How to care for your turquoise so it lasts decades.

The basics

Turquoise is a softer stone than something like sapphire or diamond. It rates 5–6 on the Mohs hardness scale, which means it's harder than your fingernail but softer than steel. It will scratch if you store it carelessly, and it can be discolored or damaged by chemicals you might not think twice about.

None of that means it's fragile. We have customers wearing the same Kingman ring daily for fifteen years that still looks beautiful. They just know what to avoid.

What to avoid

1. Chemicals

The biggest enemy of turquoise is chemical contact. The stone is porous (most natural turquoise is, even after stabilization) and it absorbs whatever it touches. Worst offenders:

• Lotion, sunscreen, hairspray, perfume, and makeup
• Bleach, ammonia, and household cleaners
• Chlorine (pools, hot tubs)
• Saltwater (oceans)
• Some essential oils

Rule of thumb: jewelry on last, jewelry off first. Apply lotion, do your hair, put on sunscreen — then put on the turquoise. Take it off before swimming, showering, or cleaning.

2. Heat and direct sunlight

Long exposure to high heat can fade turquoise color, especially in lower-grade or stabilized stones. Don't store your jewelry on a sunny windowsill, in a hot car, or near a heat vent.

3. Impact

Turquoise can chip. The most common cause: knocking your ring against a kitchen counter, doorframe, or the steering wheel. If you do heavy work with your hands (gardening, cooking, lifting), take the ring off first. We've repaired more turquoise rings damaged by kitchen counters than by any other cause.

4. Storing pieces piled together

Don't dump rings, cuffs, and pendants in the same drawer or jewelry box compartment. Sterling silver oxidizes and rubs off on softer stones, and harder pieces (diamond rings, hard gemstones) will scratch the turquoise cabochon. Store each piece in its own pouch or compartment.

How to clean it

Less is more. The simplest approach:

1. Wipe the stone gently with a soft, dry cloth after each wear.
2. For deeper cleaning, use a slightly damp cloth — water only, no soap, no jewelry cleaner.
3. Polish the silver separately with a sterling silver polishing cloth, avoiding the stone.
4. Never use ultrasonic cleaners, steam cleaners, or chemical jewelry dips on turquoise. They can crack the stone or strip stabilization resin.

How to store it

• Each piece in its own soft pouch or compartment, ideally lined with anti-tarnish cloth
• Out of direct sunlight
• Away from heat vents and humidity
• Travel: hard-shell jewelry case, each piece individually pouched

The maintenance schedule

Once a year, bring your favorite pieces in (or send them) for a check. We'll look for:

• Loose stones in bezel settings
• Worn prongs (rare on turquoise but can happen)
• Cracks or chips that need repair
• Tarnish or damage to the silverwork

We do this for free for any piece you bought from us, and at cost for pieces you bought elsewhere.

If something goes wrong

Bring it in. We can repair almost anything that goes wrong with turquoise jewelry: re-set a loose stone, replace a broken bezel, polish out a scratched silver band, even re-cut and re-set a cracked stone. Most repairs are quick and inexpensive.

What we can't fix: severe color loss from chemical exposure or sun damage. Once the stone has lost its color, the only fix is replacement. That's why prevention matters.

Related reading

• How to tell real Kingman turquoise from the fakes
• A short background on Kingman turquoise grades

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