Gold is fairly easy to clean at home, and many housewives know how to do it very well. It is quite another matter if you are also dealing with gemstones. This is always a pressing issue, because different gems require different ways of cleaning.
Cleaning products for precious gems
It is obvious to everyone that you need to take very good care of precious gems, since their value is high, and their beauty magnificent. If you are unsure about using home remedies on precious stones, you can always use a professional cleaning service.
The table below will help you choose the right and most common means to clean some gems.
| Gem | Care Instructions | Restrictions |
| Diamond, sapphire | It can be wiped with ammonia, washed in a soapy water. Polish with a lens polishing napkin. | It cannot be subjected to sudden blows. Sapphires cannot be heated. |
| Emerald, topaz, ruby | Care using professional grade products | Do not heat, clean with ultrasound, do not subject to sudden blows |
| Amethyst, garnet | Can be washed in soapy water, cleaned with a soft brush,and ultrasound | Avoid sudden temperature changes |
| Aquamarine, chrysolite | Can be washed in a solution of ammonia, soak in a solution of laundry detergent (warm water only) | Cracks from excessive heating. Chrysolite should be kept away from acids |
| Tourmaline | Wash with warm soapy water or clean with a soft cloth | Do not heat or clean using ultrasound |
| Opal, turquoise | At home, you can only dry polish it with soft suede | It cannot be washed in water, cleaned by ultrasound, heated |
| Pearl | Wipe with velvet and rinse in clean water | Do not expose to harsh mechanical impact, and chemicals, heating |
Natural gems have a lot in common, for example, almost all of them lose a number of qualities from sudden changes in temperature, heating, constant exposure to bright sunlight.
While the gold itself can be cleaned by boiling, this can not be done if the jewelry is gem-encrusted.
A solid mineral can be very fragile. For instance, diamonds can be cleaned with a stiff bristle brush, but they can easily crack if dropped on the floor. Therefore you should be careful to hold your gold jewelry tight when cleaning it, so you don’t drop it.
Caring for zircon
Some golden jewelry is decorated with a mineral called zircon. It can have a reddish (hyacinth), yellow (jargon) and bright blue (Starlite) hue. The gem is bright, transparent, and it will be a pity if it loses its luster.
To avoid this, zircon can be washed in soapy water. The golden parts can be washed with a brush, and then the gems can be wiped with a flannel napkin.
Cleaning jewelry with artificial gems
Gold can be decorated with artificial gems, too, so you need to know how to clean them. Cubic zirconia looks pretty good on jewelry. This artificial gem can be cleaned along with gold, using:
- ammonia,
- toothpaste,
- baking soda solution,
- liquid soap and a brush.
On the other hand, the currently popular rhinestones should not be wetted. This means you need to take your rhinestone ring off before even washing your hands. At home, such jewelry should be cleaned with a microfiber cloth, using light movements without applying pressure. If you do this once every six weeks, your jewelry will look perfect.
Small natural and artificial gems are often used to decorate golden jewelry. They are glued to the golden surface, so you should be more careful when cleaning the jewelry. Try not to wet those pieces too much or too often; it is also not recommended to rub them with a brush intensively.
Continuing this topic: how to clean gold at home, how to clean a golden ring
Care and storage instructions
To avoid problems and taking your golden pieces to a jeweler, you need to care for it properly. You should clean jewelry at home very carefully.
- Please don’t expose your gem-encrusted jewelry to perfume, hair spray, or other cosmetics and acids.
- Do not put your jewelry on the table under direct sunlight. Always put the pieces into a special box with separate compartments.
- Use only cleaning products that you are sure about not damaging the fragile gems.
- If you decide to clean the gold with a soap solution, then use liquid soap, shampoo or powder detergent. Bar soap leaves a film, so the jewelry won’t be shiny anymore.
- To clean hard-to-reach areas, you can use a toothpick, the edge of which should be slightly softened so that it is not too sharp, or you can also use a burnt match.
If possible, please store different gems separately. They all have different hardness, so one of them can damage the surface of another.