Figuring out how to clean your jade can be pretty confusing - there is a lot of advice out there and it’s not always clear who to trust. We’d like to offer a guide to figure out what to do in a clear and accessible way. We hope it helps!
Make sure you know how to check if your Jade is treated or untreated as they have different cleaning needs. If you’re not sure you can check out our guide here.
All Jade Artisan Products are non-treated Artisan jade, so the guide below is for natural untreated jade only. What to know how to distinguish real jade from the fake? Read this article: Is My Jade Jewelry Real? How to Differentiate Real Jade from Fake Jade.
To know how to clean your Jade, it’s useful to understand a little bit about what makes Jade different from other gemstones.
Artisan Masterpiece in different beautiful gemstones - Bespoke Brooch Collection
Jade’s structure is a dense, fibrous matrix - it can seem almost like an organic living material than a gemstone. When you hold high quality Jade up to the light, it can seem to glow as it refracts the light, giving it a unique luminous quality.
This is also due to the many tiny holes in the structure of Jade. This means that Jade is actually slightly absorbent, and why treating it blocks those holes and stops it from being able to ‘breathe’.
Not being able to breathe is bad and leads to cracking - but it also is key to caring for your Jade, which makes all the difference long before cleaning happens.
That breathing quality means Jade is absorbent! This can be good - or bad.
It means your Jade will absorb whatever you expose it to, whether that’s beeswax, your hands, coffee spills so if you spill anything on your Jade, you should make sure to wipe it off ASAP, as unlike other gemstones it can get discolored easily.
To protect the Jade, you can try the traditional method of applying beeswax or even white candle wax. That will seal and protect the Jade from dirt and grime without closing it completely.
Some people also believe that handling your Jade will help improve it’s luster; since the natural oils from your hands will condition it.
As a final note, while Jade is very resilient, don’t think that this means you shouldn’t be gentle with your Jade. Bumps can cause invisible micro-fractures inside which gradually spread and can cause cracks months or even years later. So be careful with your Jade!
If your Jade is authentic, you’ll know that it’s time to clean it because the luminous, glowing quality will begin to fade. With good maintenance, once a week is enough for Jewelry you wear regularly. You can follow the simple process below to safely and easily clean your Jade.
Fill a bowl with warm, soapy water (be sure it’s alcohol free soap) and soak the jade for up to one minute. A few drops of dish soap is usually fine.
Gently rub the Jade with a soft brush or soft towel. You can use a toothbrush or toothpick for hard to reach places.
Rinse the Jade at water the same temperature as the water in the bowl and let it dry naturally in the air.
But what if that’s not enough? Simple - just add ammonia to your solution - 8 parts water, 1 part soap and 1 part ammonia.
Ammonia is not something everyone is familiar with, but you should be able to easily find it in your local drugstore if you ask.
If your Jade is in a piece of jewelry with other materials, be sure to check if ammonia is compatible with them. Shake or gently towel the piece dry.
That’s it! Pretty simple.
After cleaning, it’s recommended to reapply a little beeswax to protect it. This will not damage the Jade and also make it easier to clean next time.
🎁 Find your jade jewelry on Jade Artisan's official website or contact us to have yours custom-made.
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