Since the hosts don’t tell you guys this...

[Gemaholic]

I decided to create a post because I’m seeing several threads about jewelry care and it upsets me that SLC hosts spend more time talking about mines closing than they do about care for your jewelry. Below are a list of gemstones that are not intended for everyday wear. I will also note which ones are not even intended to be put in rings yet SLC continues to sell them as rings without a disclaimer:

1. Russian Chrome Diopside: this is not a durable stone! It is not intended to be put in rings so it is very susceptible to losing stones or chipping. It’s best as a pendent. It’s only between a 5 and a 6 on the Moh’s scale of hardness. If you choose to wear this, wear it with caution and do not wear it during cleaning, lifting, working out, etc.

2. Neon Apatite: This one will sadden a lot of you as it is so beautiful and you will want to wear it all the time. This is also a fragile stone and is not suited for rings. It’s only a FIVE on the Moh’s scale of hardness and is very brittle (making it weaker). If put in rings, it most likely will fall out no matter how good the prongs are. It’s best to wear it if you literally will be standing around and the only task you have is holding your merlot in one hand (or whatever your drink of choice is). I have experienced this many times and so has other family members of mine. It is also heat sensitive so keep in mind if you choose to wear it on a hot day or cook with it on.

3. Kunzite: will fade in the sun! It is called a night stone for a reason! Do not wear this during the day or you will see your beautiful Kunzite lose its vibrancy and color!

4. Ethiopian Welo Opal: there are several different kinds of opals. They are mineraloids, not minerals, so they’re a little bit trickier than typical minerals. They are extremely temperature sensitive. Do not subject them to extreme heat or extreme cold. Welo Opals are hydrophane opals which means they absorb water very easily which then turns it yellow. Sometimes it will return to its natural color after it has dried, but I have rarely or never saw it return to its beautiful state after it got wet.

5. Lapis Lazuli- one of my favorites but it is also only a 5 on the Moh’s Scale. This stone is actually not a mineral, but a rock that is composed of the minerals Calcite, Pyrite, and Lazurite(which gives it the beautiful cobalt blue color). It is very soft and should not be left in water too long. I have collected this rock on my rockhounding trips, and I can assure you, it is very sensitive to water. I’ve left some lapis rocks in water too long and have seen it shrink in size considerably. I can’t tumble it with my other rocks in my tumbler because it will whither away within a few days.

6. Pearls- Most people know these are organic gems and need to be handled and worn carefully. Do not get any chemicals on it as it will wear away the luster and can even wear away the nacre. Don’t wear it on top of lotions, creams, perfumes and don’t even put them on if you’re wearing them. I personally only own pearl necklaces since wearing it as a ring is too risky.

7. Shungite. They tell us to wear it all the time but this stone is made of carbon which is very soft. The only reason it gets its own name is because of the fullerines which is not normally found in carbon.
It’s only between a 3 and a 4 on the Moh’s scale! Yikes! That right there says enough! This stone is very fragile and when it’s made into pendants or if holes are drilled into it, the integrity of the stone is weakened and will break in time. It’s actually inevitable.

8. Amethyst, Citrine, treated zircons, and rose quartz: these are all pretty tough stones but they have the same problem: they’re sensitive to the sun. Prolonged exposure will lighten them. Zircons that are exposed to sun too long or left in the sun can even turn back to its original color of brown (yuck). Imagine how that will look as accent stones on some of your favorite rings!

These are the ones that I could think of at the top of my head but I will add more if I think of others. Feel free to ask questions about other minerals I didn’t list here! I’m a scientist so this is my favorite thing to talk about!

Thank you for your post. Gemaholic! What about common opal, the one with no play of color, like Oregon Blue Opal and Peruvian Pink Opal?

Is Ceruleite safe to wear? Ceruleite is a stone that is color is similar to turquoise. However, in many websites like Gemsociety and Classic Gems don't tell me anything if it is safe to wear. I love all gems among them the rare ones. I won't wear Cinnabar because its poisonous. Could you talk about dangerous minerals? I think a post about these beautiful but dangerous minerals deserve its own thread.

I missed the ceruleite question. It's only a 5 on the Mohs scale, so I would be careful wearing it as well. It is an * mineral, so don't use any other chemicals cleaning it other than mild dish soap and water. I like this stone too and it's too pretty for me to not own! I have pendents though, not rings.

[Spooky]

AHH THAT was the stone I was forgetting! THANK YOU @Spooky It was driving me nuts because I knew I was forgetting one in particular--KYANITE! I am curious to hear from people here if they purchased it as a ring. I want to know how long it lasted. Kyanite is tricky since its hardness ranges quite a bit. who knows if they're selling us that crappy pieces though that are a 4 on the Moh's opposed to the higher quality kyanite that is a 7 on the MS.

Awhile back I’d ordered 2 different pair of kyanite
earrings and both came deeply scratched. I knew it was
a gamble but thought I’d try. So no kyanite in jewelry
if you really want to wear it.
Also remembered that bumble bee jasper is pretty toxic
as well as malachite being radioactive (?). @gemaholic is there any process that can be done to make these
stones safe to handle?

Malachite isn't radioactive. The high amount of copper in it is the problem. Copper is ok in smaller quantities, but the amount in malachite exceeds the safe zone so to speak. There are a lot of things in nature that is radioactive. I think people get too hung up on it. Some of these gemstones that are radioactive are only bad if they are in HUGE amounts. I think Chernoybl has gotten everyone really frightened of this but if you eat bananas, you're exposing yourself to radioactive particles (yes, bananas are radioactive). Potatoes, carrots, and beer also contain radioactive particles. Don;t stop eating them though! It is almost impossible to consume enough to kill you! Quartz contains silica which in high quantities can cause lung cancer.It definitely makes you rethink those quartz countertops over the granite!

As far as treatments go, for rocks like serpentine, tiger's eye, and crocidolite, get them in polished form only. The asbestos fibers are a threat when they are "loose". When these stones are polished, the asbestos fibers won't be released unless you somehow break the stone or rub it against something to release the powder. As far as radioactive rocks, this is a very detailed answer I would have to give as it involved the process of radioactive decay. There is a reason why Chernoybl is not safe enough to go live there again. There is a time period rocks and minerals have for the radioactive particles to "die" or decay. This method is also how we determined how old the earth is, how old certain volcanoes are, etc. I could get more into this, ut it may bore people as avoiding scientific jargon would be hard to avoid when describing this process.

Science is always interesting to me. Talk away. Thanks for the updated details on the stones. @Gemaholic have you watched Chernobyl on hbo? Super well done!

[Ginger]

Spooky, I’ve watched documentaries on Chernobyl on channels like Discovery and Travel. The place looked so bad, desolate & outright terrifying to me. I love science too & my gemstones plus love reading. This topic is so interesting & I love hearing all about it, I absorb new knowledge like a sponge & love writing as well. I wish everyone a happy weekend

[LoyalCustomer717]

Add 'grandidierite' to the list of do not wear.....everyday, or for more than an hour in my case. Purchased item 3450024. Got the ring shipped to me with a white tag that said 'for tv' attached to the ring band along with the usual yellow label. So, had the ring 5 days, decided to wear it today for the first time and within an hour, a stone was gone. I called trying to get help but shoplc doesn't believe in a customer having the option of having a ring repaired or a stone replaced. Not only did i get a ring that was used during a t v presentation ... But i got accused of making it up about the label being attached saying "for tv." so, i'm not a happy camper. And all i've been told is return the ring for a refund. Can't get a replacement, my size is gone. Not happy at all. (*Edited to remove All Caps*)

[Ginger]

My advice, take a screenshot of the label that says for TV, so that way you have proof of what you’re saying. I was annoyed last night with Blake showing those beautiful museum quality stones for thousands of dollars & claiming their stones were top quality (as comparisons from the web). What I saw wasn’t top quality but almost white opaque stones. All the while saying he’s a graduate gemologist, those stones looked nothing like the beautiful ones they were comparing to what they were selling. I’ve not bought anything & will look elsewhere if I want this stone. I see many inclusions, black spots & even white banding in lots of what they have shown before. I think lots of us are getting used items & makes you wonder why you’re tag said for TV? I wonder if it was a better stone to be presented on air? Just wondering because it makes one think

[RS]

My advice, take a screenshot of the label that says for TV, so that way you have proof of what you’re saying. I was annoyed last night with Blake showing those beautiful museum quality stones for thousands of dollars & claiming their stones were top quality (as comparisons from the web). What I saw wasn’t top quality but almost white opaque stones. All the while saying he’s a graduate gemologist, those stones looked nothing like the beautiful ones they were comparing to what they were selling. I’ve not bought anything & will look elsewhere if I want this stone. I see many inclusions, black spots & even white banding in lots of what they have shown before. I think lots of us are getting used items & makes you wonder why you’re tag said for TV? I wonder if it was a better stone to be presented on air? Just wondering because it makes one think

My most recent Grandidierite ring, the stone has a large white band running across it. It’s going back. My others do not have that at all!

[Spooky]

Spooky, I’ve watched documentaries on Chernobyl on channels like Discovery and Travel. The place looked so bad, desolate & outright terrifying to me. I love science too & my gemstones plus love reading. This topic is so interesting & I love hearing all about it, I absorb new knowledge like a sponge & love writing as well. I wish everyone a happy weekend

Hi Ginger!,
Watching Chernobyl and seeing all the lies that were told and information that never got to the people just blew my mind plus it scared me to death. I love science though and always have. You have a great weekend too

[Gemaholic]

Loved the Chernobyl series, wish it had not ended.

LOL well, let's be happy it did because if there was a second season, that would mean we all may not be here . That accident could have been way worse than what it ended up as (even though it's still catastrophic in the former USSR territory due to the radiation that spread).

[Gemaholic]

Awhile back I’d ordered 2 different pair of kyanite
earrings and both came deeply scratched. I knew it was
a gamble but thought I’d try. So no kyanite in jewelry
if you really want to wear it.
Also remembered that bumble bee jasper is pretty toxic
as well as malachite being radioactive (?). @gemaholic is there any process that can be done to make these
stones safe to handle?

Malachite isn't radioactive. The high amount of copper in it is the problem. Copper is ok in smaller quantities, but the amount in malachite exceeds the safe zone so to speak. There are a lot of things in nature that is radioactive. I think people get too hung up on it. Some of these gemstones that are radioactive are only bad if they are in HUGE amounts. I think Chernoybl has gotten everyone really frightened of this but if you eat bananas, you're exposing yourself to radioactive particles (yes, bananas are radioactive). Potatoes, carrots, and beer also contain radioactive particles. Don;t stop eating them though! It is almost impossible to consume enough to kill you! Quartz contains silica which in high quantities can cause lung cancer.It definitely makes you rethink those quartz countertops over the granite!

As far as treatments go, for rocks like serpentine, tiger's eye, and crocidolite, get them in polished form only. The asbestos fibers are a threat when they are "loose". When these stones are polished, the asbestos fibers won't be released unless you somehow break the stone or rub it against something to release the powder. As far as radioactive rocks, this is a very detailed answer I would have to give as it involved the process of radioactive decay. There is a reason why Chernoybl is not safe enough to go live there again. There is a time period rocks and minerals have for the radioactive particles to "die" or decay. This method is also how we determined how old the earth is, how old certain volcanoes are, etc. I could get more into this, ut it may bore people as avoiding scientific jargon would be hard to avoid when describing this process.

Science is always interesting to me. Talk away. Thanks for the updated details on the stones. @Gemaholic have you watched Chernobyl on hbo? Super well done!

I definitely watched it and was obsessed with it! Very well done! I loved how beautifully done it was down to the haunting music. My ONLY complaint is that they gave everyone British accents. I studied the Russian language, so I was bummed to see them take this route. I also think they explained nuclear fission pretty well considered nuclear physics is a very complicated subject! One of my hardest test questons in college was explaining the nuclear reactions inside the sun...in my own words! Very hard lol.

[Luchita]

What about granditierite?