Organic gems such as pearls, corals, amber, shells should be clean and wipe with a soft damp cloth. Do not use chemical detergents. You can use ivory flakes to clean these gems. Opals are also susceptible to extreme high or low temperatures. Too much heat will make them dry out. For example, if you go outside into a freezing weather with an opal jewelry the opal maybe crack. In both cases your opal will turn into a history, so be careful.

Never wear jewelry of any type when you are cleaning around the house. The chemicals in household detergents can damage the metal in your jewelry and will destroy many types of gemstones. Yes, you’d best to remove your rings before wash your hands, as soap can damage porous stones, and hand or body lotion are harmful too.

When dressing, remember to put on your makeup, perfume or hairspray first always and wear your jewelry for last. All of these substances can pile up on your jewelry which will make your jewelry need more frequent cleaning and also dull their appearances. And some of these substances also could damage some types of gems, especially pearls.