THE BLING BLOG

Caring For Your Jewelry: Important And Long Overdue Update On Emeralds

Below is an important update on the care of emeralds in the form of a letter of inquiry from a reader:

Hi Susanna,  

I was reading your blog about cleaning jewelry, and have yet another question.  I've always been told NOT to clean my 5 karat Colombian emerald solitaire with anything other than lukewarm water and a soft cloth.  Yet I don't see emeralds listed among the jewelry that should not be cleaned with ammonia-based window cleaner.  Was I ill-advised, or were emeralds somehow left off the list?
 
A.

Dear A.,
 
NO, do not use anything but warm water and a soft cloth or soft toothbrush - and a mild detergent is okay, too.  Ammonia-based cleaners are okay provided there are no degreasers in them.  Many emeralds are fracture-filled with oils (a normal, accepted process for enhancing the stone), and a degreaser may undo the filling process.  If you clean it with a degreaser, you may notice that there are some fine lines or fractures that were not previously there!
 
But never, ever use an ultrasonic cleaner or ultrasonic toothbrush on an emerald for cleaning.  Even though an emerald is high on the hardness scale, the ultrasonic waves can remove the oils.
 
Good question!  I probably left that off in error and should make a correction.  Probably will do so by posting this query and answer.  So thank you.  I bet that your esmerelda is wonderful.  Do you love green?  I do.  What cut is yours?  When I was in Brasil I saw so many emeralds...  so many stones of all sorts. And I was only in the big cities.  Truly amazing.  I wouldn't have known what to buy; I was only 21.  Thank goodness the sellers come to the US to the AGTA show every year.
 
Best, Susanna

Susanna,

Thanks for your answer.  I actually don't wear the emerald enough for it to get particularly dirty -- I'm pretty scared of damaging it since I'd been told emeralds can be fragile.  I bought mine from the jewelry shop in the Tequendama hotel in Bogotá and although it's huge, I don't think it's very good quality.  It has plenty of jardin, and the color is a bit light.  But it is an emerald.

   

Thanks again, A.

Wearing Jewelry While Exercising: Yes or No?

Oh, bother.

This one has been on my mind for some time now.

I live in one of those cities where many of the women like to wear what seems to be the entire contents of their jewelry collection to the gym.  Rings on every finger, a diamond-crusted gold watch nested between a few diamond tennis bracelets on the left wrist, the right wrist dripping with gold chains, the neck and decollete heavily-laden with chains and charms, large hoop earrings, etc.  It's the walking definition of female hysteria.

Now, mind you, these ladies also wear about 1/4" of slap and liquid eyeliner, too, to the gym.  And hose themselves down in Thierry Mugler Angel perfume, which smells like a combination of cotton candy and chlorine gas.  Because one needs that for a proper workout.  I wonder what Kim and i am pretty nyc would have to say about that?  That cannot be good for the skin.  It just can't.  And I know the metals and the sweat can't be a healthy combination either.

Let's not even mention what it's doing to the jewelry.  Dirty, dirty.  Filthy.

Methinks it's a cultural thing, this being Texas and all.

I used to live in Newport Beach, and it was a similar scenario.  Less drippy gold bracelets and hoop earrings, though.  More large diamonds.  A nice pair of E-color, VVS 1, two-carat studs and a TechnoMarine with diamond bezel for an hour of Pilates Reformer and thirty minutes of Tai Chi.  Not me, but I've seen it.

Seriously, what does the personal trainer, the person who is being paid to help a client get in shape and prevent injury, do when their client shows up with a Mr. T starter set on that's bound to get caught up in the machinery?  How does this trainer pass said client a pair of 8-lb. hand weights and instruct the client to commence doing flat flys when said client cannot even close her hands around the grips of the dumbbells because of all the extra platinum and 18-karat and acrylic nails in the way?

Who knows?  Not my problem.  But it's comical to see it.

So what do I wear?  I wear small earrings, nothing that can dangle.  Or none at all.  And I wear a Polar heart rate monitor and wristwatch combination.

I don't wear my engagement ring to the gym.  It's too delicate with the pavé stones, and entirely inappropriate.  Further, when I sweat, my fingers expand.  Duh.  That's one of the more uncomfortable feelings, isn't it?  Trying to pry off a ring off a swollen finger?  Some people with sturdier rings and no stones on the shank who wear gloves can pull this off.  Not me.

Plus, why take the chance of losing something valuable?  Leave the goods at home.  It's a gym.  Not a show place for female hysteria.  They haven't gotten the memo yet here.

How To Clean A Diamond (and Other Jewelry)

Your original jeweler (with their specialized equipment for cleaning jewelry) is the best place to get your pieces professionally cleaned, and they should always do it with a smile and free of charge.  But often it's not convenient and you don't want to make the trip.  Fear not.

The internet and stores are full of crap, pricey witch oils in pretty packaging, and even environmentally-friendly suds you don't need to clean your diamonds or just about any other precious or semi-precious stone or metal you have.  (of course, if you insist on the enviro-happy stuff, I support you, but you won't sparkle like you would with the use of good old-fashioned ammonia!)

The only "professional" products worth buying are ultrasonic cleaners and steam cleaners.  But for far less than the $100 these products go for, you can get a really good cleaning at home.

In fact, you can clean your jewelry with things you already have in your home right now.  Two are in the kitchen or cleaning supplies, and one is on the bathroom counter and probably needs to be replaced by now anyways.

Get some window cleaner with ammonia, an old, soft toothbrush and some paper towels.  The window cleaner breaks up the grease, streaks and dirt, the toothrush helps gently remove it, and the towels dry for a nice shine.

1.  close the sink stopper (this should seem obvious, but I have had to take the sink pipes apart to retrieve an earring)
2.  microwave/heat some window cleaner for about 20 seconds (a coffee cup works fine)
3.  make sure the sink is closed (sorry to nag, but you'll thank me)
4.  dip pieces of jewelry and toothbrush in the hot window cleaner
5.  use soft toothbush to brush lightly, not allowing toothbrush fibers to get beneath the prongs, using care not to loosen the setting
6.  rinse in hot water again
7.  pat dry with paper towels (or an old t-shirt, my preferred drying tool)

The only exceptions to this are pearls, opals, corals, cameos, costume jewelry and some antique pieces.  For pearls, opals and other soft, porous stones avoid ALL harsh chemicals (like ammonia)  and abrasives when cleaning these items.  Some places sell "pearl cleaner" and similar products.  Avoid them.  The only thing to use on pearls is a soft, lint-free cloth.  No chemicals, no treatments, no nothing.

The same goes for costume jewelry and some antique pieces.  If your antiques are 14K gold and above and have no soft stones, you can clean them as described above.  But many older pieces are made with less than 14K gold and incorporate soft stones and using ammonia may damage or abrade them.  They are beautiful and already old, so care for them gently.  However, if you have old platinum and diamonds, go for it.  You'll be amazed what some window cleaner and an old toothbrush will do!

If you have any questions about a specific piece of jewelry, ask me.  When in doubt, be careful, and ask for advice first.  I love to help.

(At my house, I use a combination of "professional" and "at-home" materials.  I use an old, soft head on my ultrasonic toothbrush and window de-greaser for all non-delicate pieces of jewelry.)