How to Clean Gemstone Jewellery

There are so many different types of gemstones that it can be difficult to know the best way to care for them all. Their durability can vary greatly, so they cannot all be treated in the same way. Furthermore, each piece of jewellery is unique and may have its own specific cleaning requirements. For instance, there may be a mixture of gemstones or types of metal used. If you are in any doubt do ask the manufacturers or your jeweller what care advice they can offer.

For cleaning, gemstones generally fall into two categories in terms of the care that they need - see below to find out which category your gemstone falls into. In case you are looking to clean pearls, we have dedicated information about how to care for and clean pearl jewellery.

Agate, Amethyst, Apatite, Aquamarine, Blue Topaz, Citrine, Diamonds, Garnet, Jade, Moonstone, Onyx, Ruby, Sapphires, Zircon.

Start by cleaning your jewellery with Town Talk’s Jewel Sparkle. This specialist product is designed to clean silver, gold, platinum, diamonds and many precious stones by gently dissolving the residues of everyday life – such as soaps and detergents, food particles, body oils and perspiration – that adhere to their surfaces.

Leave your jewellery in the liquid for one or two minutes. After that, a little work with the brush should remove any embedded dirt, particularly in the settings of rings and brooches. It is this build-up of dirt which, if left, can cause the stones to look dull. Rinse and dry your jewellery with a soft cloth after use.

Polish your gemstones to a sparkling finish with a Town Talk Microfibre Polishing Cloth. At this stage, if your jewellery is set in silver or gold metal, you can use a Silver or Gold Polishing cloth to bring this up to a brilliant shine, too. The Silver cloth has the added benefit of preventing your silver from tarnishing for longer, so we highly recommend this step.

Left unprotected, gemstones can fade in sunlight. They can also be subject to knocks and scratches. We recommend using one of Town Talk’s Anti-tarnish Jewellery Pouches to store your jewellery. Not only will this cushion your jewellery, it also works to slow the tarnishing process of silver, reducing the need for polishing in between use.

Amber, Coral, Emerald, Opal, Turquoise.

Method Two is designed for more delicate gemstones, and works with gentle products, so if in doubt use this method. Please note that you should never submerge this type of gemstone in a liquid dip, as it could lead to cracks and damage.

For more delicate gemstones, use Town Talk’s Jewellery Spray. This is designed to gently remove the everyday smears, oils and grease that can build up and cause the stones to look dull. The included brush will assist you in gentle teasing out dirt from any hard to reach areas such as the gemstone settings.

Once the surface dirt has been cleaned away, it's important to dry your delicate gemstones straight away as some are porous and absorb liquid.

Polish your gemstones to a sparkling finish using a Town Talk Microfibre Polishing Cloth. The tiny fibres trap and remove even the tiniest of particles for maximum shine.

Gemstones in this category are vulnerable to sunlight and knocks. Keep these items of jewellery as safe as possible in a Town Talk Jewellery Pouch, or a jewellery box out of harm's reach.

We hope that this helps you keep your gemstone jewellery sparkling every time you wear it! If you have a gemstone or type of jewellery not mentioned here that you wish to clean, please contact us and we will be happy to advise you as to the most suitable method.