IL GIOIELLO JEWELERS IS CLOSED.  Valentines Day was Our Last Day.

Although gemstones are among the most durable of substances, they do need some care. Following a few general rules will make sure that they last for generations still looking like the day you bought them.

First of all: keep them clean! Rings in particular tend to collect dust and soap behind the stone, particularly if you wear them all the time. To clean transparent crystalline gemstones, simply soak them in water with a touch of gentle soap. If necessary, use a soft toothbrush to scrub behind the stone, then simply rinse with lukewarm water and allow them to dry.

Even the hardest gemstones can be vulnerable to breakage if they have inclusions that weaken the crystal structure. Exercise common sense: remove your jewelry during strenuous work or exercise. Diamonds are the hardest substance on earth but they can shatter in two with a single well-placed blow. Rubies and sapphires are the toughest gems but even they can chip if hit sharply. 

Take particular care if you have a ring set with a gem variety with a hardness less than 7 on the Mohs scale or an included stone.

Opaque gemstones like lapis lazuli, turquoise and malachite, require special care. Never use an ultrasonic cleaner and never use ammonia or any chemical solution. These gem materials should just be wiped clean gently with a moist cloth. These gemstones can be porous and may absorb chemicals, even soap, and they may build up inside the stone and discolor it. 

The reason why these materials need more care than transparent gemstones is that these materials are essentially rocks, not crystals of a single mineral. Imagine: 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 tightly in the crystal so there is no room for water to enter.

Opals also require special care. Never use an ultrasonic, never use ammonia, and avoid heat and strong light which can dry out the water in opals.

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.

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. Gems can scratch the finish on your gold, silver or platinum if you throw your jewelry in a heap in a drawer or jewelry box.

How to maintain:

Gold
Silver

Pearls

Watches

Colored Gemstones

Amethyst

Aquamarine

Citrine

Emerald

Garnet

Opal

Peridot

Ruby

Sapphire

Spinel

Tanzanite

Topaz 

Tourmaline

Turquoise

Zircon

Diamonds