7.5–8 Mohs
Emerald
Softer than sapphire and often oiled, so keep emerald away from ultrasonic cleaners, heat and solvents. Warm water and a soft brush is all it wants.
About Emerald
Care
Guide
Gemstones are older than you and will outlast you — but only two of them are genuinely hard to damage. Here is what each one wants.
Warm water, a soft brush, and restraint.
That is the whole of it for nine stones out of ten. The damage we see is almost never from wear — it is from ultrasonic cleaners, from steam, from a stone left in a jar with harder stones, and from a ring taken swimming. None of those are unavoidable.
Stone by Stone
What each family wants
9 Mohs
Sapphire
Hard, stable and safe in an ultrasonic cleaner. Sapphire will scratch almost anything it is stored beside, so give it its own pouch.
About Sapphire
9 Mohs
Ruby
As hard as sapphire and just as easy to live with. Only fracture-filled stones need care, and we disclose those in writing.
About Ruby
6–6.5 Mohs
Jade
Practically unbreakable in normal wear, but it dislikes heat and harsh detergents. Warm soapy water, and it will outlive everyone.
About Jade
6–8 Mohs
Other Minerals
Varies by species; each stone is sold with its own care note. As a rule, treat anything under 7 Mohs as you would jade.
About Other MineralsFour Things Never To Do
However tempting
01
Ultrasonic cleaners
Fine for sapphire and ruby, ruinous for oiled emerald, for jade, and for anything fracture-filled.
02
Steam and heat
Heat drives the oil straight out of an emerald, and jade dislikes it almost as much.
03
One shared box
Sapphire and ruby will scratch every softer stone you own. Separate pouches, always.
04
Chlorine
It attacks the alloys in a gold setting long before it troubles the stone. Take rings off to swim.
Care question
Not sure about
Not sure about
your piece?
Send a photograph and tell us what it is set with. We will tell you exactly how to look after it.
Ray Gutierrez — +1 (760) 670-8080 (USA)
Saghira Bukhari — +92 322 2043010 (Pakistan)
Islamabad and Colorado — by appointment
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