How To Clean Garnet Jewelry?

Garnets are popular settings for jewelry, especially birthstone jewelry, as it is the birthstone for January. Garnets are beautiful and come in many varieties and colors, which makes them a success for all types of jewelry. To maintain a garnet's appearance, regular cleaning is needed. Garnets are generally between 6.5-7.5 hardness on the Mohs scale and this is important to know for home cleaning.

How to Clean Your Garnet Jewelry

When cleaning at home, follow these steps to get your garnets to shine beautifully again:

  • Polish your garnet with a microfiber cloth before cleaning
  • Clean your garnet gently with soap and water
  • Use a soft bristled toothbrush to get raised settings clean
  • For detailed settings, scrub all parts of the jewelry that does not touch the garnet
  • Rinse clean
  • Dry with a microfiber cloth

Following this routine will help keep your garnet jewelry looking beautiful and scratch free. Take care when storing your garnet after washing. Wrap  your jewelry in a microfiber cloth before putting it in a jewelry box. Garnets can be scratched by other gems, so keeping them wrapped prevents this from happening. 

Remember to get all of your jewelry professionally cleaned at least once a year. This is important to preserve your jewelry. 

How To Avoid Damaging Your Garnet Jewelry

It's equally important to know what not to do when cleaning your garnet jewelry. Here are some things to avoid:

  • Do not use a hard bristle toothbrush to clean garnet jewelry
  • Do not use bleach
  • Do not use salt to scrub your garnet jewelry
  • Don't use toothpaste 
  • Don't steam clean your garnet
  • Don't put garnets in an ultrasonic cleaning machine

Bleach, salt, and chlorine can all damage your garnet jewelry, so remember that when cleaning. It's also important to note that swimming in a pool or ocean with any garnet jewelry is not recommended. Saltwater and chlorine can both damage garnets, making them dull. Take any jewelry off when applying sunscreen or lotion. Over time, build up will occur and this contributes to garnets becoming dull.

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