A Definitive Guide to Cleaning Gemstones

When it comes to cleaning your jewelry, there are certain guidelines to adhere to. Cleaning diamonds is easy, of course, they’re typically pretty hard to mess up. But what about other gems? This chart is the best guide to cleaning gemstones we’ve seen in a while.

In most cases, a soft cloth is your best bet (but not all – it’s not safe for amber.) Your next choice is lukewarm water and mild soap, but again it’s not failsafe. When it comes to things like jewelry cleaners, ultrasonic cleaners, steaming and boiling (seriously,) it’s always better to play it safe.

You can consult this handy chart for at home cleaning, but it’s always a good idea to stop by your jeweler for a cleaning. At least once a year you should take it in for an inspection as well – have the jeweler take a look at the prongs and accent stones to make sure everything is in place. You can do this when you get your insurance appraisal, which should be updated annually.

If you do clean your jewelry at home, just triple check to make sure you aren’t doing any damage. With older jewelry that contains stones you haven’t been able to identify, it’s a good idea to just skip the DIY and take it to your jeweler.