Cars, furniture and clothing will look better and last longer if you take care of them. The same is true of your gems and jewelry. Clothing manufactures sew written instructions into their garnets. They say, “dry clean only", “no bleach”, “cool iron”, etc. It’s not practical to place this kind of information on gems and jewelry. However, a reputable jewelry store should have a booklet on caring for the kinds of gems and jewelry they sell. A knowledgeable salesperson should always tell you that, “clean jewelry is beautiful jewelry”.
It’s important to realize that colored gemstones are not as durable a diamonds. Diamonds are used as drills, they’ve boiled in acid, and they’re heated and plunged in cool water. Don’t treat colored gems in this manner! Many gems are very susceptible to thermal shock (sudden temperature changes). These include emerald, garnet, kunzite, opal, peridot, quarts, tanzanite, topaz and tourmaline. You should not, for example, lie in the sun, then jump right into the swimming pool while wearing any of these gems. If you do, that sudden temperature change can cause a stone to crack or shatter.
The safest way to clean gems and jewelry is to wash it in lukewarm water using a mild liquid soap or detergent that contains no ammonia or bleach. Then dry it with a soft, link-free cloth. If the dirt can’t be washed off with a cloth, try using a toothpick or a Water Pik. A very soft toothbrush can be used to help clean out the details of your jewelry, but be gentle. There are also specially coated clothes that can do wonders to not only clean jewelry, but they also act to remove tarnish from gold and silver and polish as well.
If hand cleaning doesn’t do the trick, have it professionally cleaned. Jewelers often clean gems and jewelry with ultrasonic cleaners, which send high frequency sound waves through solutions. The vibrating fluid removes built-up dirt and the detergent in the solution will aid in its cleaning ability. Unfortunately, these vibrations can also loosen poorly-set stones from their mounting and even damage certain gems, like emeralds. For most gems and jewelry (even watches) this is safe and you can own your own ultrasonic cleaner for little money.
Ultrasonics
In general ultrasonic cleaners should be avoided with: