How to Clean Hematite Jewelry

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Things You'll Need

  • Dish soap

  • Water

  • Bowl

  • Clean cloth

  • Soft-bristled toothbrush

  • Cotton swab

  • Vaseline or WD-40

Hematite, a form of iron ore, is a semiprecious stone that registers between 5.5 and 6.5 on the hardness scale. Because of this fact, the surface can develop a stain that looks like rust. It is a good idea to clean your hematite stones to prevent this stain from appearing. Hematite jewelry needs to be cleaned to remove oils, makeup, hairspray and pollutants from the air. Cleaning the jewelry at home instead of taking it to a jewelry store and having it professionally cleaned will save a lot of money.

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General Cleaning

Step 1

Mix a teaspoon of dish soap into a bowl of warm water. Wet a clean cloth in the soap solution. Wring out the excess water.

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Step 2

Wipe the hematite jewelry with the soft, damp, soapy cloth.

Step 3

Wet another cloth in plain water and wash the soap off the hematite jewelry piece.

Step 4

Dry the hematite jewelry with a soft, dry cloth.

Hematite Magnetic Clasp

Step 1

Brush the hematite magnetic clasp with a dry, soft-bristled toothbrush.

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Step 2

Wipe off the hematite magnetic clasp with a lint-free towel. This will remove any dirt from the toothbrush.

Step 3

Dab the end of a cotton swab in Vaseline or WD-40. Touch this to the end of the clasp. This helps prevent rust from building up on the ends.

Tip

Hematite is a weak magnet and it will not pick up other metals. If you have one that is magnetic, it is probably an artificial man-made stone.

A hematite magnetic clasp needs cleaning once a month.

Hematite scratches and breaks rather easily. Do not put hematite jewelry into an ultrasonic or steam cleaner.

Keep hematitle away from chemicals, ammonia and acids.

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