HomeCaring for your Pearls
The best way to help your pearls maintain their luster is to wear them regularly. Your body's natural oils aid in keeping the pearls' beauty.
1. When necessary, wipe your pearls with a damp, soft cloth. Do not use oils or other treatments.
2. Never clean your pearls with jewelry cleaner or in an ultrasonic jewelry cleaning machine! A harsh cleanser can wear away the nacre.
3. Have your pearls restrung every two to five years if worn regularly, or when the silk becomes dirty.
4. Take your pearls to a professional jeweler for cleaning prior to restringing, which will add to the beauty and long life of your pearls.
5. Keep your pearls away from hairspray, lotion and perfume. Chemicals in these products can damage the pearls.
6. Make your pearls the last item you put on when getting dressed and the first item you take off.
7. Pearls should be worn alone. If worn with other jewelry, such as a gold chain or other necklace, they may be scratched or damaged.
8. Store your pearls separately so they won't be damaged by other jewelry.
Caring for your Gemstones
Gemstones are durable, still, they do need some care. Follow a few general rules and they'll last for generations still looking brand new.
1. Keep your jewelry clean. Rings in particular tend to collect dirt behind the stone, especially if you wear them on a regular basis. You can clean transparent gemstones by simply soaking them in water with a touch of soap. Use a soft toothbrush to scrub the stone.
2. Exercise common sense: if you have a ring set with a softer gem variety or an included stone, take it off before strenuous activity. Even the hardest gemstone variety can be vulnerable to breakage if it has inclusions that weaken the crystal structure.
3. Think twice before putting gems in an ultrasonic cleaner. Diamonds, rubies and sapphires will be fine but many other gems may not be. Diamonds, rubies and sapphires, and other single-crystal gems can be cleaned with a touch of ammonia in water to remove all films and add extra sparkle.
4. Never use an ultrasonic cleaner or ammonia for cleaning such opaque gemstones like lapis, turquoise, malachite or onyx. They should be wiped clean gently with a moist cloth. These gemstones can be porous and may absorb chemicals, even soap, which may build up inside the stone and discolor it.
5. The reason why these materials need more care than transparent gemstones is that these materials are essentially rocks, not crystals of a single mineral. Think about it: when you put a rock in water, it absorbs the water and is moist all the way through. A single crystal gem like sapphire will not absorb water: all the molecules are lined up so tightly in the crystal that there is no room for water to enter.
6. Opals also require special care. Never use an ultrasonic cleaner or ammonia, and avoid heat and strong light which can dry out the water in opals.
7. Organic gems like pearls, coral, and amber should only be wiped clean with a moist cloth. Due to their organic nature, these gems are both soft and porous. Be careful about chemicals in hairspray, cosmetics, or perfume: they can, over time, damage pearls in particular.
8. Store each piece of gemstone jewelry separately so that harder stones don't scratch softer ones. Almost every gemstone is much harder than the metal it is set in. If you throw your jewelry in a drawer or unsegregated jewelry box gems can scratch the finish on gold, silver or platinum.
January: Garnet
February: Amethyst
March: Aquamarine
April: Diamond
May: Emerald
June: Pearl and Alexandrite
July: Ruby
August: Peridot
September: Sapphire
October: Tourmaline and Opal
November: Topaz and Citrine
December: Tanzanite, Zircon, and Turquoise
For complete information on each bithstone pease visit the American Gem Society.