Jewelry and Gemstone Care & Cleaning TipsWritten by Sam Serio
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4.Organic gems like pearls, coral, and amber should only be wiped clean with moist cloth. Due to their organic nature, these gems are both soft and porous. Be careful about chemicals in hairspray, cosmetics, or perfume: they can, over time, damage pearls in particular. Opals also require special care. Never use an ultrasonic, never use ammonia, and avoid heat and strong light. 5.Opaque gemstones like lapis lazuli, turquoise, malachite, require special care because they are rocks, not crystals of a single mineral like transparent gems. There gem materials should just be wiped clean gently with a moist cloth. These gemstones can be porous and may absorb chemicals, even soap, and they may build up inside stone and discolor it. Never use and ultrasonic cleaner and never use ammonia or any chemical solution. A little care and common sense can add life, luster and longevity to your precious jewelry and gems. Protect your investment by following above guidelines.
The Authors of the above Article, Sam and Tami Serio have been passionately involved with Jewelry and Gemstones for over fifteen-years. You are cordially invited to visit http://www.morninglightjewelry.com for a wealth of information about the fascinating world of Jewelry and Gemstones. Together they also shelter 20 abandoned and abused dogs & cats. A portion of their profits goes to the care and feeding of the animals.
| | Buying Gemstones Without Being Ripped-OffWritten by Sam Serio
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Jewelers should tell you whether gemstone you’re considering has been treated when: treatment is not permanent; treated stone requires special care; or treatment significantly affects value of gemstone. Some common treatments that you may be told about and their effects include: • Heating can lighten, darken or change color of some gems, or improve a gemstone’s clarity. • Irradiation can add more color to colored diamonds, certain other gemstones and pearls. • Impregnating some gems with colorless oils, wax or resins makes a variety of imperfections less visible and can improve gemstones’ clarity and appearance. • Fracture filling hides cracks or fractures in gems by injecting colorless plastic or glass into cracks and improves gemstones’ appearance and durability. • Diffusion treatment adds color to surface of colorless gems; center of stone remains colorless. • Dyeing adds color and improves color uniformity in some gemstones and pearls. • Bleaching lightens and whitens some gems, including jade and pearls.
The Authors of the above Article, Sam and Tami Serio have been passionately involved with Jewelry and Gemstones for over fifteen-years. You are cordially invited to visit http://www.morninglightjewelry.com for a wealth of information about the fascinating world of Jewelry and Gemstones. Together they also shelter 20 abandoned and abused dogs & cats. A portion of their profits goes to the care and feeding of the animals.
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