Instructions on Caring for and Cleaning Aquamarine Jewelry

Aquamarine is a type of beryl which has been used in ornamental jewelry for centuries and the color is from blue to green blue. Aquamarines are adorned by many people because its color looks like sea’s color and it’s the modern birthstone for March. With just a little attention, you can care for your beloved aquamarine jewelry well. Cleaning the aquamarine jewelry properly and timely is also helpful to extend aquamarine’s life and maintain its original luster. Here are some instructions below.

Let’s see some notable aspects of caring for aquamarine jewelry:

Wearing
1. Always put on your aquamarine jewelry at last after make-up and take it off first when get back home, otherwise the chemicals in makeup will damage it.
2. Try to avoid touching the aquamarine set in your jewelry because the body oils will dull its luster with the passing of time.
3. Checking whether there are loose gemstones or clasps before putting on the jewelry.
4. Take off your jewelry when doing housework, gardening or other manual labor to protect your jewelry from any break or loss.
5. While hair styling or getting hair colored, remove your aquamarine jewelry especially earrings. The chemicals in shampoos and hair dyes are often harsh and may damage the gemstone. The same holds for swimming pools, chlorine in swimming pools will tarnish the gemstone’s sheen.
6. Prevent aquamarine jewelries from exposing to direct sunlight and extremely high temperature, or aquamarines will be pale.

Cleaning
1. Wipe the aquamarine jewelry with a soft lint free cotton cloth to remove any dirt and body oil.
2. Pour lukewarm water into a bowl which is large enough for your jewelry.
3. Add a small amount of mild liquid soap in the warm water and soak the aquamarine jewelry in the solution no longer than 10 minutes. It is not recommended to use other common cleaning agents like toothpaste, alcohol, acetone and ammonia to clean aquamarine jewelry because these may damage the surface of aquamarines.
4. Take out the jewelry and gently scrub the gemstones with a soft cloth or toothbrush till all dirt and grime removed.
5. Rinse the jewelry under clean warm water to clean remaining soap and dirt.
6. Dry it with a clean and dry cotton cloth.
7. Don’t use ultrasonic cleaner for aquamarine jewelry unless the instructions of your jewelry particularly declare that it is safe.

Storing
1. Wrap the jewelry with a soft pure cotton cloth or in a box with separate parts if it is stored with other gemstone jewelries, because harder gemstones will scratch softer ones.
2. Store your aquamarine jewelry in a safe place out of direct sunlight and high temperature.
3. Avoid storing your aquamarine jewelry in the place around chemicals which may damage it.

Repairing
1. Aquamarines cannot stand precipitate temperature changes, so it’s better to avoid soldering or other kinds of repairs with heat.
2. If soldering is needed, the aquamarine can be coated with a heat-resistant substance. More attention should be paid while soldering.
3. Aquamarines are better set in 18 carat gold or platinum because less gold will make the gemstone fade.

Above are some common instructions on caring for and cleaning your aquamarine jewelry. It is advised to take your aquamarine jewelry to visit a professional jeweler who can give the jewelry a complete cleaning and check.