But not all. Soft and porous stones such as selenite, malachite, turquoise, howlite, and amber cannot withstand water, and genuine pearls should only be wiped clean. Never soak an assembled beaded piece of jewelry – water gets into the drill hole and into the thread. Keep stones and beads away from perfume, cream, hand sanitizer, and chlorine, store them separately in a soft pouch, and never leave them in a sunny windowsill.

When you've spent time putting a piece of jewelry together, you want it to stay just as beautiful as the day it was finished. Perhaps you've experienced a light-colored stone turning yellowish, a bracelet changing color after summer, or a bead suddenly feeling rough. In most cases, this isn't because the material was poor – it's because it has been cared for the wrong way.

Semi-precious stones are not a single material, but hundreds of different ones. Some are as hard as glass and can withstand almost anything, others are so soft they can be scratched with a fingernail, and a few dissolve slowly if they come under the tap. That's why general advice about "soap and water" isn't quite enough.

In this guide, we calmly go through what your stones and beads can actually withstand, how to clean them step by step, what to keep them away from, and how to store them so they stay beautiful for many years. Along the way, you'll find two overview tables you can consult when you have a specific material in hand.

Three things determine how much a material can withstand. Once you know them, you can assess a new stone yourself, even one you've never held before.

Hardness – how easily a stone gets scratched

Hardness is measured on the Mohs scale from 1 to 10, where talc is 1 and diamond is 10. The scale tells you what can scratch what: a stone can always be scratched by something harder than itself.

The practical implication is simple. Quartz sits at 7, and ordinary sand and dust contain exactly that – quartz. Anything below 7 can therefore, over time, develop fine scratches from perfectly ordinary household dust – or from a toothbrush, if it isn't soft enough. Amethyst, rock crystal, rose quartz, and agate are robust, while malachite, howlite, amber, and selenite require a much gentler hand.

Porosity – how much the stone absorbs

A stone can be quite hard and still be vulnerable if it's porous. Turquoise, howlite, magnesite, lapis lazuli, and lava stone have small cavities in the surface that soak up water, soap, skin oil, and cream. It's rarely something you notice right away. It shows up over months as a slow, uneven discoloration, and it can't be washed out again because it sits inside the stone.

Porous stones should therefore be wiped clean, not washed.

Treatments – wax, color, and impregnation

A great many stones on the market are treated, and this is completely normal and fully legal. Turquoise and malachite are often sold wax-treated or impregnated, so the surface becomes dense and glossy. Howlite and magnesite are dyed the sky-blue or coral-like color many people recognize. Agate comes in a sea of vivid colors that aren't the stone's own, and freshwater pearls can also be dyed.

[fed] Worth knowing: [/fed] The treatment sits on the surface and isn't as durable as the stone itself. Warm water can soften wax, soap and alcohol can draw out color, and strong sun can bleach it. If you're unsure whether a stone is dyed, treat it as if it is – that way you'll never go wrong.

The good news is that most of the care is something you do in ten seconds when you take the jewelry off.

The Daily Wipe-Down

Wipe the jewelry with a soft, lint-free cloth every time you have worn it. You remove skin oil, sweat and traces of cream while they are still sitting loosely on the surface – and then the thorough cleaning is rarely necessary. This method can be used on all materials without exception, even the delicate ones.

The Thorough Cleaning, Step By Step

If the jewelry needs more, do it like this – and only if the material is listed as water-tolerant in the table above:

• Fill a bowl with lukewarm water. Not hot, because sudden temperature changes can cause stones with natural cracks to split, and heat softens wax treatments.
• Add a single drop of mild, pH-neutral soap. Ordinary baby shampoo or a mild, fragrance-free dish soap works fine.
• Dip a soft cloth in the water and wring it out well. Wipe the stones off one at a time. Never soak the jewelry.
• If there is dirt in the drill hole or between the beads, you can use a completely soft brush with light movements – only on hard stones.
• Wipe afterward with a cloth wrung out in clean water, so no soap residue is left behind.
• Lay the jewelry flat on a towel and let it dry completely, preferably for a full day, before you wear or put it away.

The last point is more important than it sounds. Water that remains in a drill hole slowly comes back out and can leave a lime ring on light-colored stones – and a damp thread stretches and never quite becomes the same again.

The Stones That Must Never Touch Water

Some materials you should keep completely away from water. They should only be wiped with a dry, soft cloth:

• Selenite and satin spar dissolve slowly in water. The surface becomes rough and matte, and small fibers can begin to loosen.
• Malachite is soft, contains copper and reacts to acid. It tolerates neither prolonged water nor cleaning agents.
• Turquoise, howlite and magnesite are so porous that they absorb the soapy water and can change color from within.
• Amber is organic and soft. It tolerates neither alcohol, acetone nor harsh agents, and easily becomes matte.
• Angelite is related to gypsum and becomes chalky and matte with prolonged contact with water.
• Pyrite can oxidize with moisture, causing the surface to lose its metallic shine.
• Lava stone is porous and absorbs both water and oil. If you use it for scented oil, only drip it onto the lava stone itself and keep the oil away from the other materials.
  

Two things are worth highlighting, because they are the cause of a great many ruined pieces of jewelry.

Ultrasonic cleaners and steam cleaners do not belong with beads and semi-precious stones. Ultrasound sends powerful vibrations through the material, finding every tiny natural crack and widening it. Beads, glued parts, colored stones and anything with a drill hole can be damaged, and the damage cannot be fixed afterward.

Silver polishing dip, meaning the liquid you dip silver in, is just as harsh. It is made for shiny metal alone and ruins both mother-of-pearl, porous stones and most treatments. If you have silver parts in a beaded piece of jewelry, polish the metal with a polishing cloth instead – and keep the cloth away from the stones themselves.

Pearls are organic or coated, and they need to be treated more gently than most stones.

Freshwater Pearls

Freshwater pearls consist of nacre layered around a core, and they rank low on the Mohs scale. They cannot tolerate acid, and they become dull from perfume, hairspray, and sweat if not wiped off.

The golden rule is that pearls are the last thing you put on, once cream, makeup, and perfume have set – and the first thing you take off again. Wipe them with a soft cloth after use. If they need more, use a cloth dampened with lukewarm water and a single drop of mild soap, and let them dry completely flat afterward.

Pearls also benefit from a bit of air. If they are kept airtight in plastic for years, they can dry out and lose some of the depth of their luster.

Shell Pearls

The shell pearl has a hard, even surface and holds up very well to daily wear. The weakness lies in the coating. Alcohol, acetone, nail polish remover, and strong solvents can cause the layer to crack, and if the pearl repeatedly rubs against a sharp metal edge, the coating can eventually wear through. That's why shell pearls thrive best in designs where they don't sit directly against hard metal parts.

Glass Beads, Miyuki, and Crystal

Glass beads do not absorb water and are among the most forgiving materials you can work with. They can be cleaned with lukewarm water and mild soap without worry.

However, be mindful of the coatings. Beads with an AB effect, metallic coating, galvanized finish, or matte surface all have an outer layer that can wear off. Avoid abrasives, ultrasonic cleaning, and hard brushing, and don't let them lie loose together with hard stones that can scratch them.

When you build your own jewelry, it's rarely the stone that gives up first. A piece of jewelry can only withstand as much as its weakest part.

• Elastic is broken down by soap, alcohol, cream, and sunscreen, and it happens from the inside, without you being able to see it. Never soak an elastic bracelet, and expect to replace the thread at regular intervals if the bracelet is worn daily.
• Silk thread absorbs water and stretches when wet. If a knotted pearl necklace becomes damp, it should lie flat until completely dry, otherwise the chain will lengthen and the knots will loosen.
• Nylon thread and coated jewelry wire tolerate water well, but water still settles in the drill holes. Wipe dry and let the piece air-dry.
• Glued parts – cabochons, bead capsules, ear studs, and glued end pieces – come loose when soaked. Here you should only wipe them.
• Metal jewelry findings have their own needs. Sterling silver tarnishes, gold-plated parts have a coating that wears off, and brass can oxidize. Clean according to the material that tolerates the least.

What most often wears down a piece of jewelry is not the cleaning, but the things it encounters throughout the day.

Perfume, hairspray, cream, makeup, and sunscreen contain alcohol, oils, and acids that settle on the surface and penetrate porous stones. Hand sanitizer has emerged as a modern challenge, and it is harsh on both pearl coatings, gold plating, and colored stones. Remove rings and bracelets before using it, or let the sanitizer dry completely before putting the jewelry back on.

Chlorine at the swimming pool, salt in seawater, and detergents while washing dishes belong to the same category. Take off the jewelry before diving in, exercising, or cleaning – and rinse it in clean, lukewarm water and dry it off if it has nevertheless been in chlorine or salt water.

Direct sunlight is one of the few things that permanently changes a stone. Amethyst is the clearest example: it is colored by natural radiation, and prolonged exposure to light slowly draws it toward a pale grayish-purple, with no way back. The same applies to rose quartz, citrine, fluorite, aquamarine, and kunzite – and all colored stones where the color lies in the surface.

That's why the jewelry box doesn't belong on the windowsill, no matter how beautifully the stones shine there. If you need to photograph your jewelry in daylight, that's perfectly fine, but don't leave it out day after day.

Strong heat is also worth avoiding. A piece of jewelry in a car in summer, near a radiator, or in direct hair dryer heat can dry out glue, soften wax, and cause stones with natural inclusions to crack.

Good storage is the cheapest form of care there is.

• Store each piece of jewelry separately, in its own soft pouch or in a compartment of a padded case. That's the only sure way to avoid scratches.
• Keep the hard and the soft ones apart. Rock crystal, amethyst, and agate will scratch malachite, pearls, fluorite, and selenite without any effort if they lie together in the drawer.
• Lay necklaces flat or hang them up, so the thread doesn't sit in sharp bends for long periods.
• Choose a dry place without direct sunlight and without large temperature fluctuations. A bathroom cabinet is rarely a good spot.
• Freshwater pearls need a bit of air and shouldn't sit airtight in plastic for years.
• If you have silver pieces, they keep best in a closed pouch with a little air let out, which keeps moisture and sulfur-containing air away.

Many people use their stones as more than jewelry and cleanse or charge them according to traditions from crystal healing. These are cultural beliefs and not documented physical effects, but they hold great meaning for many – and that's why it's worth knowing which methods are gentle on the material, and which are not.

• Salt water is the method that ruins the most stones. Salt scratches soft surfaces, penetrates porous stones, and corrodes metal parts and thread. Turquoise, malachite, selenite, howlite, lapis lazuli, and all jewelry with silver or gold-plated parts should be kept completely free of it.
• Tap water suits the hard quartz stones, but not the soft and porous ones. Use the table above.
• Direct sunlight fades amethyst, rose quartz, citrine, and fluorite. If you want to use light, moonlight or indirect daylight is gentle.
• Dry methods are safe for almost everything: placing the stones on a selenite plate, using smoke from sage or incense, using sound, or simply letting them rest in a dark, dry place.

Whatever you believe in, the stone lasts longest when the method suits the material.

When you look closely at a naturally formed stone, you'll find small lines, inclusions, color shifts, and tiny irregularities. These aren't flaws, but imprints of the process the stone has gone through, and at the same time they're the best proof that it's a genuine natural stone and not a molded copy.

The natural marks do, however, matter for the care. A stone with inclusions is slightly more vulnerable to impact and temperature changes, because there are already small lines of weakness in the material. That's why lukewarm rather than warm water and a gentle hand rather than a hard brush is always the right way.

A beaded piece of jewelry isn't eternal in its original form, and that's completely normal. The thread is a wear part just like the sole of a pair of shoes.

Look out for whether the thread has become yellowish or fuzzy, whether there's visible thread between the beads on a knotted chain, whether an elastic bracelet has gone loose, or whether the beads have started to sit askew. If the answer is yes, it's time to restring the piece while the beads are still together – far easier than picking them up off the floor.

If you're the one who builds your own jewelry, this is exactly where you have the advantage: you can give your jewelry a whole new life with a fresh thread and a new clasp.

All care of stones and beads can be boiled down to four habits. Wipe the piece of jewelry off when you take it off. Keep it free of perfume, cream, hand sanitizer, and chlorine. Never soak it, regardless of material. And give it its own space when putting it away.

If you're in doubt about a particular stone, choose the gentlest method. A dry, soft cloth can never cause harm – and with the porous and soft materials, it's actually the right method all the way.

At Uniq Perler, we select our stones and beads with care, so you get materials that are good to work with and hold up to being worn. If you take care of them along the way, your jewelry will stay beautiful for many years.

See our entire range of beads and semi-precious stones here