Jewelry & Gems Care and Cleaning Tips

* Jewelry and gemstones require special care when wearing, storing, or cleaning. Clean fine Jewelry often to maintain its sparkle and beauty.

* The best way to clean your gemstone jewelry is in a bowl of warm water with a few drops of ordinary dish detergent, such as Ivory liquid soap. Using an old toothbrush or other soft brush, scrub gently behind the stone where dust and soap can collect. Then just rinse and pat dry with a soft cloth. Please read the labels of over the counter cleaners, make sure that they are OK to use.

* To reduce greasy build-up on diamond jewelry, dip it in plain alcohol before soaking.

* Keep jewelry separate and ideally wrapped in velvet, paper, or silk.

* Some colored gemstones are softer than others, (IE .- pearls and opals) so extra care is to be given to them.

* A home ultrasonic cleaner should be used with extreme caution. It can be used to clean Ruby, Sapphire, Diamond, Amethyst, Citrine, Garnets, Chrysoberyl, and unadorned gold jewelry but it may damage gems like Emerald, Tourmaline, Tanzanite, Peridot, Pearls, Coral, Lapis Lazuli, Turquoise, and any gem that has many inclusions. When in doubt, don’t use it.

* Remove your jewelry before vigorous activities.

* Remove your jewelry before going into chlorinated pools and Hot Tubs! Chemicals used are very caustic to colored gems, gold and other metals.

* Every day household items can ruin your gemstone jewelry.

* Make sure you don’t expose your gems to the chemicals in cleaning products, hair care products, fragrances and cosmetics.

* When getting dressed, put your jewelry on last. At the end of the day, take your jewelry off first. Store your jewelry in a cloth-lined box or pouch and keep them away from other jewelry, which might scratch them.

* Check for loose stones frequently by gently tapping the piece with your finger near your ear, or seeing signs of gems being loose. Watch your prongs for wear.

* Pearls should be restrung every two years or annually with frequent use.

* Gems are among the most durable of nature’s creations. With a little care, they will be as beautiful for generations to come as they are today.


info credit: http://www.bestcutgems.com/jewelrycleaningtips
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