Birthstones
Garnet
Major Sources
Afghanistan, Brazil, India, Iran, Kenya, Madagascar, Myanmar, Namibia, Pakistan, Russia, Sri Lanka, Tanzania
Mineral
Garnet group
Mohs Hardness
6.5 to 7.5
Toughness
Good
Color
All colors
Care and Cleaning
Warm, soapy water is always safe for cleaning garnets. Ultrasonic
cleaners are usually safe except for stones that have fractures. Steam cleaning is not recommended.
Amethyst
Major Sources
Brazil, United States, Uruguay, Zambia
Mineral
Quartz
Mohs Hardness
7
Toughness
Good
Color
Purple
Care and Cleaning
Amethyst can be safely cleaned
with warm, soapy water. Ultrasonic cleaners are usually safe except in the rare instances where a stone is dyed
or treated by fracture filling. Steam cleaning is not recommended, and amethyst should not be subjected to heat.
Major Sources
Brazil, Pakistan, United States, Uruguay, Zambia
Mineral
Beryl
Mohs Hardness
7.5 to 8
Toughness
Good
Color
Greenish blue to blue
Care and Cleaning
Cleaning by ultrasonic and steam cleaners is usually safe unless the stone has liquid inclusions or fractures. Rarely,
aquamarine might be fracture filled. These stones should only be cleaned with warm, soapy water.
Diamond
Emerald
Major Sources
Afghanistan, Brazil, China, Colombia, Ethiopia, India, Madagascar, Nigeria, Pakistan, Russia, Zambia, Zimbabwe
Mineral
Beryl
Mohs Hardness
7.5 to 8
Toughness
Fair to Good
Color
Green to bluish green
Care and Cleaning
Since the great majority of fashioned natural emeralds contain filled
fractures, it’s risky to clean them ultrasonically or with steam. Ultrasonic vibrations and hot steam can cause
oil or unhardened resin to sweat out
of fractures. Using warm, soapy water coupled with gentle scrubbing is the safest way to clean emeralds.
Major Sources
Afghanistan, Greenland, Kenya, Madagascar, Malawi, Mozambique, Myanmar, Nepal, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, Tajikistan, Tanzania, Thailand, Vietnam
Mineral
Corundum
Mohs Hardness
9
Toughness
Excellent
Color
Red
Care and Cleaning
Warm, soapy water is always safe.
Ultrasonic and steam cleaners are usually safe for untreated, heat-treated, and lattice diffusion treated stones. Fracture-filled, cavity-filled or dyed material should only be cleaned with a damp cloth. Various chemicals, even mild substances like lemon juice, can cause change in some glass-filled rubies.
Ruby
Major Sources
China, Egypt, Finland, Myanmar, Pakistan, Tanzania, United States, Vietnam
Mineral
Olivine
Mohs Hardness
6.5 to 7
Toughness
Fair to Good
Color
Yellowish green
Birthstone
August
Care and Cleaning
Warm, soapy water is the best method for cleaning peridot. Ultrasonic and steam cleaners are not recommended.
Major Sources
Myanmar, Sri Lanka, Tajikistan, Tanzania, Vietnam
Mineral
Spinel
Mohs Hardness
8
Toughness
Good
Color
Red, orange, pink, purple, blue, black
Care and Cleaning
While ultrasonic cleaners and steam cleaners are usually safe, certain inclusions could pose a potential
problem. It’s always safe to clean spinel with warm, soapy water.
Sapphire
Major Sources
Australia, Cambodia, China, Ethiopia, Kashmir, Kenya, Madagascar, Myanmar, Nigeria, Sri Lanka, Tanzania, Thailand, United States, Vietnam
Mineral
Corundum
Mohs Hardness
9
Toughness
Excellent
Color
Every color except red
Care and Cleaning
Warm, soapy water is always safe.
Ultrasonic and steam cleaners are usually safe for untreated, heat-treated and lattice diffusion treated stones. Fracture-filled, cavity-filled or dyed material should only be cleaned with a damp cloth.
Major Sources
Australia, Brazil, Ethiopia, Mexico, Peru, United States
Mineral
Hydrated Silica
Mohs Hardness
5 to 6.5
Toughness
Very Poor to Fair
Color
All colors
Birthstone
October
Care and Cleaning
The only safe way to clean opal is with warm, soapy water. Opals are sensitive to heat or excessive
White opal is light in tone, translucent to semi-translucent with play-of-color.
Boulder opal is translucent to opaque with play-of- color against a light to dark background. Fragments of the surrounding rock, called matrix, become part of the finished gem.
Black opal is dark in tone, translucent to opaque with play-of-color.
dryness which can lead to crazing or internal cracks.
Major Sources
Afghanistan, Brazil, Kenya, Madagascar, Mozambique, Myanmar, Namibia, Nigeria, Pakistan, Russia, Sri Lanka, Tanzania, United States, Zambia, Zimbabwe
Mineral
Tourmaline group
Mohs Hardness
7 to 7.5
Toughness
Fair
Color
All colors
Care and Cleaning
Warm, soapy water is the best method
for cleaning tourmaline. The use of ultrasonic and steam cleaners is not recommended.
Major Sources
Brazil, Madagascar, Mexico, Myanmar, Namibia, Nigeria, Pakistan, Russia, Sri Lanka, United States
Mineral
Topaz
Mohs Hardness
8
Toughness
Poor
Color
Yellow, orange, brown, pink to red, purple, blue, light green, colorless
Care and Cleaning
It’s important to avoid steam or
ultrasonic cleaners for topaz. Warm, soapy water works best.
Major Sources
Bolivia, Brazil, Madagascar, Mexico, Spain, Uruguay
Mineral
Quartz
Mohs Hardness
7
Toughness
Good
Color
Yellow to orange to reddish orange
Care and Cleaning
Citrine can be safely cleaned with warm, soapy water. Ultrasonic cleaners are usually safe except in the rare instances where a stone is dyed or treated by
fracture filling.
Major Sources
China, Egypt, Iran, Mexico, United States
Mineral
Turquoise
Mohs Hardness
5 to 6
Toughness
Fair to Good
Color
Blue to green
Care and Cleaning
It’s safe to clean turquoise jewelry with warm, soapy water, but it should never be cleaned with steam or ultrasonic cleaners. Some turquoise
is treated to improve its surface appearance. Heat, chemicals, cosmetics and even skin oils or perspiration can discolor or damage turquoise.
Major Source
Tanzania
Mineral
Zoisite
Mohs Hardness
6 to 7
Toughness
Fair to Poor
Color
Blue to violet to bluish purple
Care and Cleaning
Warm, soapy water is always safe. Ultrasonic and steam cleaners are never recommended for tanzanite.
Major Sources
Australia, China, French Polynesia, Gulf of Mannar, Indonesia, Japan, Panama, Persian Gulf, Philippines, United States, Venezuela
Mineral
Calcium Carbonate
Mohs Hardness
2.5 to 3
Toughness
Good
Color
White, cream, black, grey, silver, green, blue, pink, yellow, orange
Care and Cleaning
The best rule of thumb is that pearls are
the last thing you put on and first thing you take off when getting dressed. For routine care, wipe pearls with a soft, clean cloth after each wearing. Pearls should never be cleaned in an ultrasonic or steam cleaner. It’s safe to use warm, soapy water for occasional, thorough cleaning. It is also recommended that pearls not be stored in airtight areas for prolonged periods of time.
Major Sources
Afghanistan, Brazil, India, Iran, Kenya, Madagascar, Myanmar, Namibia, Pakistan, Russia, Sri Lanka, Tanzania
Mineral
Garnet group
Mohs Hardness
6.5 to 7.5
Toughness
Good
Color
All colors
Care and Cleaning
Warm, soapy water is always safe for cleaning garnets. Ultrasonic
cleaners are usually safe except for stones that have fractures. Steam cleaning is not recommended.
Custom Jewelry
Watch Creation
Permanent Jewelry
