Crystal Care Checker: Water, Sunlight and Cleaning

Clean: Use warm water, a little mild soap and a soft brush. Rinse briefly, then dry well.

Water: A brief wash is usually fine for a solid, untreated piece. Do not soak clusters, jewellery settings or stones with filled fractures.

Light: Keep it out of strong, prolonged sun. Some amethyst can fade with long exposure.

Avoid: Steam, sudden heat, long sunny-window display and harsh cleaners.

Care source: GIA: Amethyst Buyers Guide; GIA: Tips on Caring for Jewellery

Find Amethyst pieces at Rivendell

Clean: Use warm water, mild soap and a soft brush for a solid polished piece. Dry crevices carefully.

Water: A brief wash is usually fine. Avoid soaking clusters, glued pieces, jewellery settings or stones with unknown treatments.

Light: Ordinary light is fine, but do not leave crystal spheres in direct sun. They can focus light and create a fire risk.

Avoid: Long soaking, sudden heat, strong chemicals and unattended direct sun for spheres.

Care source: GIA: Tips on Caring for Jewellery; Essex County Fire and Rescue Service: Crystal Ball Sunlight Fire

Find Clear Quartz pieces at Rivendell

Clean: Use warm water, mild soap and a soft brush. Pat it dry with a soft cloth.

Water: A brief wash is usually fine for a solid piece. Skip long soaks when the stone, setting or treatment is uncertain.

Light: Normal light is usually fine. A soft indoor spot is still kinder than a hot, bright windowsill.

Avoid: Ultrasonic and steam cleaners, harsh chemicals and sudden temperature changes.

Care source: GIA: Rose Quartz Care and Cleaning

Find Rose Quartz pieces at Rivendell

Clean: Use warm water, mild soap and a soft brush. Rinse briefly and dry.

Water: A brief wash is usually fine. Do not soak a dyed, filled or mounted piece when its treatment is unknown.

Light: Limit prolonged, intense light. Some citrine colour can fade.

Avoid: Steam, abrupt temperature changes, harsh cleaners and long bright-window display.

Care source: GIA: Citrine Care and Cleaning

Find Citrine pieces at Rivendell

Clean: Wipe it with a soft cloth. If needed, use warm water, mild soap and a soft brush, then dry it well.

Water: Keep the wash brief, especially for jewellery, glued pieces or a stone with an unknown finish.

Light: Store it away from strong light and heat when you are not using it.

Avoid: Long soaking, harsh chemicals and home ultrasonic cleaning unless a jeweller confirms it is suitable.

Care source: GIA: Tips on Caring for Jewellery

Find Tiger's Eye pieces at Rivendell

Clean: Use warm water, mild soap and a soft cloth or brush, then dry it well.

Water: Keep the wash brief. Avoid soaking a dyed, treated or mounted piece.

Light: Store it away from strong light and heat, especially when you do not know whether it is treated.

Avoid: Long soaking, harsh chemicals and home ultrasonic cleaning unless a jeweller confirms it is suitable.

Care source: GIA: Tips on Caring for Jewellery

Find Carnelian pieces at Rivendell

Clean: Use a damp soft cloth, then dry it straight away. Check cords, glue and settings before cleaning.

Water: Keep water contact brief. Water can reach old repairs, glue or attached materials even when the glass is sound.

Light: Keep it away from sudden temperature changes and a hot windowsill.

Avoid: Hard knocks, abrasive cleaners, temperature shocks and dropping it on a hard surface.

Care source: Canadian Conservation Institute: Caring for Ceramic and Glass Objects

Find Black Obsidian pieces at Rivendell

Clean: Use warm soapy water and a very soft brush. Dry it gently.

Water: A brief gentle wash is fine. Do not soak it, and avoid machines that vibrate or heat the stone.

Light: Its colour is stable in light, but high heat or a sudden temperature change can cause breaks.

Avoid: Ultrasonic cleaners, steam, hard knocks, long soaking and sudden heat.

Care source: GIA: Moonstone Care and Cleaning

Find Moonstone pieces at Rivendell

Clean: Use a damp soft cloth. If needed, use a brief wash with mild soap, then dry it well.

Water: Keep water contact brief. Feldspar has cleavage planes, so avoid soaking and temperature shocks.

Light: Normal light is fine, but avoid prolonged heat and sudden temperature changes.

Avoid: Ultrasonic or steam cleaning, hard knocks, long soaking and abrasive brushes.

Care source: GIA: Ultrasonic Cleaners for Gems; GIA: Feldspar Durability and Care

Find Labradorite pieces at Rivendell

Clean: Start with a soft damp cloth. If the piece is colour-fast, use a little warm soapy water and dry it promptly.

Water: Do not soak it. Some lapis is dyed, waxed or oiled, so test a hidden spot before a damp clean.

Light: Keep it away from prolonged heat and harsh light, especially when a treatment is unknown.

Avoid: Soaking, salt, alcohol, acetone, ultrasonic cleaning, steam and abrasive scrubbing.

Care source: GIA: Lapis Lazuli Care and Cleaning

Find Lapis Lazuli pieces at Rivendell

Clean: Dust with a soft brush or use a barely damp cloth, then dry it straight away.

Water: Skip soaking. Fluorite is soft and has easy cleavage, so gentle surface cleaning is the safer choice.

Light: Keep it away from heat. A cool indoor display is the gentle choice.

Avoid: Soaking, salt, ultrasonic cleaning, steam, heat changes, scratches and hard knocks.

Care source: GIA: Gemstone Durability, Design to Display

Find Fluorite pieces at Rivendell

Clean: Use a clean, dry, very soft brush or cloth. Support long wands while you handle them.

Water: Keep it dry. Selenite is very soft, and water can mark or erode its surface over time.

Light: Gentle room light is fine. Avoid heat, moisture and a place where a wand can fall.

Avoid: Water, salt, oils, abrasive cloths, hard knocks and scraping the surface.

Care source: US Geological Survey: Mineralogy and Geology of Gypsum

Find Selenite pieces at Rivendell

Clean: Use a dry soft brush. Keep dust out of crevices and store the piece in a dry place.

Water: Keep it dry. Moisture and oxygen can drive pyrite oxidation and damage the specimen.

Light: Light is less important than keeping it cool and dry. Avoid a humid windowsill.

Avoid: Water, salt, humid storage, oils and sealing a damp stone in a box.

Care source: Canadian Conservation Institute: Caring for Natural History Collections

Find Pyrite pieces at Rivendell

Clean: Use a soft dry or barely damp cloth, then dry the stone at once.

Water: Do not soak it. Long exposure to water can damage malachite, so use a quick damp wipe instead.

Light: Display it in gentle indoor light and keep it away from heat and harsh cleaners.

Avoid: Soaking, salt, acids, ultrasonic cleaning, steam, abrasives and putting it in drinking water.

Care source: GIA: Understanding Gem Durability; GIA: Tips on Caring for Jewellery

Find Malachite pieces at Rivendell