The word is that diamonds are a girl’s best friend. While that might ring true for many, over a recent couple of years, hand sanitizer has become everyone’s best friend, companion, and must-have item. With the excessive use of sanitizer all day long, you might wonder if it can damage your precious gemstones, like sapphire.
Sapphire is unlikely to get damaged or devalued with hand sanitizer; however, overexposure can make your gemstone appear old and dirty. Sanitizer can create a dull film over the jewel, reducing its sparkle and clarity. It is best to remove jewelry before sanitizing it and clean it regularly.
Sapphire is a hard mineral gemstone, and hand sanitizer will not tarnish it. It does cause a residue that will need regular cleaning if you cannot avoid wearing it. It may cause damage to the band depending on the plating.
Will Hand Sanitizer Damage Sapphire?
Hand sanitizer is necessary for maintaining hygiene, health, and well-being. You should never compromise the use of it because you are afraid of tarnishing your sapphire jewelry. Of course, you don’t want your precious gemstone to get damaged with hand sanitizer, and that’s why you don’t have to worry because that is highly unlikely to happen.
Sapphire is a gemstone that will be safe when exposed to hand sanitizer. It will not get tarnished or devalued by hand sanitizer, nor will it change the color of the sapphire or scratch it. It will not cause irreversible damage to your gemstone.
The one thing that hand sanitizer does to your sapphire jewelry is it leaves a filmy residue from excessive use and overexposure. This residue will cause the gemstone to look dull and have a reduced sparkle. It may end up looking fake and inexpensive. The residue can get stuck between crevices; over time, your sapphire ring can look old, dirty, and worn out.
Why Hand Sanitizer Does Not Damage Sapphire?
Suppose you have ever had a piece of your jewelry damaged from products, detergents, sweat, air, or moisture. In that case, you will likely assume that something like hand sanitizer, which is meant to be powerful enough to kill germs like bacteria, will tarnish your beautiful sapphire jewelry. Since you now know it doesn’t, you are probably questioning why? What about sapphire that makes it unaffected?
Sapphire is a hard mineral substance – one of the hardest on the earth. Whether it is natural or synthetic, it is still rated high. On the Mohs scale (the system for rating the relative hardness of various materials), sapphire measures 9. It is the third hardest after diamonds at 10 and moissanite at 9.5.
These hard minerals, like sapphire, are highly durable and not easily damaged. They can get chipped and scratched, but a product like a hand sanitizer won’t be the reason. If you take care of your sapphire well, it can last a lifetime due to its sturdiness and durability.
How To Clean Sanitizer Residue From Sapphire?
Sometimes you cannot remove your jewelry before using hand sanitizer, and avoiding getting some product on or around your sapphire is impossible. There is a way to clean the residue off your jewelry and keep it shining like new.
You can take your sapphire to a professional to get it cleaned. They use special products and tools to clean your jewels and make them look brand-new. But you can always get to a professional, and you may want to clean your gemstone a little more often if it is excessively exposed to hand sanitizer.
Give your gemstone rings a warm, soapy bath by soaking them in a bowl or container for a few minutes and using a soft-bristle brush (like a designated toothbrush) to gently scrub your jewelry. That way, you can get between the crevices and ensure any film stuck there for some time will release. Rinse it off with clean water and gently wipe it dry.
For daily and overexposure, clean your gemstone daily or at least three times a week. You can assess your jewelry and see when it needs to be cleaned. You will notice a difference in clarity and sparkle.
The best and most recommended method of keeping your precious September birthstone safe and clean is to avoid wearing it if you know you need to use a lot of hand sanitizer. Another way is to remove your rings and set them aside safely before using hand sanitizer.
Can You Clean Sapphire With Hand Sanitizer?
After establishing that hand sanitizer won’t damage your sapphire rings, you may want to use it to wipe down and clean them. That is not recommended, as you now know that hand sanitizer can still affect your sapphires. Using sanitizer to clean sapphire may remove any bacteria on or around it, but it will also cause dullness, reduce shine, and leave a residue that will require deep cleaning later on.
You don’t want to hold back on the sanitizer if you feel you have been exposed to germs by getting coughed or sneezed on. Ensure you use enough product and get it all over your hands, even between your fingers and nails. If you are paranoid about your sapphire being exposed, you can give it a light wipe-down with a sanitizer, but it is best to avoid that and remove the jewelry instead.
Does Sanitizer Damage Diamonds?
Diamonds, like sapphire, are highly valuable, precious, and stunning gemstones. They are one of the most popular types of rings people wear. It is no wonder that hand sanitizer damage is also a concern. But diamonds, like sapphire, are a hard mineral substance and rate 10 on the Mohs scale, making them incredibly durable and resistant to damage from sanitizer.
Hand sanitizer will cause that filmy residue on diamonds, making them dull and less sparkly over time. If left for too long without cleaning, the diamonds will appear white and cloudy, allowing dirt to attach to them. As with sapphire, diamonds should be removed before using hand sanitizer and cleaned regularly.
Conclusion
Hand sanitizer is safe to use with sapphire but not recommended. It will not damage your sapphire but can dull it down over time with built-up residue, causing reduced shine. Regular cleaning is necessary, and removing it before applying hand sanitizer is recommended.
