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JournalCare and buying

Cleaning colored stones at home

Lukewarm water, mild soap and a soft brush clean most pieces safely. A few stones need gentler handling.

One Good Stone studioAugust 22, 20262 min read

A gold ring with a blue sapphire on a folded linen cloth beside a small glass bowl

Key points

  • Soak in lukewarm soapy water, brush behind the stone with a soft toothbrush, then rinse and dry.
  • Ultrasonic cleaners and steam can harm emerald, tanzanite, opal and rubies filled with glass.
  • Take rings off before swimming or cleaning, because chlorine can weaken gold claws over time.
In this article
  1. Soak
  2. Brush
  3. Rinse
  4. Dry
  5. What to avoid

A stone loses its brightness when its underside is coated with lotion, soap and skin oil. Light that should reflect back up through the top leaks out instead. Cleaning takes about twenty minutes, most of it waiting.

Soak

A gold ring with a blue sapphire in a small glass bowl of soapy water
Lukewarm water and a few drops of mild dish soap.

Fill a small bowl with lukewarm water and a few drops of mild dish soap, and leave the piece in it for 10 to 20 minutes to soften the film. Keep the water lukewarm rather than hot. Some stones, emerald and tanzanite among them, can crack from a sudden change in temperature.

Brush

A soft toothbrush beside a wet gold ring in a shallow dish
Brush behind the stone, where the film builds up.

Brush gently with a soft toothbrush, mostly on the back of the stone and between the claws, where film builds up. Keep a brush just for this. Toothpaste is abrasive and scratches gold.

Rinse

A gold ring in a small strainer under running water over a bowl
Rinse over a bowl or a strainer, never over an open drain.

Rinse in clean lukewarm water, over a bowl or a strainer, or with the sink plugged.

Dry

A clean gold ring with a sapphire on a folded white cloth
Pat dry with a soft cloth that leaves no lint.

Pat the piece dry with a soft, lint-free cloth. Paper towels can leave fibers caught in the claws.

What to avoid

Ultrasonic cleaners and steam are usually safe for untreated ruby, sapphire and diamond. They can draw the oil out of emeralds, crack tanzanite and opal, and damage rubies filled with glass. If you don't know whether a stone is treated, clean it by hand.

Chlorine bleach and pool or hot tub water attack the metals mixed into gold and can weaken claws over time. Take rings off before swimming or cleaning the house.

If a claw feels rough or a stone moves when you press it gently, stop and have it checked before cleaning it again.

Filed under Care and buying · August 22, 2026

From the studio

Designs with this stone

All designs
Sapphire solitaire, rendered from the 3D model3D Sapphire solitaireRingBlue sapphire, 6.5 mm round brilliant · US 6.5 Ruby signet, rendered from the 3D model3D Ruby signetRingRuby, 3 mm round brilliant, flush set · US 7

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