How to Clean and Care for Gemstones
Most gemstones can be safely cleaned with warm water, a drop of mild soap, and a soft brush, but a handful of popular stones, including emerald, opal-adjacent porous material, and some heavily included or fracture-filled stones, need gentler handling than that. The right care routine depends mainly on a stone's hardness, its treatment status, and whether it's set in a way that traps dirt or exposes it to unusual impact.
Here's how to clean, store, and generally look after both faceted gemstones and raw mineral specimens so they stay in good condition for years.
The Safe Default Cleaning Method
For most gemstones, this routine is safe:
- Soak briefly in warm water with a small amount of mild dish soap.
- Gently brush with a soft-bristled brush, focusing on the back of the stone and any crevices in the setting where dirt collects.
- Rinse thoroughly under running water to remove all soap residue.
- Dry with a soft, lint-free cloth before storing.
This method works for sapphire, ruby, spinel, garnet, tourmaline, topaz, amethyst, citrine, and most other faceted gemstones in normal condition. It's gentle enough to use regularly without risk to the stone or its setting.
Understanding the Mohs Hardness Scale
The Mohs scale ranks mineral hardness from 1 (talc, easily scratched by a fingernail) to 10 (diamond, the hardest natural material). A stone can only be scratched by something equal to or harder than itself, which is why storage matters as much as cleaning: a 6-hardness moonstone stored loose next to an 8-hardness topaz will eventually pick up scratches from contact, even without any impact.
Hardness alone doesn't determine overall durability, though. Toughness, a separate property describing resistance to chipping and cracking under impact, matters just as much for everyday wear. A stone can be hard but brittle, meaning it resists scratches but can still chip if struck at the wrong angle.
Care by Hardness
| Gemstone | Mohs Hardness | Care Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Sapphire, Ruby | 9 | Very durable; safe for ultrasonic cleaning in most cases |
| Moissanite | 9.25 | Very durable; safe for regular and ultrasonic cleaning |
| Spinel, Topaz | 8 | Durable; standard cleaning is safe |
| Emerald, Tourmaline, Garnet | 7–8 | Durable, but emerald specifically should avoid ultrasonic cleaning due to common fracture filling |
| Amethyst, Citrine, Ametrine, Quartz varieties | 7 | Durable for daily wear; standard cleaning safe |
| Morganite | 7.5–8 | Durable; standard cleaning safe |
| Peridot, Tanzanite, Iolite | 6.5–7 | Moderate; avoid sudden temperature changes and ultrasonic cleaning |
| Moonstone, Kunzite | 6–6.5 | Softer; hand clean only, store separately to avoid scratching |
| Apatite | 5 | Soft; handle carefully, avoid abrasive contact and rough storage |
Stones That Need Extra Care
Emerald
Most emeralds are fracture-filled with oil or resin, which can be damaged by ultrasonic cleaners, steam cleaners, or harsh chemicals. Heat from prolonged sun exposure or a hot shower can also affect certain fillers over time. Hand cleaning only is the safest approach, and emerald jewelry is generally better removed before swimming, cleaning with household chemicals, or exercising.
Tanzanite, Kunzite, Moonstone
These softer stones are more prone to scratching from contact with harder gems or hard surfaces, and some are also more sensitive to sudden temperature changes than harder stones. Store them in a separate, padded compartment rather than loose with other jewelry, and avoid wearing them during activities with a higher risk of impact.
Any Heavily Included Stone
Visible inclusions can act as weak points where stress concentrates. Sudden temperature changes, such as moving from a hot shower directly into cold water, or from a warm car into cold outdoor air, can stress these stones more than a cleaner stone of the same species, occasionally causing a fracture to develop along an existing inclusion.
Dyed or Diffusion-Treated Stones
Dye can fade with UV exposure or transfer with contact against skin or fabric, particularly when new. Diffusion-treated stones have color concentrated in a thin surface layer, so avoid any process, like repolishing or recutting, that could remove material from the surface.
Caring for Raw Mineral Specimens
Faceted gemstone jewelry and raw, unset mineral specimens have different care needs. Specimens are typically displayed rather than worn, which removes the daily-impact risk but introduces others.
- Handle by the base or matrix, not by delicate crystal points, which can snap off much more easily than a faceted stone's edges.
- Dust regularly with a soft, dry brush rather than wiping, since wiping can drag grit across delicate crystal faces.
- Avoid direct sunlight for extended periods on specimens with color that's known to fade under UV exposure.
- Keep away from vibration, such as speakers or frequently opened drawers, which can loosen delicate crystal clusters over time.
- Never submerge specimens with fibrous or layered structure, or any specimen where you're unsure whether it will tolerate water, since some minerals are water-soluble or will deteriorate with moisture exposure.
What to Avoid With Any Gemstone or Specimen
- Ultrasonic and steam cleaners on emerald, fracture-filled stones, or any stone you're unsure about. When in doubt, hand clean.
- Harsh household chemicals, including chlorine, bleach, ammonia-based cleaners, and acetone, which can damage certain treatments, dull polish, and in some cases weaken settings over time.
- Storing stones loose together, which lets harder stones scratch softer ones, even within a single jewelry box or drawer.
- Wearing rings during heavy manual work, gardening, or exercise, regardless of hardness, since impact damage is a separate risk from scratching and affects even the hardest gemstones.
- Abrasive cloths or paper towels, which can create fine scratches on a stone's polished surface over repeated use, even on harder gems.
Storage Tips
Store gemstones in a fabric-lined box with individual compartments, or wrap each piece separately in a soft cloth if compartments aren't available. Keep stones away from direct sunlight for extended periods, since some treated or naturally colored stones can fade with prolonged UV exposure. For loose stones not yet set, small individual parcel papers or padded gem jars keep each stone separated and protected from dust and scratching. If traveling, a soft jewelry roll with individual pockets prevents pieces from knocking against each other in transit.
When to See a Professional Jeweler
Routine cleaning at home covers most day-to-day care, but a few situations call for a professional instead:
- A stone feels loose in its setting. Continuing to wear it risks losing the stone entirely.
- Visible chips or cracks appear. A jeweler can assess whether the stone is still safe to wear or needs repair.
- You're unsure about a specific stone's treatment or care needs. It's worth checking before using any cleaning method beyond a gentle rinse.
- Annual inspection. Having prongs and settings checked yearly catches wear before it results in a lost stone.
Traveling With Gemstone Jewelry
Pack gemstone jewelry in a hard-sided case rather than a soft pouch alone when traveling, since a soft pouch offers little protection against being crushed or knocked in a suitcase. Keep pieces separated the same way you would at home, either in individual compartments or wrapped separately, and consider removing rings during activities like swimming, hiking, or airport security lines where they're more likely to be set down and forgotten. Sudden climate changes, such as flying from a cold climate to a hot, humid one, are generally not a concern for the stones we carry, though it's still good practice to avoid leaving jewelry in a hot car or direct sun for extended periods while traveling.
When to Have a Setting Inspected or Re-Tightened
Prongs and settings wear down gradually with years of everyday wear, and a loose prong is a far more common cause of a lost stone than the gemstone itself failing. Have rings and other frequently worn pieces inspected by a jeweler roughly once a year, or sooner if you notice a stone feels slightly loose or you hear a faint rattle when the piece is gently shaken near your ear. This is especially worth doing for pieces with pear, marquise, or other pointed cuts, since the point is typically held by a single vulnerable prong that takes the most wear over time.
Repair and Re-Cutting Considerations
If a gemstone chips or a setting is damaged, most stones can be repolished or the setting repaired without needing to replace the stone entirely, though this depends on the location and severity of the damage. A chip near the girdle (the stone's widest point) is often less noticeable and easier to polish out than damage to a facet on the crown or table. For treated stones, particularly fracture-filled emerald, repair work should be done by someone experienced with that specific treatment, since standard repolishing techniques can sometimes affect the fill. When in doubt, ask your jeweler whether they've worked with the specific gemstone and treatment type before proceeding.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is It Safe to Wear Gemstone Jewelry Every Day?
For stones rated 7 or higher on the Mohs scale, yes, with normal care. Softer stones can also be worn daily but benefit from a protective setting and a bit more caution around impact and scratching.
Can I Use an Ultrasonic Cleaner on Any Gemstone?
No. Ultrasonic cleaners are generally safe for hard, untreated, or heat-only-treated stones like sapphire and ruby, but unsafe for fracture-filled emerald and many softer or more included stones. When unsure, hand clean instead.
How Often Should I Clean My Gemstone Jewelry?
A quick clean every few weeks with the standard method keeps most jewelry looking its best, with a more thorough clean every few months depending on how often it's worn and what activities it's exposed to.
Does Cleaning Affect a Gemstone's Treatment?
It can. Emerald's oil or resin fill can be affected by harsh cleaning methods over time, which is why hand cleaning is recommended for treated emerald specifically. Most other common treatments, like heat, are permanent and unaffected by normal cleaning. See our treatment guide for more detail on which treatments are sensitive to care methods.
Can I Clean a Raw Mineral Specimen the Same Way as a Faceted Gem?
Not always. Specimens are more fragile at delicate points and some are water-sensitive in ways faceted, polished gemstones typically aren't. Dry dusting is the safest default for specimens unless you're confident the specific mineral tolerates water.
What Should I Do if a Stone Feels Loose in Its Setting?
Stop wearing it and see a jeweler as soon as possible. A loose stone is at real risk of falling out entirely, and re-securing a prong or bezel is a quick, inexpensive fix compared to replacing a lost stone.
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