Beware of light and heat.
Just as the harmful rays of the sun can damage our skin, light and heat can also affect the durability and color of colored gems. With the passage of time and the excessive influence of light and heat, some gems will fade and be damaged, such as amethyst, lithium amethyst, topaz and shell relief. Pearls and other delicate materials (such as ivory) will fade if they are exposed to too much light. Other precious stones, especially amber, will become dim with time under too strong light.
Overheating and sudden temperature changes may also break some gems. Heat can easily remove natural moisture, and these gems need water to stay beautiful. For example, pearls will crack and change color. Opal will turn white or brown with tiny cracks, and may make swimming color disappear.
Please keep jewelry away from chemicals.
Exposure to chemicals may damage or discolor precious metals (gold, silver and platinum), and may also damage some colored gems. Even daily necessities such as hair gel, lotion, perfume or other cosmetics contain chemicals, which will cause permanent damage to the surface of jewelry and other delicate or porous gems (such as Turkish stone). Before jumping into a chlorine-containing swimming pool or using household cleaners, be sure to take off exquisite jewelry. Many of these detergents contain ammonia, which is too exciting for delicate gems or antique jewelry. Chlorine bleach is another common household solvent, which will corrode or damage gold alloys.
Carry out special maintenance on the treated gems.
Many colored gems are usually treated to improve their color and transparency. These treatments will be negatively affected by heat, solvents, steam and ultrasonic cleaning machines. Knowing whether a gem has been treated is the first step to know how to maintain it. This is the significance of the GIA certificate-it contains important information about the gem and any detectable traces of processing.
Use the ultrasonic cleaner carefully.
Although you can buy a professional ultrasonic cleaning machine for 150 or less, you should know that not all gems and jewels can be cleaned by ultrasonic cleaning machine.
Ultrasonic cleaning machine should not be used to clean the following jewels.
The cracks on the surface of the gem are filled with oil, resin or glassy substances.
Organic gem materials, such as pearls, corals, ivory or amber.
Gems coated with non-permanent substances such as plastic or wax.
Some heat-treated gems
Gems that are easily affected by heat and temperature changes, whether treated or not. These gems include danquan stone, feldspar (actinolite and moonstone), fluorite, cordierite, lithium purple jade, lapis lazuli, malachite, opal, topaz, turkey stone, zircon and so on. More importantly, the vibration generated by the machine sometimes breaks the gem, or makes its waist contact with the fixed gem to produce a gap. This kind of cleaning work is best left to jewelry professionals, because they know different gem materials and know when and how to use ultrasonic cleaning machines safely.
The safest cleaning method is also the simplest.
Most colored gems can be cleaned with warm water, mild soap (without detergent) and a soft brush. Pulsed water cleaning equipment and lint-free soft cloth can also be used. Be sure to rinse the jewelry in a glass of water to remove the cleaning solution, because if you rinse it directly in the pool, you may lose loose gems or even the whole jewelry.
On the other hand, soft gems, such as pearls, are easily scratched. Clean gently with a new cleaning cosmetic brush and warm soapy water. Spread a string of pearls on a towel to dry. Wet silk thread can be unfolded. Because it is easy to absorb dust, please don't touch the pearl string until it is completely dry. If you wear pearls often, you should wear them again once a year.