmaline         UTS
• Turquoise           UC
• Zircon                U
• Zoisite                U 

Metals:

• Gold                Avoid bleach -discolor and disentegrate.
• Sterling  -store in plastic bag . Use 3m anti-tarnish strip.
• Platinum -best for mounting diamonds.
• 14K gold fill -treat as gold. Lasts for generations.

 Rings:clean with rubbing alcohol or mild soap & water & soft brush. 

Care Guide codes

N=Normal care. Wear in shower to clean -i.e. mild soap & water! Use earring clutches.All jewlery should be stored separately to avoid scratching. Store bracelet flat. Clean diamonds with six parts water one part ammonia. Brush gently with soft brush. .

U=No Ultrasound  (A cleaning machine. Not recommended -especially for stones with cracks).

T=Avoid Temperature Extreme -Sudden changes

C=Avoid Chemicals, perfume, hairpray. Put on jewelry last. Use perfume oils instead of alcohol sprays.Don't wear in hot tub or pool. Remove to safe place when cleaning.

S=Scatch easily. Store with care.

W=Wipe with a soft cloth to clean.