What Do I Do if I Damage My Gemstone?


emeraldringAnyone who has worn jewelry for any length of time understands that there is a natural wear-and-tear process it will undergo. Over time the metal doesn’t look as shiny, the stone starts to look a little less dazzling, and the edges of the prongs or bezels will look a little less distinct. This is totally natural and a quick stop at a local jeweler for a polish and cleaning can bring the jewelry back to life in some pretty amazing ways. But what happens when you look down and see that there is a little line running across the stone? Or maybe a slight indent in one of the edges of a facet? Inevitably there will be a little disappointment. I mean, pretty much everyone loves the way a new car looks, or new clothes. But all it takes is a few rides down a road or a few loads of laundry for it to lose some of that “new perfection”. Unfortunately the same is true of jewelry and no matter what stone you are wearing it is going to eventually meet with a little ding, scratch, or chip.

The first question that people usually ask us is: “Is my stone still okay for Jyotish (astrology)?” The short answer is, “Yes”. However, we aren’t usually looking at the stone when we say this, but most of the time the damage is very minuscule and affects less than 5% of the overall surface of the stone. Stones that are softer are inevitably going to become scratched. You can refer to our previous blog, Caring for Your Jyotish Jewelry, to find out about the durability of your stone. Stones that are very hard, like diamonds and sapphires, can still get nicks and chips from contact with other objects. It is also important to take into account that when a stone has a nick or a chip on it, it may be positioned in such a way that any more trauma could cause a very small chip to become a very big chip. If you think the damage on your stone that could impact the durability of the stone, you should have it evaluated by a gemologist for a professional opinion.kashmirringtop

Recutting  a stone is not a simple process and must be undertaken by a professional lapidarist. A lapidarist is different from a jeweler or a gemologist. They are usually experts who have spent many years learning to cut and polish soft stones before undertaking precious gemstones. A gemstone must be removed from the jewelry setting before being repolished. Then it is sent to a lapidarist who will evaluate and recut it to improve the look and durability of the stone. Most stones that have basic wear and tear on them can be repolished and lose only a small percentage of the weight of the stone. Usually the stone will look brand new again. If there is serious damage to the stone, for example a crack that runs right down a corner, the lapidarist may recommend recutting it to remove the damaged section. This could affect the shape and therefore have a significant impact on the weight of the stone, and in such a case, it may be more beneficial to replace it with a new one.

The important thing for an astrology stone is that the energy of the stone is still very present. When a stone isn’t able to transmit the light properly, if the face has more than 30% of it affected by damage, then it would be beneficial to think about getting it recut. Astrological Gem customers are always more than welcome to contact us with any questions or concerns they have about their jewelry.

10 thoughts on “What Do I Do if I Damage My Gemstone?

  1. Hi there,
    I had a quick question about my gemstone ring, I’m wearing emerald on my finger and can see on the surface there are very small chips that I can only see when looking in the light, but there are no cracks or long lines, I was just wondering for astrological purposes will my ring still work or is it dangerous?

    Regards, Amie

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    1. Hi Amie, small nicks and chips are extremely common on most stones and especially emeralds. That being said, as long as the damage seems to be just minor surface damage it shouldn’t be negative astrologically. However, over time you might notice that the brilliance of the stone doesn’t seem to come through in the same way and at that time you might want to consider having it repolished with a lapidarist so you don’t risk irreparable damage.

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      1. I am wearing a yellow sapphire. On its surface, I can see a minor depression/scratch(just one and small), its not a crack. I can see it clearly in light. Will it have any negative effect with respect to astrology.

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      2. A small scratch shouldn’t have any negative effects astrologically but if you see more and more you will want to consider having it professionally repolished by a lapidarist. Scratches can make it more susceptible to further damage so take care not to let it come into contact with other jewelry, especially diamond jewelry.

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  2. Hello! I have bought a perfect quality untreated blue sapphire. After wearing it for 2 month a small line appeared inside for no reason, I saw it as I woke up one day. I haven’t damaged the gem. The jeweler said it’s not a crack. What could have caused it and is it dangerous to wear it?

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    1. Hi Kate, I’m very sorry to hear about the mysterious line in your stone. Without seeing it its very hard to say what it could be. The best thing to do is to clean the jewelry thoroughly. It could possibly be light shining off a growth structure in the sapphire that isn’t visible when the stone is clean. All natural stones have growth patterns in them from the millions of years it takes to form the stones. So hopefully that’s all it is and cleaning it will allow the light to flow through it properly. If it doesn’t go away it would be a good idea to have it checked out by a gemologist who can give you a better idea of what might be going on. Good luck!

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      1. I’m wearing a green emerald for my studies. Its got a small crack on the bottom..it doesn’t run through the emerald but it’s just there at the bottom a little….my astrologer said it is still ok.. cuz it’s not broken . He tried to break it he says you can wear it unless it breaks . Could you give me mail id so I can send you the image of it
        ASK

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  3. Hlw.. I have bought a zircon recently and I dropped in on the ground… Now a small chip or small part broke and it was in my palm… The zircon looked unsymmetrical… Its really hurts to see my new stone in that manner… Any suggestions for what to do next 😩😟😭😭?

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    1. That’s too bad, Snighda. Zircons are especially easy stones to chip. I would recommend looking for local lapidarist group to see if there is someone who could repolish it for you.

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  4. I have a yellow suphire ring
    & i was just having a little bit crack at one side of it very tiny very small ,
    I am very much considered about it,

    & meee
    I just did something 2 it
    I just heated it on a gas stove in my kitchen highly heated and it was very much shiny
    And after that it was so hot that i cant wear it so i my self got up to the freezer and has put some ice on it ,
    And in just one minute it broke down very badly
    So expensive it was
    I have a bad habit to experiment & judge each and every thing ?
    What 2 do ?
    What not 2 do ?
    I am very much guilty and angry on myself!
    How can i b sooo ….?
    How can i re make it ?
    Is it possible now ?
    No experiment or experience?
    I can’t wear it in this condition?
    Its almost broken fully ?
    I can’t made it correct once again ?
    And also cant afford one more ?
    Soo bad i am ?
    Can any one say me how can i make this yellow sapphire allright?
    😖

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