The Ultimate Gemstone Jewellery Guide


Gemstones are a popular choice for jewellery because of their beautiful colours and sparkle. But keeping those colours and sparkle looking their best takes some maintenance. As trusted jewellers in Hainault, here is our ultimate guide to gemstone jewellery.

How to maintain gemstones

There are some simple things that you can do to maintain your gemstone jewellery such as removing your rings and other pieces before carrying out cleaning, bathing or swimming. Certain gemstones, such as amethyst, can discolour when exposed to heat, and therefore do not like hot water.

Furthermore, cleaning products and soap can cause discolouration to your stones as well as creating a build up around any settings, so the simple removal of your jewellery is one of the best and easiest ways of maintaining your gemstone pieces.

Similarly, it’s wise to remove any precious gemstone jewellery before carrying out any heavy day-to-day work which may mean that the stones become scratched, damaged or loose within their settings.

How to care for gemstones

Caring for gemstone jewellery depends on the type of gemstone in your piece. If you don’t know which stones are included in your piece, it’s worth getting a professional gem identification and appraisal from your local jeweller in Ilford or Hainault, as this will determine how you go about maintaining your gemstones.

Many gemstones, such as diamonds, peridot and garnet can be cleaned with a simple gentle dishwashing solution, but some gemstones need more care.

Pearls, for example, need a simple clean with a damp, soft cloth, and do not take kindly to being dipped into a cleaning solution. As a simple rule for most gemstone cleaning, the following steps should be followed:

  1. Ascertain whether your gemstone jewellery can be cleaned in the usual way, or whether it needs specialist care. As mentioned above, some gemstones can be damaged through the implementation of regular cleaning methods. Be aware that commercially prepared jewellery cleaning solutions which include ammonia or chemicals can damage sensitive stones such as amber or pearl, as an example.
  2. If you are sure that your jewellery will not be damaged from your cleaning method, let your jewellery soak for a few moments in a solution of warm water and mild detergent or a specialised cleaning solution.
  3. Use a soft brush to gently scrub your jewellery.
  4. Once scrubbed, dip the jewellery back in the solution and then rinse in warm running water at roughly the same temperature as your solution; any sudden changes in temperature can cause damage to your gemstones.
  5. Dry with a soft lint free cloth or chamois.

If you are at all unsure about the type of stone in your gemstone piece, or are worried about cleaning the piece yourself and creating more damage, leave the care of your gemstones to the professionals. With help from E.K. Jewellers, Hainault based gemstone lovers can rest assured that we will care for their gemstone jewellery without creating any damage or discolouration.

How to keep diamonds sparkling

To keep your diamonds sparkling, the steps for cleaning are very similar to those above. Use some warm water and a toothbrush or other soft bristled brush to give it a gentle clean. Diamonds are tough, but there’s always a chance of damaging your diamonds or making the settings loose whilst cleaning, so it’s important to be gentle with your scrubbing. Once again, if you’re worried about causing more damage than care to your diamond jewellery, leave the cleaning to a professional jeweller in Ilford.

When not wearing your diamonds, store your jewellery in a fabric lined case or a separate compartment within your jewellery box, or wrap them individually in tissue paper to prevent your diamonds from scratching each other or other pieces of jewellery.

How to stop stones falling out of jewellery

It’s important to inspect your jewellery regularly for signs of wear and tear, as the settings can become loose, causing stones to fall out. Use a magnifying glass to look for any prong damage or a loosening of the stones, such as the prongs looking worn. You can also gently push on the stones with the tip of your finger; the stones should not move, but if they do, it’s time to take your piece into your local jeweller in Ilford or Hainault to be reset.

Latest trends in gemstone jewellery

Gemstone jewellery is hugely popular at the moment, and we all seem to be loving the most colourful gemstones. Pantone’s 2020 Colour of the Year, Classic Blue, has been making an appearance in jewellery in the form of deep blue aquamarines and blue sapphires.

Garnet is also a very up and coming stone at the moment, and is popular because of its different shades and varieties, and the orangey-reds of this stone and others, such as rubies, are going to be very popular when the two shades are mixed together; perfect for autumn and those days when you want to add a bit of fire to your style.

Gemstone jewellery from E.K. Jewellers in Hainault

Whatever gemstone jewellery trends catch your eye at the moment, E.K. Jewellers, your local Ilford jeweller, is ready to inspire you. We can help with all your gemstone needs, from identification through to cleaning and, of course, advising you on new pieces of gemstone jewellery which will be perfect for your wardrobe.


Posted on by Ian Tubby.