Emerald Care

Care

Emeralds, like all gemstones should be treated with care. No gem is indestructible. Even diamonds will chip or even break in two if hit on a stress plane known as a "cleavage".
Similar to diamonds, some emeralds have planes of weakness in their crystal structure which will not resist a sharp knock or other kind of mistreatment.

• NEVER EVER let your emerald be cleaned, with a steam cleaner or an ultrasonic bath.
• ONLY clean your emerald by using warm soapy water and a soft toothbrush.
• AVOID hostile environment... i.e. gardening, washing dishes, or any other place where it could be easily chipped.

Cleaning

We recommend soaking your Emerald in a mild hand-wash solution for less than ten minutes. Then, clean the emerald and mounting with a soft toothbrush, rinse with warm water, and pat dry. Do not clean more than a few times a year.

Maintenance

After many years of wear, you may wish to have your Emerald re-oiled.

General information

Emeralds are frequently bezel-set to protect them from bumps and knocks. Many jewellery designs for Emeralds may have them surrounded with accent stones such as Diamonds or White Sapphires, to add beauty and to protect them from side impacts. Although Emeralds have a high hardness rating and are not easily scratched (7.5 to 8.0 on Moh’s scale), they can be chipped from impact.

Emeralds typically have inclusions (see clarity). Emeralds are typically oil-treated to improve the clarity and lustre. Cleaning of Emeralds should take into consideration these facts. Heat and chemicals can affect these treatments. A good rule of thumb is that if the cleaning solution you use is too hot for you to put your hand in, you should not place your Emerald in it.

Emeralds should never be cleaned with steam or any cleaning solution that contains petroleum distillates, acetone or any other organic solvent, even if the cleaning solution is a recommended "jewellery cleaner". Most of these are not compatible with the oil treatment of Emeralds.