Sapphires have a long and rich history and remain a modern representation in the jewelry industry. Sapphire’s beautiful features make it one of the most well-known gemstones all across the globe. Ancient cultures believe the sapphire possesses incredible power, and sapphires are becoming increasingly popular in engagement rings, bracelets, and necklaces. Can sapphires be worn every day?

Sapphires can be worn every day due to their hardness and stability. Sapphire contains no cleavage, and both untreated and treated sapphires are durable. However, some caution must be taken when working with chemicals, and a sapphire should be cleaned and maintained when worn daily.

If you’ve recently bought or received a precious sapphire, you may be curious if you can flaunt this stunning gemstone daily, whether it’s for your daily chores, office work, or meetings. Well, we have all the answers for you!

Are Sapphires Durable Enough For Daily Wear?

When you need to determine whether or not any gemstone, including a sapphire, is durable and strong enough to wear on a daily basis, you need to look at its position on the Mohs scale. A gemstone’s durability will refer to its ability to resist wear and tear and the scratches that come with it.

Generally, the stronger a gemstone is classified, the more likely it will last for long periods, a lifetime, or many generations to come. To measure the hardness of a gemstone, in this case, the sapphire, the Mohs scale is the most accurate.

German mineralogist and geologist Fredrich Mohns developed this scale based on the ease or difficulty with which one mineral can become scratched by another. Each stone is given a score ranging from 1 to 10, with 10 being excellent hardness.

The sapphire gets an excellent nine on the Mohs scale, making it one of the market’s hardest and most durable jewels. Moreover, a sapphire contains no cleavage, which is a feature causing a gem to crack or chip when they are bumped or scraped.

This makes a sapphire one of the best for rings and other mountings that want to be worn daily.

Considerations For Wearing A Sapphire Every Day

When wearing your sapphire ring, bracelet, necklace, or earrings daily, you must consider some factors. Let’s take a look at them:

Some Sapphires Have Different Durability Levels

Heat-treated and untreated sapphires are durable, but sapphires that have undergone lattice diffusion will have different degrees of treated-color penetration. The treated color will penetrate the entire stone with some sapphires, whereas others may only penetrate the surface.

Recutting or surface damage to a sapphire could remove its color, especially if it has been lattice diffusion treated with the color penetrating only the surface.

Remember that sapphires full of the tiniest fractures reaching the surface may be filled mostly with high lead-content glass. This specific filler could become damaged when it comes into direct contact with some chemicals.

Even the relatively mildest substances, such as lemon juice, could cause an alteration of high lead content glass.

However, you’d be happy to hear that the amount of sapphires filled with this high lead glass is significantly lower than other types of gemstones. In most cases, the glass filler in sapphires would be high-end.

Remember that sapphires treated this way require more care than heat-treated, lattice diffusion-treated, and untreated sapphires.

Consider Protective Settings On Your Sapphire Piece

Protective settings could help any gemstone to be worn safely every day, especially those known to be more prone to scratches.

Although sapphire is a durable and hard gemstone, you could consider a bezel setting or a rub-over setting.

Most people prefer the more popular protective setting, where they wrap a gemstone in a continuous circle of metal to keep it secure, such as silver or gold.

This will allow you to confidently wear your sapphire accessory without being concerned about damage.

Know How To Clean Your Sapphire

The more you wear your sapphire accessory, the more often it will require cleaning. Oil and dust buildup from everyday wear could cause the stone to become dull or faded, but this could easily be cleaned off to keep it looking good as new!

Mild dishwashing soap and warm water would be your safest option. Steam and ultrasonic cleaners are generally safe for heat-treated, lattice diffusion-treated, or even untreated sapphire.

Remember that cavity-filled, fracture-filled, or dyed sapphires should only be cleaned lightly with a damp, lint-free cloth.

The same care and cleaning guidelines will apply if you have sapphire with diamond accent stones.

Tips For Keeping Your Sapphire Jewelry Safe For Daily Wear

When you’re wearing fine jewelry daily, you will have to practice caution for certain tasks. Let’s look at the best practices for your sapphire jewelry to keep them in top shape for years to come:

Insure Your Sapphire Piece/Pieces

When you’re wearing a piece of expensive jewelry, such as your sapphire, on a daily basis, one of the best things you can do is to insure them. If you are unsure about the value of your particular piece, it would be best to have it appraised by a jeweler.

This way, if you get robbed or lose your sapphire due to unforeseen circumstances, you’ll be covered.

Avoid Wearing Your Sapphire When Doing Certain Tasks

Avoid wearing your sapphire jewelry when you’re washing dishes, gardening, participating in sports, or doing any other work that requires your hands.

It would always be best to remove your jewelry as certain chemicals, or abrasive cleaners could damage the surface and cause cracks.

Even though sapphire is a durable stone, it would be best to prevent unnecessary damage.

Store Your Sapphire Jewelry Separately

Due to sapphire’s hardness, it could scratch and damage other pieces in your jewelry box.

Additionally, diamonds are the only stones that could cause damage to your sapphire piece, so it would be best to store your sapphire jewelry separately, such as in a pouch or envelope.

Check Your Sapphire Jewelry Often

When you wear your sapphire piece daily, you need to check the piece often to ensure the stone isn’t becoming loose. If you notice imperfections or loose parts, hold off on wearing them until you can check with your local professional.

It is recommended to visit a jeweler once a year to have your sapphire piece polished, checked, resized, or repaired, especially when worn daily.

Conclusion

If you’re looking for a stunning piece of jewelry that will turn heads where ever you go and can be worn daily, a sapphire piece is a worthy candidate! As long as you follow the general care guidelines, your sapphire will remain beautiful and wearable for decades!

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