What do I have to do when I need to clean my gemstone jewellery?

This question troubles many people who own high-value gemstone jewellery or a large collection of gemstones like rubies, emeralds & sapphires. It depends mostly on the value of the jewellery pieces.  For high-carat, valuable pieces it is best advised to leave cleaning to the experts. But depending on what gemstones you have in your collection, you may be able to clean more inexpensive jewellery at home with mild soap lukewarm water and a soft towel with no extra fear.
Being cautious and informed about each stone's quirks and properties will make you capable of cleaning even the most troublesome cases.

Important information before you get cleaning:

Identifying the damage on the stone (chips, cracks, scratches) is a key aspect of cleaning as you do not wish to erode your stones further. Sometimes soap and water can run through cracks and damage the precious gemstones over time so it is best to know what you are doing before you begin.

Next, you need to identify what kind of stone this is (obviously enough) as different gemstones have different chemical properties and chemical resistance.
Check for stone inclusions and identify them and their importance as some of them may weaken the gemstone.

And last but not least you have to identify if your gemstones are treated or not before proceeding because some treatments may make the stones more vulnerable than it is initially.

Is it worth cleaning your gemstone jewellery yourself?

Assess the risk and outcomes. After you do your gemology research find out as much as you can about the vulnerability of the stone to different chemicals, soaps, and handling. After you do that take the value of the gemstone or gemstone jewellery piece into account and assess the situation. Can you do it yourself or should you provide an expert with the information about your stones so that you can rest assured that no damage will be done? The choice is yours.

If you decide to do the cleaning  yourself you need to follow a few important steps:

After having thoroughly made sure that the gemstone is durable enough to handle cleaning, and you have assessed the risks and the rewards of your action you can get to business.

All you will need is a soft towel, lukewarm to warm water and mild soap (mild soap should normally not react with the gemstones if you rinse and dry them thoroughly.

First, you will need to take a very soft brush and prepare a bowl with warm water.  Submerge the stone in the water and clean it gently with a soft brush. submerge again in the tub to rinse and dry carefully with a soft cloth. Voila!

You should decide against cleaning your gem yourself if:

1)the gemstone has been extensively treated.

2)Has lots of Visible Damage

3) Has too many inclusions.

4) You are not very confident in your abilities to clean gemstone jewellery like sapphire pendant necklaces or emerald earrings etc.

5)You have no time to do your due diligence about each specific gemstone or jewellery piece in your collection

What should you know before attempting to clean Treated Emeralds

If you attempt to professionally clean an emerald you should know if it has been oil-treated beforehand. (also called oil filling, it is the process of filling the emerald's fissures with oil to improve transparency)
Even though some treat emeralds to enhance their looks it can impact cleaning as emeralds that have been filled tend to get damaged when cleaned with heat or ultrasonic cleaning.

What should you know before attempting to clean low-soft gemstones like pearls, opals and amber

1) Never use Ammonia

2) Never use Strong soaps and cleaning liquids

3) Do not use chemicals you are not thoroughly informed about

4) Use a super soft toothbrush because medium hardness can damage the gemstones

Conclusions

Cleaning your jewellery is a process that is unavoidable.  After careful consideration, evaluate your options and pick the best one according to your needs!