How to Care for Emerald Jewelry
The birthstone for May and the commemorative stone for 35th wedding anniversaries, the emerald has been the foremost green gemstone since the time of Cleopatra. This beryllium gemstone can be a breathtaking sight when first seen and, with proper care, can remain so. Here's how to take care of your emerald jewelry. Does this Spark an idea?
Instructions
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Choosing Emerald Jewelry
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Purchase jewelry where the emeralds are bezel-set. This protects the gemstone from accidental bumps and knocks.
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Look for surrounding accent stones such as diamonds or white sapphires. Not only do they enhance the beauty of the emeralds, these harder stones also protect the emerald from side impacts.
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Ask your jeweler if the emeralds have been "oiled." Most emeralds are immersed in a colorless oil or resin to minimize the appearance of "inclusions," internal fractures that, if struck, can lead to breaks in the gemstone. Some emeralds are treated with green-colored oils or epoxy-like resins, but these are not standard treatments.
Cleaning and Storing Emerald Jewelry
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Pour warm water into a basin.
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Test the water temperature by dipping your hand into it. If the water is too warm for your hand, it is too warm for the emerald.
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Add mild dishwashing liquid to the water.
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Place the emerald jewelry in the solution. Soak for no longer than 10 minutes.
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Remove the jewelry from the cleaning solution and clean the stones with a soft cloth or toothbrush.
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Rinse the jewelry with warm water and pat it dry.
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Store your emerald jewelry separate from other gemstones because harder stones will scratch softer ones. Diamonds, corundum (rubies and sapphires), topaz and alexandrite are harder than emeralds, while garnets are softer. Aquamarines and emeralds, both beryl gemstones, are of equal hardness and will scratch each other.
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Tips & Warnings
After years of wear, emeralds often need re-oiling. Find out whether there is a charge for this service and how often it is recommended.
Be sure the jeweler discloses any special care requirements before you buy the jewelry. These requirements may conflict with the instructions given below; if so, follow your jeweler's recommendations.
Put your jewelry on last and take it off first. Always complete your make-up before putting on your jewelry, so that the chemicals in hairspray and make-up won't damage it and you will have to clean it less often.
Avoid wearing any gemstone where it will receive rough treatment--"never cast your pearls before swine."
Clean emeralds no more frequently than necessary and certainly no more often than several times a year.
Do not clean emeralds with steam, ultrasonics, petroleum distillates or any organic solvent, as many so-called "jewelry cleaners" are. This will dissolve the oils the gemstones have been treated with, as will soaking the stone for an excessive length of time. Emeralds can be re-oiled, but this should be done only by a jeweler.
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Comments
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Mithun Rao
Jun 20, 2008
soaking an emerald in the warm soapy water may cause the coloured oil( if the emerald is treated with coloured oil) to come out. This way one can know if the emerald is being coloured treated. -
Mithun Rao
Jun 20, 2008
soaking an emerald in the warm soapy water may cause the coloured oil( if the emerald is treated with coloured oil) to come out. This way one can know if the emerald is being coloured treated.
