Easy Care Instructions For Cleaning Your Gemstone jewelry.

The Safe Way To Clean Your Jewelry....

Keep Your Jewelry Clean to Make It Sparkle....

Keeping your gemstone jewelry clean is essential if you want it to sparkle to its fullest.  Film from lotions, powders, and your own skin oils will dull stones and reduce their brilliance.  You will be amazed at how much a slight film can affect the brilliance and color of your gems.  So, learn how to keep them clean and clean them on a regualar basis.

The simplest and easiest way to clean any kind of jewelry is to wash it with warm sudsy water.  Prepare a small bowl of warm sudsy water, using any kind of mild liquid detergent.  Soak the pieces a few minutes and then brush gently with a soft toothbrush keeping the piece submerged in the sudsy water.  Rinse thoroughly under running water (make sure the drain is closed-some prefer to place jewelry in a wire strainer before placing under the running water) and pat dry with a soft lint-free cloth or paper towel.

Ruby and sapphire jewelry, especially pieces containing diamonds, can be immersed in a solution of equal parts of hot water (not boiling-you should be able to put your fingers in it without pain!) and ammonia.  This can be especially effective at removing built-up dirt and grime.  Let the jewelry soak for a few minutes, brush gently, rinse well and pat dry with a lint free cloth.  Remember, however, that ammonia should not be used on most other gems, and washing with warm, sudsy water is usually sufficient for all gemstones.

Use Jewelry Cleaners and Ultrasonic Cleaners with Caution....

Commercial jewelry claeners usually are no more effective than the methods suggested above.  They seem to be popular because they are convenient.  In any case, never soak gemstone jewelry in commercial cleaners for more than a few minutes.  Leaving stones such as emerald or amethys in some commercial cleaners for any length of time can cause etching of the surface, which reduces the stone's luster (shine).  For difficult pieces, try the new ionic cleaners.  These are safe for all gems-even emeralds and opals-and are fast, convenient, and affordable.

Ultrasonic cleaning for most gems is not recommended.  The new ionic cleaners are safer and equally effective.  Ultrasonic cleaning should be restricted to the cleaning of diamonds or gold jewelry only.  Washing in sudsy water or using an ionic cleaner is simple, effective, and safe for all jewelry.

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