Seylan Gems & Jewelry
Most damage we hear about is not a mystery chemical. It is steam, an ultrasonic bath, a knock on a stone with cleavage, or two jewels stored face to face. Hardness tells you what scratches what. It does not tell you what survives a drop.
Specifications
Typical published ranges used in gemology. Specific gravity below matches our carat calculator default where applicable. (SG 4.00)
| Safer clean | Lukewarm water, a drop of mild soap, a soft brush, then a dry cloth |
|---|---|
| Avoid by default | Steam, ultrasonic, bleach, and sudden heat |
| Hard everyday wear | Sapphire, ruby, spinel, and chrysoberyl, if the setting is sound |
| Gentler wear | Emerald, opal, tanzanite, apatite, and thinly cut quartz |
| Storage | Separate pouches so harder stones do not scratch softer ones |
| When unsure | Ask us about that item before a jeweler’s steam cleaner |
Mohs hardness is a scratch scale. Sapphire at 9 scratches quartz at 7. Toughness is resistance to breaking. Jade can be tougher than diamond in the sense of not cleaving, and diamond can chip along a cleavage direction despite hardness 10. A number on this site is not permission to bang the stone on a sink.
Emerald’s oil or resin can be affected by heat and by harsh detergent. Opal can craze. Tanzanite and topaz cleave. Apatite scratches in ordinary use. The species guide is the detail. The rule of thumb is: if the stone is not sapphire, ruby, or spinel, do not assume a mall cleaner’s machine is safe.
Take the piece off for sport, gardening, and cleaning products. At the sink, lukewarm water is enough. Dry it. Do not boil it. Do not put it in a window that bakes amethyst.
If a stone is oiled, fractured, or assembled, cleaning can change the look. That is a reason to ask, not a reason to hide the treatment. We would rather tell you the limit before you buy than after a cleaner has opened a fracture.
Not as a default. Sapphire and spinel often tolerate one if they are not fractured or fracture-filled. Emerald, opal, tanzanite, and oiled stones should stay out. When you are unsure, do not use it.
No. It means a harder material can scratch it. Cleavage and inclusions decide chips and splits.
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Sapphire
Ruby
Alexandrite
Emerald
Padparadscha
Aquamarine
Spinel
Garnet
Peridot
Tourmaline
Tanzanite
Citrine
Quartz
Chrysoberyl
Apatite
Topaz
Amethyst
Lolite
Zircon
Sinhalite
Cats Eye
Opal