Cleaning Compatibility Matrix
Verify which cleaning methods are safe for your specific gemstones.
Unknown identity or treatment: dry cloth only
When identity, treatment, assembly, setting security, or prior repair is unknown, use only a dry, soft, lint-free cloth. Avoid wetting, brushing, immersion, ultrasonic cleaning, and steam; seek qualified inspection.
Gemstone Cleaning Compatibility
These profiles are conservative educational starting points, not universal approvals. Treatments, fractures, adhesives, settings, and prior repairs can change what is safe.
- Unknown Gemstone / Unknown Treatment: Cloth: usually-safe; water: never; brush: never; ultrasonic: never; steam: never. Heat: Assume high sensitivity. Chemicals: Assume high sensitivity. Solvents may dissolve glues or treatments.
- Never submerge an unidentified stone. It could be an assembled doublet/triplet that will delaminate in water.
- If the stone has unverified treatments, water and soap might remove oils or dyes.
- Use only a dry, soft, lint-free cloth, and seek professional inspection.
- Diamond: Cloth: usually-safe; water: usually-safe; brush: usually-safe; ultrasonic: use-caution; steam: use-caution. Heat: Generally stable, but sudden extreme temperature changes can cause damage. Chemicals: Highly resistant to chemicals.
- Fracture-filled diamonds should NEVER be put in an ultrasonic or steam cleaner.
- Heavily included diamonds may shatter in an ultrasonic cleaner.
- Check mounting security before any machine cleaning.
- Ruby: Cloth: usually-safe; water: usually-safe; brush: usually-safe; ultrasonic: use-caution; steam: use-caution. Heat: Stable under normal conditions. Chemicals: Resistant to most chemicals.
- Fracture-filled or heavily oiled rubies must NEVER be steam or ultrasonic cleaned.
- Stones with prominent liquid inclusions can rupture under heat.
- Dyed rubies can lose color with strong solvents.
- Sapphire: Cloth: usually-safe; water: usually-safe; brush: usually-safe; ultrasonic: use-caution; steam: use-caution. Heat: Stable under normal conditions. Chemicals: Resistant to most chemicals.
- Fracture-filled or heavily oiled sapphires must NEVER be steam or ultrasonic cleaned.
- Stones with prominent liquid inclusions can rupture under heat.
- Emerald: Cloth: usually-safe; water: use-caution; brush: use-caution; ultrasonic: never; steam: never. Heat: Highly sensitive to sudden temperature changes. Chemicals: Solvents and harsh chemicals can strip oils and resins used for clarity enhancement.
- Nearly all commercial emeralds are oiled or resin-filled; hot water and soap can remove this, making inclusions glaringly visible.
- Use only lukewarm water and mild, non-detergent soap, or just a dry cloth.
- Never use mechanical cleaning.
- Aquamarine: Cloth: usually-safe; water: usually-safe; brush: usually-safe; ultrasonic: use-caution; steam: use-caution. Heat: High heat can cause discoloration or fracture. Chemicals: Generally stable.
- Liquid inclusions can expand and shatter the stone in an ultrasonic cleaner.
- Avoid steam cleaning unless the stone is absolutely flawless and untreated.
- Opal: Cloth: usually-safe; water: never; brush: never; ultrasonic: never; steam: never. Heat: Highly sensitive; heat can cause crazing (cracking) and loss of water content. Chemicals: Porous; can absorb chemicals, oils, and dirty water, ruining the play-of-color.
- Doublets and triplets must NEVER be soaked, as the glue will dissolve.
- Wipe solid opals gently with a dry or very slightly damp cloth.
- Ethiopian opals are hydrophane (absorb water) and will temporarily lose color if soaked.
- Tanzanite: Cloth: usually-safe; water: usually-safe; brush: usually-safe; ultrasonic: never; steam: never. Heat: Highly sensitive to thermal shock. Chemicals: Stable to most chemicals but can be etched by hydrofluoric acid.
- Never use ultrasonic or steam due to thermal shock and cleavage.
- Even warm water should not be drastically different from room temperature.
- Tourmaline: Cloth: usually-safe; water: usually-safe; brush: usually-safe; ultrasonic: never; steam: never. Heat: Sensitive to sudden temperature changes. Chemicals: Generally stable.
- Many tourmalines contain liquid-filled inclusions that can expand and break the stone in an ultrasonic cleaner.
- Parti-colored tourmalines are especially prone to splitting at color boundaries.
- Amethyst, Citrine & Quartz: Cloth: usually-safe; water: usually-safe; brush: usually-safe; ultrasonic: use-caution; steam: use-caution. Heat: Sudden temperature changes can cause fracturing. Prolonged heat or light can fade color. Chemicals: Stable.
- Stones with prominent inclusions should not be steam or ultrasonic cleaned.
- Dyed quartz (common in some beads) will bleed color in solvents or ultrasonic baths.
- Turquoise: Cloth: usually-safe; water: never; brush: never; ultrasonic: never; steam: never. Heat: Heat can cause discoloration and damage treatments. Chemicals: Highly porous; easily absorbs oils, perfumes, and cleaning chemicals.
- Wipe with a dry cloth only. Do not submerge.
- Most turquoise is stabilized with resins which can melt or degrade in hot water or solvents.
- Garnet: Cloth: usually-safe; water: usually-safe; brush: usually-safe; ultrasonic: use-caution; steam: never. Heat: Sensitive to severe temperature changes. Chemicals: Stable.
- Demantoid and andradite garnets are often more fragile and heavily included; avoid ultrasonic cleaning.
- Steam cleaning is generally unsafe for all garnets due to thermal shock.
- Jade (Jadeite & Nephrite): Cloth: usually-safe; water: use-caution; brush: use-caution; ultrasonic: never; steam: never. Heat: Generally stable, but heat can melt waxes or polymers in treated jade. Chemicals: Type B/C treated jade is highly sensitive to solvents and acids.
- Type A (untreated) jadeite and nephrite are very tough and can often handle warm water.
- Type B (polymer impregnated) and Type C (dyed) jadeite can be damaged by ultrasonic cleaners, steam, and harsh chemicals.
- If treatment status is unknown, clean only with a dry cloth.
- Pearl: Cloth: usually-safe; water: never; brush: never; ultrasonic: never; steam: never. Heat: High heat can cause pearls to crack or discolor. Chemicals: Extremely sensitive to acids, perfumes, cosmetics, and household chemicals.
- Never soak pearls, as the silk thread can stretch and weaken.
- Wipe gently with a soft, slightly damp cloth after wearing.
- Never use ultrasonic or steam cleaners; they will destroy the nacre.
- Topaz: Cloth: usually-safe; water: usually-safe; brush: usually-safe; ultrasonic: never; steam: never. Heat: Sudden temperature changes can cause fracturing. Chemicals: Generally stable.
- Because of its perfect cleavage, ultrasonic cleaners can easily cause topaz to split.
- Avoid steam cleaning due to the risk of thermal shock.
- Zircon: Cloth: usually-safe; water: usually-safe; brush: use-caution; ultrasonic: never; steam: never. Heat: High heat can alter color or cause fracturing. Chemicals: Stable to most chemicals.
- Zircon is brittle and facet edges abrade easily; use only a very soft brush if necessary.
- Ultrasonic and steam cleaners can easily damage the stone.