Gemstone/Origin
|
Description
|
Treatment
|
Effects
|
Care
|
Cleaning
|
Amethyst
(quartz) ⁄ Natural
|
Purple through bluish purple
|
Heat treatment
|
Lightens the color of very
dark amethyst; removes
smoky component of color
|
None
|
Ultrasonic: Usually safe
Steamer: Risky
Warm Soapy Water: Safe
|
Aquamarine
(beryl) ⁄ Natural
|
Greenish blue through
blue-green
|
Heat treatment
|
Produces blue from green,
iron–colored material
|
None
|
Ultrasonic: Usually safe, unless stone
contains feathers or liquid inclusions
Steamer: Usually safe, unless stone
contains feathers or liquid inclusions
Warm Soapy Water: Safe
|
Black Cultured Pearl
⁄ Organic
|
Contains body colors of
black, dark gray, or dark
tones of blue, purple, green,
or bronze
|
Irradiation
|
To produce "black" pearls
(also gray or blue gray) from
bleached pearls
|
Wipe with very soft cloth after
each wearing
|
Ultrasonic: Never
Steamer: Never
Warm Soapy Water: Safe for more
thorough cleaning (if strung, be sure
string is completely dry before washing)
|
Blue Quartz ⁄ Lab Created
|
Medium sky blue
|
|
|
|
|
Blue Topaz ⁄ Natural
|
Very slightly greenish blue to
greenish blue
|
Irradiation
|
Produces a blue color in
irradiated stones
|
Avoid heat and prolonged
exposure to strong light; if
radioactive (rare), avoid
handling and wear
|
Ultrasonic: Never
Steamer: Never
Warm Soapy Water: Safe
|
Citrine
(quartz) ⁄ Natural
|
Yellow through orange
|
Heat treatment
|
Produces citrine from
amethyst
|
Avoid steam
|
Ultrasonic: Usually safe
Steamer: Risky
Warm Soapy Water: Safe
|
Created Ruby (synthetic
corundum) ⁄ Lab Created
|
Very strong orangy red
|
Quench cracking (heating
and then plunging it into cold
water)
|
Produces cracks which
imitate natural breaks and
fingerprint inclusions
|
Avoid rough wear
|
Ultrasonic: Usually safe, but never for
oiled stones
Steamer: Usually safe, but never for oiled
stones
Warm Soapy Water: Safe, but avoid
strong detergents and vigorous
scrubbing on oiled stones
|
Cubic Zirconia
(synthetic) ⁄ Lab Created
|
Colorless
|
None
|
|
None
|
Ultrasonic: Safe
Steamer: Safe
Warm Soapy Water: Safe
|
Cultured Pearl
⁄ Organic
|
Translucent to opaque
|
• Bleaching
• Dyeing
|
•Bleach dark spots of
conchiolin that show
through the nacre
• To alter the body color or
hide colored blemishes
|
Wipe with very soft cloth after
each wearing
|
Ultrasonic: Never
Steamer: Never
Warm Soapy Water: Safe for more
thorough cleaning (if strung, be sure
string is completely dry before washing)
|
Emerald
(beryl) ⁄ Natural
|
Very strongly bluish green
through green
|
Oiling (oil may contain green
dye)
|
Hides flaws, improves
transparency, may deepen
color
|
Keep away from strong
solvents, heat, and
ultrasonic cleaners
|
Ultrasonic: Never
Steamer: Never
Warm Soapy Water: Generally safe, but
avoid strong detergents and vigorous
scrubbing on oiled stones
|
Garnet
(pyrope) ⁄ Natural
|
Red through slightly purplish
red
|
None known
|
|
None
|
Ultrasonic: Usually safe
Steamer: Risky
Warm Soapy Water: Safe
|
Iolite ⁄ Natural
|
Violet–blue through slightly
violet–blue
|
None known
|
|
None
|
Ultrasonic: Risky
Steamer: Risky
Warm Soapy Water: Safe
|
Mother of Pearl
(shell) ⁄ Organic
|
Translucent to opaque
|
Dyeing
|
To produce a variety of colors
|
Avoid solvents and
prolonged exposure to
strong light
|
Ultrasonic: Risky
Steamer: Risky
Warm Soapy Water: Safe
|
Mount St. Helens ⁄ Lab
Created
|
Deep, clean bluish green
|
|
|
|
|
Mystic Fire Topaz ⁄ Natural
|
Greenish
|
Coated
|
Changes clear topaz to color
|
Normal
|
Ultrasonic: Unsafe
Steamer: Unsafe
Warm Soapy Water: Safe
Safe
|
Onyx
(chalcedony) ⁄ Natural
|
Solid black color
|
Dyeing
|
Chalcedony is dyed to
practically all colors for
various uses; the bands in
agate and onyx accept dye
differently so that a green
dye, for example, may impart
color to some layers and
leave others white
|
None
|
Ultrasonic: Usually safe
Steamer: Usually safe
Warm Soapy Water: Safe
|
Peridot ⁄ Natural
|
Yellowish green through
greenish yellow
|
No commercial treatments
known
|
|
None
|
Ultrasonic: Risky
Steamer: Never
Warm Soapy Water: Safe
|
Pink Sapphire
(corundum) ⁄ Natural
|
Red through purple
|
Coating with a thin film
|
Creates, deepens, or
changes the color of a
sapphire
|
Avoid abrasions
|
Ultrasonic: Usually safe
Steamer: Usually safe
Warm Soapy Water: Safe
|
Pink Tourmaline ⁄ Natural
|
Red–orange through
reddish purple
|
Irradiation
|
Produces a deep pink to red
to deep purple from very
light pink, green, blue, or
colorless
|
None
|
Ultrasonic: Risky
Steamer: Risky
Warm Soapy Water: Safe
|
Rhodolite Garnet ⁄ Natural
|
Slightly purplish red through
reddish purple
|
None known
|
|
None
|
Ultrasonic: Usually safe
Steamer: Never
Warm Soapy Water: Safe
|
Ruby
(corundum) ⁄ Natural
|
Orange-red through strongly
purplish red
|
Heat treatment
|
Removes purple or
brownish color component
|
None
|
Ultrasonic: Usually safe, but never for
oiled stones
Steamer: Usually safe, but never for oiled
stones
Warm Soapy Water: Safe, but avoid
strong detergents and vigorous
scrubbing on oiled stones
|
Sapphire
(corundum) ⁄ Natural
|
Violet–blue through
greenish blue
|
Heat treatment
|
Produces blue sapphire
from milky "gueda" sapphire
|
None
|
Ultrasonic: Usually safe
Steamer: Usually safe
Warm Soapy Water: Safe
|
Tanvorite ⁄ Lab Created
|
Deep, clean bluish⁄purple
|
|
|
|
|
Tanzanite
(zoisite) ⁄ Natural
|
Bluish purple and violet
through blue
|
Heat treatment
|
Produces tanzanite colors in
certain crystals with initially
brownish colors
|
None
|
Ultrasonic: Never
Steamer: Never
Warm Soapy Water: Safe
Safe
|