How to Take Great Care of Your Gems and Jewelry in 10 Easy Steps
A Guide from Gemological Science International (GSI)

Our GSI Grading Reports identify gemstones or jewelry pieces. After we have finished our work, you can maintain their beauty and value by following a few simple steps itemized this guide.

Step 1: Jewelry is Valuable, So Don't Knock It!
Some people are proud that they haven't taken off their engagement or wedding rings for many years. But is this a smart idea? It depends on your activities. Although diamonds are very durable substances, they can break if struck by a hard object such as a rock or gardening tool.

Gold and silver are relatively soft materials that can easily scratch. Many types of jewelry can be damaged by repeated exposure to household chemicals. If you keep your rings on while working in the garden, wear work gloves. Rubber gloves can help while housecleaning or dish-washing. It's best to take off most fine jewelry before diving into a chlorinated swimming pool.

Step 2: Create a Storage System
When you mix several pieces in the same jewelry box, it's easy for hard gemstones (especially diamonds) to scratch softer stones or metals. Buy a storage box that allows you to keep valuable gems and jewelry in separate compartments. Wrapping pieces in tissue paper also can prevent wear and tear. Silver jewelry should be bagged or wrapped to prevent tarnish, which occurs when silver is exposed to air and light.

Step 3: Protect Your Gemstones
In mounted jewelry, gemstones often represent the greatest part of value and are the hardest to replace, so take special care of them. For example, each time you put on a valuable piece of mounted jewelry, check once to make sure the stone is securely held by its mounting.

Don't wear earrings with tight masks (e.g., scuba diving) that can dislodge stones. Don't pick up your jewelry by the gemstone, because this can separate stones from mountings over time. Have chains, mounting prongs or clasps checked periodically by a jeweler to prevent breakage and loss.

Step 4: Clean and Sparkle
Dust accumulates on mounted jewelry behind the stone and in crevices between metal and stone. Diamonds can become so smudged that their brilliance dulls. Even your own skin oil can leave a film on diamonds that will diminish appearance over time. You usually can make jewelry look as "good as new" by setting aside a few minutes for cleaning every month or two, using your own labor and the simple tools described below. Or, visit your local professional jeweler for periodic cleaning.

Step 5: Know Your Materials
The first rule of cleaning is to know the specific materials contained in your jewelry, as described on your GSI Grading Report. This is important because different cleaning solutions are recommended for various substances. For example, diamonds, rubies and sapphires (including gold settings) can be cleaned in a mix of water, a bit of soap, and a few drops of ammonia. However, ammonia and other chemicals should not be used with opaque gemstone such as turquoise because their porous nature will absorb chemicals and discolor stones. Most emeralds should be re-oiled periodically to enhance color. Your professional jeweler can guide you on the best cleaning techniques for each piece.

Step 6: Obtain the Right Tools
You can give your jewelry premium care with very simple tools. A soft polishing cloth or fine piece of felt works best for polishing silver, because these materials are even less abrasive than tissue paper. Several inexpensive commercial cleaning solutions can work well to clean gold, and rubbing gold dry with a soft chamois cloth will add to its luster. To clean diamond engagement rings, a baby tooth brush with soft bristles can work effectively. (Just make sure to use a different brush for the baby!)

Step 7: Take Care When Cleaning
Loose gemstones can easily be dislodged from their settings during cleaning, so take care. Clean your jewelry in a clutter-free environment where you can easily find any pieces that may be dropped. Check to make sure mountings are secure before cleaning, and never clean jewelry over an open drain. (A bowl works better.)

Step 8: Know These Pearls of Wisdom
Any jewelry that includes pearls (natural or cultivated) requires special care due to the soft and porous nature of the material. Pearl necklaces should be restrung at least every two years, and the recommended cleaning method is to wipe each pearl clean with a slightly moist cloth. Never clean pearls with chemicals and be careful exposing them to hairspray, cosmetics or perfume.

Step 9: Understand the Risk of Ultrasonic Cleaning
Ultrasonic cleaners are touted as being the "state of the art" in jewelry care, but be careful with these machines. After submersing jewelry in a liquid solution, they emit vibrations that shake dust and debris free. But the vibrations also can damage softer materials such as ivory, opal, pearls and topaz. Get guidance from a professional jeweler when using ultrasonic or steam cleaners on your valuables.

Step 10: Lock Your Jewelry in Our VirtualVault™
For owners of jewelry that is covered by a GSI Grading Report, we offer a convenient and affordable service called VirtualVault™ for protecting your valuables over a lifetime. This service will enable you to obtain a replacement report if yours is ever misplaced. It also can help law enforcement agencies and insurance companies recover or replace jewelry that may be lost or stolen.

Every three years, you may request at no charge an updated appraisal of your gemstone or jewelry item's value, based on current market prices. To obtain more information about VirtualVault™, visit www.gemscience.net

At GSI, we are committed to working with the jewelry industry to help you preserve the value and beauty that nature and jewelry craftsmen together have created for your benefit.

About GSI
Headquartered in the heart of New York City's famed "diamond district," GSI is a gemological laboratory that is leading the jewelry industry in developing new techniques for the 21st century. GSI Grading Reports are used by leading jewelry merchants...

Gemological Science International
581 Fifth Avenue, 4th Floor
New York, NY, 10017

Phone: 212-207-4140
Fax: 212-207-4156
Web: www.gemscience.net