Because amber is brittle and soft by nature, it is vulnerable to chipping and scratching. Avoid wearing your amber jewelry while performing heavy labor or tasks that could put your jewelry in danger of impact. Also, try to avoid storing your amber with other metals and stones that could scratch it. Some people keep each piece of amber in its own cloth or plastic bag to prevent the stone from getting scratched.
Another thing to watch out for is the sterling silver, as it is naturally susceptible to tarnishing. Hairspray, perfume, and lotions can dull your amber over time, so apply beauty products before putting on your amber jewelry. Amber can also be damaged by chlorine and cleaning products. Take care when polishing amber and silver jewelry not to harm the amber with the polish: consider using a silver polishing cloth instead of just polish.
Amber melts at high temperatures, so avoid extreme heat. Although it is natural for amber to darken over the years, it is important to care for your amber regularly by washing it with warm water – NEVER with soap – and drying it immediately with a soft, lint-free cloth. Amber’s luster can be renewed by using a drop of olive oil and buffing with a soft, lint-free cloth.
Cleaning Your Amber Jewelry
What You Will Need
- Two containers of water
- A toothbrush
- Liquid soap
- Olive oil
- A few towels
Step by Step Process for Cleaning Your Amber
- Mix a small amount of liquid soap in the water.
- Take the toothbrush, dip it in the soap and water mixture, and scrub the amber gently.
- You’re going to want to focus on the area wear the silver meets the amber, or in the case of amber without silver, in between the amber stones, or beads.
- Rinse off any residue from the soap, by washing off the amber in your other container of water.
- Take a very small amount of olive oil, apply it to your hand, (or finger depending on the size of the amber) and work it into the stone. This will help keep your stone have a beautiful luster.
*Remember to be careful when cleaning Amber has an approximately Mohs Hardness Value of 2.5, which means it’s a very soft gemstone, and can be scratched.