Monthly Archives: January 2012

The awards season is upon us, and there will be beautiful jewels galore. The Golden Globes kicked things off on Sunday and did not disappoint. With actresses from both the big and small screens, we had even more gorgeousness to take in.

My favorite earrings of the night were worn by the beautiful Debra Messing. These amethyst and emerald three-stone drop earrings designed by Lorraine Schwartz looked fabulous with her red hair and hazel eyes. The combination of purple and green was an evident trend, with Julianna Margulies wearing it as well.

I also loved Julianne Moore’s emerald tassel earrings designed by Fred Leighton. They are classic and fresh for spring.

Both Debra and Julianne looked lovely in their emeralds. I know that fashion on the red carpet often drives trends for the year. Being me, when I look at the trend, I wonder if they people know how to clean it.

Emeralds are actually a relatively hard gem, as measured on the Mohs scale. A 10 ranks the highest (meaning a diamond, not Bo Derek), and emeralds come in at a 7.5 to 8. Opals, turquoise, peridot and coral are all softer than emeralds.

You may be thinking, “Great, that means I can’t hurt them.” Not true. Most emeralds are formed with natural inclusions or cracks within them, which makes the stones more susceptible to breaking along an inclusion line. So you should be gentle when cleaning to avoid damaging the stone along a fissure. This is a great example of why at-home ultrasonic machines are unsafe. Your pretty emerald could crack.

Also, emeralds are often treated with oils to minimize the appearance of inclusions and improve the stone’s clarity. So you should avoid cleaning methods that remove these oils, which will damage the look of the stone. Do not expose the stone to strong heat or steam, strong solvents such as ammonia or soak them for a prolonged period of time. If you do happen to damage the oil treatment, it can be redone or re-enhanced by a qualified jeweler.

Emeralds can safely be cleaned with a liquid cleaner formulated especially for delicate jewelry, one that does not include ammonia or any strong solvents. You can soak it for a short amount of time and then dry and buff the piece it with a polishing cloth.

Both Debra and Julianne’s earrings are made of mixed stones (Julianne’s have diamonds and Debra’s include amethysts). While those stones are stronger, because they are combined with emeralds, the pieces require the more delicate care. Always remember to clean based on what is safe for the most delicate gemstone, metal or setting in any piece.

I was so excited by the beautiful jewelry on display at The Golden Globes. While most of us don’t get to borrow goodies from Harry Winston or Neil Lane for the night, we can borrow from the looks for ourselves. I can’t wait to wear my sparkling clean emeralds this spring. Do you have any favorite emerald pieces you plan to get out of the vault?