Caring for an emerald on vintage jewelry

The characteristics of an emerald

Just like the diamond, the sapphire and the ruby, the emerald is qualified as a precious stone. It is known and appreciated for its unique color, a mixture of intense green and touches of blue. It also has the particularity of having more frequently than other gems internal inclusions composed of materials trapped in the mineral. These inclusions can be air bubbles, liquids or solid crystals… or all three at the same time!

These inclusions (also called “garden” when they are numerous) not only make the charm and the rarity of this stone but also its fragility. In addition, emeralds are often crossed by small cracks and it is accepted and common that emeralds are bathed in a colorless oil so that they are less visible. For all these reasons, it is essential to take care of it.

To avoid on a vintage emerald jewel!

Emerald is particularly sensitive to shocks and temperature variations, which implies certain precautions to be taken on a daily basis:

• avoid contact with chemicals, for example when washing dishes
• avoid temperature shocks (no cooking with an emerald!)
• do not sleep with your jewelry at the risk of deforming or damaging it
• favor storage apart from other jewelry to avoid scratches
• remove it when you carry heavy objects because a big shock could be fatal!

Cleaning a vintage emerald jewel...

Properly cleaning your emerald will help keep its color and shine. For this, we advise you to use a soft cloth so as not to remove the protective oil present on the stone. You can also immerse it in water at room temperature (without temperature shock) without any chemicals before letting it dry in the open air (do not rub it). Never use ultrasonic cleaning for an emerald.

These precautions taken, the emerald is a stone with a beautiful presence on a jewel that is always unique. Discover all our second-hand emerald jewelry here: emeralds.