You can safeguard your gems and jewelry by following a few helpful hints:

• Remove all jewelry before engaging in such activities as sports, housework or yard work where jewelry is prone to impacts and/or chemicals.
• Never remove jewelry by pulling on the gemstone. Pulling the stone exposes it to perspiration, skin oil and dirt, as well as the possibility it will become loose in its setting.
• Check for loose gems and clasps before each wear.
• Have a jeweler restring your pearl and bead necklaces at least every two years, annually if you wear them frequently.
• Never store jewelry in piles to avoid gems and metals abrading each other or chains entangling. Wrap each piece in velvet, paper or silk; or separate in sections of a jewelry box or fabric pouch.

Rock Solid

One of the biggest factors to consider in the care of precious gems and metals is their hardness, which reflects their durability. To measure hardness, the jewelry industry uses the Mohs Scale. This gem-trade standard, conceived by Friedrich Mohs in the early 1800s, measures the ability of a gem or mineral to resist abrasion damage. Diamond is placed as the hardest substance at 10, while talc is considered the softest at 1. Rubies and sapphires rate at 9, topaz and spinel at 8 and quartz material (such as amethyst and citrine) at 7.

Most of the objects you and your jewelry come in contact with are either quartz-based or near quartz's hardness. If your gems are harder than Mohs 7, they will not be scratched; if they are softer, they could get damaged. And, believe it or not, the precious metals your gems are set in (platinum, gold and silver) fall below Mohs 4.5.

Rings and bracelets are most vulnerable to the realities of daily wear. But earrings and necklaces, even brooches, are also subject to chemical exposure, particularly if worn while cosmetics, perfume and hairspray are applied.

In addition to regarding how you wear and store your gemstone jewelry, you should consider how you clean it. Choose chemicals, brushes and techniques for the softest, most vulnerable gems in a piece. Although the precious metals used in jewelry are softer than most gems, it does not mean that cleaners tailored to a specific metal will not damage gems of a higher Mohs. For example, silver polish works fine for sterling alone, but can ruin porous gems (like opal, pearl, coral, lapis, turquoise, and amber) set in it. Ammonia is a particular threat to fragile gems. If you must use strong commercial products, and you can't bear to remove that ring, make sure you are wearing protective gloves (which you should do anyway, to protect your skin!).

The best way to clean most of your gem-set jewelry is to use a mild soapy solution in warm water, a soft brush, and a soft cloth to pat dry.