Amethyst is a violet coloured variety of quartz with a hardness of 7 on the Mohs scale. Amethyst can be safely cleaned using water with a tiny droplet of mild washing up liquid. However amethyst, like other varieties of quartz, are sensitive to rapid temperature changes. So it is important to use room temperature – slightly warm water as the amethyst may fracture. Make sure to clean the pavilion of the stone and under settings where dirt can collect and dull the shine of your stone.

Recommended Cleaning Methods:

• Connoisseurs Delicate Jewellery Cleaner
• Mild Washing Up Liquid & Room Temperature Water

Aquamarine is a form of beryl which has a rating of between 7.5 and 8 on the Mohs scale. In general aquamarine is sensitive to rapid temperature changes and should only be cleaned at room temperature to help prevent cracks to the stone. Aquamarine is best cleaned using a delicate jewellery cleaner or with a small drop of mild washing up liquid in room temperature water. Make sure to clean the pavilion of the stone and under settings where dirt can collect and dull the shine of your stone.

Recommended Cleaning Methods:

• Connoisseurs Delicate Jewellery Cleaner
• Mild Washing Up Liquid & Room Temperature Water

Citrine is a pale yellow to deep orange variety of quartz with a rating of 7 on the Mohs scale. Like other forms of quartz, citrine can crack or damage with rapid temperature changes so care should be taken if you’re cleaning citrine jewellery in water. Make sure to clean the pavilion of the stone and under settings where dirt can collect and dull the shine of your stone.

Recommended Cleaning Methods:

• Connoisseurs Delicate Jewellery Cleaner
• Mild Washing Up Liquid & Room Temperature Water

Emerald is a green form of beryl which has a rating of 7.5-8 on the Mohs scale meaning it is a more robust gemstone. Most emeralds used in jewellery are treated with oils like cedar oil to fill natural fractures and fissures in the stone. For this reason it is not recommended to expose the emerald to heat or use any kind of ultrasonic cleaners on emerald jewellery as this may remove the oils and make fractures worse.

We also recommend that you do not submerge emeralds in any kind of liquid, including jewellery cleaners to avoid unwanted damage to the emerald. The safest way to clean an emerald is to dab a brush in either Connoisseurs Delicate Jewellery Cleaner or room temperature to slightly warm soapy water and gently scrub the emerald clean. Make sure to clean the pavilion of the stone and under settings where dirt can collect and dull the shine of your stone.

Recommended Cleaning Methods:

• Connoisseurs Delicate Jewellery Cleaner (use to scrub with only)
• Mild Washing Up Liquid & Room Temperature Water (use to scrub with only)

Garnet refers to a family of minerals which can be found in almost any colour. The most popular and commonly seen colour of garnet in jewellery is the red variety. Garnets have a rating of 6.5-7.5 on the mohs scale depending on the variety. Occasionally, garnet can be treated with oils to fill in fractures and fissures in the stone. For this reason it is recommended to not use any ultrasonic cleaners, expose garnets to heat or submerge garnets in liquid.

When cleaning garnet jewellery, we recommend dipping a brush into either connoisseurs delicate jewellery cleaner for garnets set in silver, connoisseurs precious jewellery cleaner for garnets set in gold, or room temperature to slightly warm soapy water and gently scrubbing the gemstone clean. Make sure to clean the pavilion of the stone and under settings where dirt can collect and dull the shine of your stone.

Recommended Cleaning Methods:

• Connoisseurs Delicate Jewellery Cleaner (garnet set in silver, scrub with only)
• Connoisseurs Precious Jewellery Cleaner (garnets set in gold or platinum, scrub with only)
• Mild Washing Up Liquid & Room Temperature Water (any metal, scrub with only)

Onyx is a form of chalcedony which is mostly found in black and can occasionally be seen with white streaks. Onyx has a hardness rating of 6.5-7 on the Mohs scale, however it is a porous stone which means it easily absorbs liquids. This is why we recommend not submerging onyx in any kind of solution. We recommend that you dip a soft lint free cloth into either Connoisseurs Delicate Jewellery Cleaner or warm soapy water and gently wipe the gemstone to remove any dirt.

Recommended Cleaning Methods:

• Connoisseurs Delicate Jewellery Cleaner (scrub with only)
• Mild Washing Up Liquid & Room Temperature Water (scrub with only)

Peridot is a green form of olivine which has a rating of 6.5-7 on the Mohs scale making it ideal for jewellery if you know how to care for it. Peridot is especially sensitive to drastic changes in temperature and can easily fracture if exposed to heat. Like most other gemstones, peridot can be treated with oils to fill natural fractures in the gemstone. That’s why it is always best to avoid ultrasonic cleaners when cleaning peridot jewellery.

The best and safest way to clean peridot jewellery is to dip a soft bristle brush into either Connoisseurs Delicate Jewellery Cleaner or room temperature water with a small drop of mild washing up liquid, and gently scrub your peridot jewellery making sure you clean the pavilion and under the settings where dirt can easily get trapped.

Recommended Cleaning Methods:

• Connoisseurs Delicate Jewellery Cleaner (scrub with only)
• Mild Washing Up Liquid & Room Temperature Water (scrub with only)

Quartz is a silicate mineral which is found in virtually all different colours. Quartz has a hardness of 7 on the Mohs scale which means it is quite hard but can still be scratched by harder minerals. Often quartz is treated with radiation to give colour to the stone, for example some varieties of rose quartz are commonly coloured using this method. Generally quartz is quite resistant to heat but we still recommend to stay clear of using any ultrasonic cleaners when cleaning quartz jewellery.

Quartz jewellery can be cleaned by using either Connoisseurs Delicate Jewellery Cleaner or warm water with a small drop of mild washing up liquid.

Recommended Cleaning Methods:

• Connoisseurs Delicate Jewellery Cleaner
• Mild Washing Up Liquid & Warm Water

Rubies are a form of corundum which can vary from a pale to deep and vibrant red colour. The Ruby has a hardness of 9 on the Mohs scale meaning it is one of the hardest gemstones you can get apart from the diamond. It is said that 99% of all rubies in the market have been treated in some way to make them commercially acceptable. Most of these rubies are fine to clean as normal but a more recent treatment for rubies is glass filling which is used on low grade stones with fractures and fissures to fill the cracks in the ruby.

With these types of rubies it is recommended that they are not cleaned with any kind of ultrasonic cleaners as this may effect the filling. Please check with a professional jeweller or gemologist if your unsure whether or not your ruby has been treated in this way or not before cleaning it.

Recommended Cleaning Methods:

• Connoisseurs Delicate Jewellery Cleaner (silver metal)
• Connoisseurs Precious Jewellery Cleaner (gold or platinum metal)
• Mild Washing Up Liquid & Water

Sapphire is a form of corundum which can be found in a wide variety of colours but is mostly known for its vibrant royal blue colour. With a rating of 9 on the Mohs scale, natural sapphires are one of the hardest minerals on earth, however care is still needed when you’re cleaning sapphire jewellery.

Like rubies, many low grade sapphires on the market are treated with glass filler to fill in inclusions and fractures. This is where more care is needed and we recommend finding out off a professional jeweller or gemologist if your sapphire has been glass filled before cleaning it.

Recommended Cleaning Methods:

• Connoisseurs Delicate Jewellery Cleaner (silver metal)
• Connoisseurs Precious Jewellery Cleaner (gold or platinum metal)
• Mild Washing Up Liquid & Water

Tanzanite is a form of zoisite which is found in a blue to violet colour. Tanzanite is only found in Tanzania and is mined at the merelani mining site in Manyara making it one of the rarest gemstones on the planet. It has a rating of 6.5-7 on the Mohs scale which means it is on the more delicate side and scratches relatively easily.

As is the case with many other gemstones, tanzanite can be treated with fillers to fill in fractures and fissures. This, with its lower rating on the Mohs scale and sensitivity to heat means we recommend taking great care when cleaning tanzanite jewellery.

We recommend dipping a soft lint free cloth in either Connoisseurs Delicate Jewellery Cleaner or room temperature to slightly warm soapy water and gently wiping the dirt off the stone. You can also use a soft bristle brush to clean under the gemstone setting and remove any trapped dirt.

Recommended Cleaning Methods:

• Connoisseurs Delicate Jewellery Cleaner (scrub with only)
• Mild Washing Up Liquid & Water (scrub with only)

Topaz is a silicate mineral of aluminium and fluorine which can be found in a range of colours from white, blue, yellow, orange, pink and many more. Topaz has a hardness of 8 on the Mohs scale but this gemstone is extremely sensitive to drastic temperature changes and impact making it a much more delicate gemstone.

Since flawless Topaz are commonly mined in large amounts and are very inexpensive, you never really find Topaz that has had filling treatment although colourless topaz are sometimes coated with a delicate layer of a metallic oxide compound. This makes it important to take care when cleaning topaz jewellery not to damage the coating.

Recommended Cleaning Methods:

• Connoisseurs Delicate Jewellery Cleaner
• Mild Washing Up Liquid & Room Temperature/Slightly Warm Water

Tourmaline is a crystalline silicate group of minerals which is found in a huge array of wonderful and vibrant colours with the most popular being pink. Tourmaline has a rating of 7-7.5 on the Mohs scale but can lose colour under long lasting exposure to light due to the fact that these stones are often heat treated to add intensity to its colour.

The Best ways to clean tourmaline jewellery are Connoisseurs Delicate Jewellery Cleaner for tourmaline set in silver or Connoisseurs Precious Jewellery Cleaner for tourmaline set in gold or platinum. Warm water with a small drop of mild washing up liquid is also perfectly safe to clean tourmaline jewellery.

Recommended Cleaning Methods:

• Connoisseurs Delicate Jewellery Cleaner (silver metal)
• Connoisseurs Precious Jewellery Cleaner (gold or platinum metal)
• Mild Washing Up Liquid & Warm Water

Turquoise is a hydrated phosphate of copper and aluminium that is a blue to green colour. A relatively delicate gemstone, turquoise has a rating of 5-6 on the Mohs scale which means great care is needed to look after and clean turquoise jewellery.

Turquoise can be badly effected by high heats, cosmetic products and perspiration which is known to discolour turquoise.

When cleaning turquoise jewellery we recommend either Connoisseurs Delicate Jewellery Cleaner or using a mild washing up liquid in room temperature – slightly warm water.

Recommended Cleaning Methods:

• Connoisseurs Delicate Jewellery Cleaner
• Mild Washing Up Liquid & Room Temperature Water

Zircon is a mineral that can be found in a wide array of different beautiful colours. With a hardness of 6-7.5 on the Mohs scale this gemstone can be susceptible to scratches and scuffs so it’s important to take care with zircon jewellery as it can be a brittle stone.

Zircon is occasionally filled to remove fractures and fissures. While this is not too common in zircon, it is still recommended to take great care when cleaning zircon jewellery and not use ultrasonic cleaners on it.

If your zircon is set in gold or platinum, you can use Connoisseurs Precious Jewellery Cleaner to bring back its lustre while zircon set in silver is best cleaned in Connoisseurs Delicate Jewellery Cleaner. Alternatively you can use a tiny drop of mild washing up liquid in room temperature – slightly warm water.

Recommended Cleaning Methods:

• Connoisseurs Delicate Jewellery Cleaner (silver metal)
• Connoisseurs Precious Jewellery Cleaner (gold or platinum metal)
• Mild Washing Up Liquid & Room Temperature – Slightly Warm Water