As you may have noticed, we’re huge fans of gemstones! Our collections feature a wide range of timelessly beautiful gems, with green quartz, agate, blue topaz, blue lapis, amethyst and citrine just some of the gemstones that take pride of place in our signature pieces.

Here at Dainty London, we make gemstone jewellery wear a regular part of your wardrobe with high-quality, fine jewellery pieces that are crafted to last. Ensuring those stunning stones can be worn again and again all comes down to how you wear them. Here we share our golden rules for wearing your favourite gems responsibly.

Stay out of range of hairspray

Gemstone-infused beauty products may be all the rage of late, but keeping your gemstone jewellery well away from hairspray, makeup and the other beauty must-haves that form part of your daily routine is a vital part of gemstone care.

Exposure to the chemicals in your everyday hair and beauty products can cause considerable damage to gemstones and their precious metal settings, especially if the former is a soft porous stone type. Translucent stones can become permanently cloudy with regular exposure to hair and beauty products.

Follow this dressing rule

With the previous tip in mind, dressing with the rule ‘last to put on and first take off’ is certainly recommended.

After bathing or showering, you should also leave plenty of time for your body lotion and face moisturiser to absorb before dressing and donning your jewellery. Even the gentlest lotions and moisturisers for the most sensitive skin types can cause irreversible damage to gemstones.

Beware of perspiration damage

The oils your body naturally secretes can be damaging to your gemstones too. Excess oil and perspiration cause the colour of some gems, including turquoise, opals and pearls, to fade, meaning the tone you fell in love with will become a thing of the past.

When exercising, swimming or going to the beach, leave your gemstone jewellery pieces at home to minimise the risk of damage caused by sweat, sun lotion, sand and seawater.

Clean your gems regularly…

Maintaining a solid cleaning regime is a crucial part of keeping your gemstone jewellery in tip-top condition. One size certainly doesn’t fit all when cleaning your gemstones, however.

As each gemstone has different properties, you’ll need to adapt your cleaning regime accordingly. Soaking the stone in a solution of warm, soapy water before cleaning with a brush, rinsing and gently polishing is the general advice for gemstone jewellery owners.

…but choose your brush wisely

Your choice of toothbrush will ensure your gemstone receives the gentle treatment it needs during that cleaning process. Here the International Gem Society (IGS) explains which type of brush you should use to clean your gemstone jewellery:

“Nowadays, you can easily purchase toothbrushes with bristles designated ‘soft’ or ‘extra-soft’. These are fine for cleaning most jewellery stones at home. However, avoid using any brush with hard, inflexible bristles or any toothbrush with bristles designated ‘medium’ or ‘firm/hard’. Toothbrushes with ‘medium’ or ‘firm/hard’ bristles can potentially scratch tooth enamel, which has a Mohs hardness of 5.”

After your gemstones are spotless, don’t forget to store them correctly. Gemstones should be stored in a jewellery box or tray. They should also be stored separately from other jewellery types, like costume and silver jewellery. Find more top gemstone storage tips here.