In this article
Written by Sameer
Reviewed on
In short: hard stones that haven't been filled, such as sapphire, ruby, topaz, aquamarine, garnet and amethyst, only need lukewarm water with a few drops of mild soap, a soft brush and a good rinse. Emerald, opal, pearl, turquoise, lapis and moonstone want gentler treatment: a soft damp cloth, no soaking, no ultrasonic or steam machines and no chemicals. Keep each piece apart from the others so a harder stone can't scratch a softer one, and take your rings off before housework, sport or a swim.
When customers bring a damaged stone back to the counter, the cause is nearly always a habit rather than an accident. The wrong cleaner, a jewellery box where everything knocks together, a ring left on while scrubbing the pateela. This guide covers why stones behave differently, a care table for the gems we sell most, two cleaning methods, how to store things, and some notes for astrological rings.
Five habits that protect nearly every stone
- Jewellery goes on last, after perfume, attar, lotion and hair spray, and comes off first.
- Take rings off for washing up, cooking, gardening, the gym, swimming and bed.
- Clean with mild soap and lukewarm water, or a damp cloth for delicate stones. Nothing harsher.
- Keep every piece in its own soft pouch or lined compartment.
- Get settings checked now and then, particularly on a ring you never take off.
Why one stone needs more care than another
Three properties decide how a stone should be handled:
- Hardness (the Mohs scale, 1 to 10) is how well a stone resists scratching. Ordinary household dust contains quartz, which is 7, so anything softer than 7 can slowly lose its polish just from being rubbed with a dusty cloth.
- Toughness is how well it resists chipping and breaking, and that is a separate thing. Emerald is fairly hard but often brittle because of its internal fractures, while nephrite jade is softer yet very tough.
- Stability is how it copes with heat, light, moisture and chemicals. Opal can crack with sudden heat or very dry air, some amethyst and kunzite fade in strong sun, and porous stones soak up oils and perfume.
Care table for the common stones
| Stone | Mohs hardness | Be careful of | Safe way to clean |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sapphire and ruby | 9 | Glass-filled stones are harmed by heat, acids and ultrasonic cleaning | Warm soapy water, soft brush |
| Topaz | 8 | Perfect cleavage, so a sharp knock can split it | Warm soapy water |
| Emerald | 7.5 to 8 | Brittle; oil or resin filling is affected by heat and solvents | Cool or lukewarm water, soft cloth, no ultrasonic |
| Aquamarine | 7.5 to 8 | Usually sturdy | Warm soapy water |
| Tourmaline | 7 to 7.5 | Sudden changes of temperature | Warm soapy water |
| Amethyst and citrine | 7 | Colour can fade with long exposure to strong light | Warm soapy water |
| Garnet | 6.5 to 7.5 | Sudden heat | Warm soapy water |
| Peridot | 6.5 to 7 | Acids and sudden heat | Lukewarm soapy water, gently |
| Tanzanite | 6 to 7 | Brittle; keep it away from knocks, ultrasonic and steam | Lukewarm soapy water, soft cloth |
| Moonstone and labradorite | 6 to 6.5 | Split easily if knocked | Mild soap, soft cloth |
| Opal | 5.5 to 6.5 | Heat, dryness, sudden temperature change; never soak a doublet or triplet | Damp soft cloth only |
| Feroza (turquoise), lapis lazuli and malachite | 3.5 to 6 | Porous, so they absorb oil, perfume, sweat and soapy water; malachite is also soft and reacts to acid | Dry or barely damp cloth |
| Moti (pearl) and amber | 2 to 4.5 | Acids, perfume, heat and scratches; solvents damage amber too | Wipe with a soft damp cloth after each wear |
Cleaning gemstone jewellery
Method A: hard, non-porous stones
This suits untreated or heated sapphire, ruby, topaz, aquamarine, tourmaline, garnet, amethyst, citrine and, with a lighter touch, peridot, as long as the stone isn't glass-filled and sits firmly in its setting.
- Fill a bowl with lukewarm water and a few drops of mild washing-up liquid. Use a bowl, never the open sink.
- Let the piece soak for 10 to 15 minutes so skin oil and grime loosen.
- Go gently around and behind the stone with a very soft toothbrush. Dirt packed under a stone blocks the light, and that is the main reason a stone looks dull.
- Rinse in clean lukewarm water.
- Pat it dry with a microfibre or lint-free cloth, then leave it to air-dry completely before you put it away.
Method B: delicate, porous or treated stones
This is for emerald, opal, pearl, feroza, lapis, malachite, moonstone and amber.
- Wet a soft cloth with plain lukewarm water, not hot.
- Wipe the stone and the setting gently. No soaking.
- Dry it immediately with a second soft cloth.
Don't brush opal or pearl, don't leave feroza or lapis sitting in soapy water, and don't put an emerald in hot water, because heat can pull out the oil that hides its fractures. Give pearls a wipe after every wear; sweat and perfume slowly dull the nacre.
Things to keep away from your stones
- Ultrasonic cleaners. Usually fine for untreated or heated sapphire and ruby, but risky for emerald, opal, pearl, tanzanite, feroza, moonstone, topaz and anything fracture-filled.
- Steam cleaners. The sudden heat can crack opal, emerald and heavily included stones.
- Household chemicals. Bleach, chlorine, ammonia, vinegar, toothpaste and baking soda can etch porous stones, scratch polish and harm the metal. Take rings off before a chlorinated pool.
- Tissues and paper towels. The fibres can scratch soft stones and metal. A microfibre or jeweller's cloth is better.
Storing stones properly
The thing most likely to scratch a stone is another stone. Drop a sapphire loose in a box with an opal or a pearl and the softer one will lose. Give each piece its own pouch or lined slot, and also:
- keep opal away from heat and very dry air; in a dry spell, a slightly damp cloth stored nearby (not touching it) helps;
- keep amethyst, citrine, kunzite and rose quartz out of direct sunlight;
- let pearls breathe, so no sealed plastic bags, and wear them often;
- put an anti-tarnish strip in with silver settings. Tarnish won't hurt the stone, but it dulls the metal, and in Karachi's humid sea air silver darkens quicker than most people expect.
Wearing habits that matter
Rings take the most punishment of anything you wear. If an astrological stone stays on day and night in an open-back setting, have a jeweller look at the claws every few months. Tightening a prong costs very little next to replacing a stone that has fallen out. Bezel settings, where metal wraps around the edge of the stone, protect softer stones like opal and feroza better than claws do.
When a piece needs a jeweller
- The stone moves, rattles or turns in the setting.
- The claws look bent, thin or worn; silver wears faster than gold.
- An emerald's fractures are easier to see than before. A lapidary may be able to re-oil it.
- A hard stone has gone scratched or dull. Professional re-polishing can usually bring it back.
Not sure whether something needs looking at? Send us a message on WhatsApp with a photo and we'll tell you what to check.
Looking after an astrological ring
A ring worn for astrology is usually on the skin all day, so it collects more sweat and skin oil than other jewellery. Clean it roughly once a week using Method A or B, depending on the stone. Many people also rinse the ring in kacha doodh (raw milk) or clean water on the planet's day. That does no harm to sapphire, ruby, pukhraj or garnet, but don't soak pearl, coral, opal or emerald. Tradition also says a chipped or cracked stone should be replaced. For more on wearing customs, read neelam benefits and how to wear it and gemstones by rashi.
Picking a stone that fits your life
Good care starts before you buy. For a ring you'll wear every day, go for something hard and tough like sapphire, ruby or garnet, and save opal, pearl and feroza for pendants, earrings or occasional wear. Have a look through the Authentic Gems collection, where every stone is photographed as it is and priced on its own, and ask us about durability before you decide if you're unsure.
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