What Jewelers Wish Customers Knew About Gemstone Damage

Most people assume gemstones last forever. After all, they come from deep within the earth, have survived millions of years, and are often marketed as “durable” or “hard.” It’s easy to believe that once a stone is set into a ring, necklace, or bracelet, it’s essentially invincible. Unfortunately, that belief is one of the biggest reasons jewelers see damaged stones every day.

Stone damage is far more common than most customers realize, and it’s rarely caused by dramatic accidents. Instead, it usually happens during normal, everyday wear. Jewelers don’t expect customers to be gemologists, but there are a few key truths about stone damage they wish more people understood before something chips, cracks, or suddenly looks very different than it did when new.

Understanding how gemstones behave in the real world doesn’t just protect your jewelry; it can save you money, stress, and heartbreak.

Hardness Doesn’t Mean Indestructible

One of the most common misconceptions is that hardness equals toughness. When customers hear that diamonds rank a 10 on the Mohs scale of hardness, they often assume that nothing can damage them. In reality, hardness only measures resistance to scratching, not resistance to breaking.

Diamonds are extremely hard, but they can still chip or crack if struck at the wrong angle. The crystal structure that gives diamonds their brilliance also creates natural cleavage planes, meaning there are directions along which the stone can split. Jewelers regularly see chipped diamonds that were worn daily and never subjected to what the owner considered “rough” treatment.

Softer stones like emerald, opal, or tanzanite are even more vulnerable. They can scratch, abrade, or fracture easily during activities that seem harmless, such as typing, gripping a steering wheel, or bumping into a countertop.

Everyday Activities Are the Biggest Culprit

When customers imagine stone damage, they often picture extreme events like dropping a ring onto concrete or slamming a hand in a door. While those can cause damage, jewelers are more concerned with routine activities.

Wearing rings while cleaning, gardening, exercising, or doing chores is one of the most common ways stones are damaged. Chemicals in household cleaners can weaken certain gemstones or damage their surfaces.  Physical impact from lifting weights, pushing shopping carts, or handling tools can cause chips and cracks, especially in stones with sharp corners.

Even office work can pose risks. Repeatedly tapping a ring against a desk, keyboard, or phone creates small impacts over time. Those minor hits may not cause immediate damage, but they can weaken a stone until it chips seemingly out of nowhere.

Not All Stones Are Suitable for Daily Wear

Many customers choose gemstones based on color, symbolism, or trends without realizing that some stones simply aren’t ideal for everyday jewelry. Jewelers often wish customers understood that beauty and durability are not the same thing.

Emeralds, for example, are prized for their rich green color, but they’re naturally included and often treated with oils or resins to improve clarity. Those inclusions and treatments make emeralds more prone to cracking. Opals contain water, meaning they can crack if exposed to heat, dryness, or sudden temperature changes. Tanzanite, while stunning, is fairly soft and can chip easily.

This doesn’t mean these stones shouldn’t be worn or loved. It means they require more care and are better suited for occasional wear rather than daily use. Jewelers wish more customers understood this before choosing certain stones for engagement rings or everyday jewelry.

Prongs and Settings Matter More Than You Think

Stone damage isn’t always about the gemstone itself. Very often, the setting plays a major role. Jewelers frequently see damaged stones that could have been protected with a different design or routine maintenance.

Prongs wear down over time, especially on rings worn daily. As prongs thin or loosen, stones can shift in their settings, making them more likely to chip when bumped. Sharp corners, like those on princess, marquise, or pear shaped stones, are particularly vulnerable if they aren’t properly protected.

Setting a stone in a semi-bezel or full bezel is a safer way to protect it from damage, especially if it ranks lower on the Mohs scale of hardness. 

Chips Don’t Always Happen All at Once

One of the most difficult conversations jewelers have is explaining that stone damage didn’t necessarily happen during the last activity a customer remembers. Chips and fractures often develop gradually.

A stone may suffer a small internal fracture from an unnoticed impact. Over time, continued stress allows that fracture to spread until a visible chip appears. When it finally shows, it can feel sudden and shocking, even though the damage has been building for months or years.

This is why jewelers strongly recommend  regular inspections. Catching loose stones, worn prongs, or early fractures can prevent far more serious damage later.

Repairs Aren’t Always Simple or Invisible

Many customers assume a chipped or cracked stone can simply be “fixed.” Jewelers wish it were that easy. While some minor chips can be polished out, doing so removes material from the stone, which can affect size, symmetry, and value.

In some cases, repair means recutting the stone, resulting in noticeable weight loss. In others, repair isn’t possible at all, and replacement is the only option. Certain stones, especially those with unique colors or custom cuts, can be difficult or costly to source again.

Even when repairs are possible, they take time and involve risk. Resetting or recutting a damaged stone always carries the chance of further damage, especially if the stone is already compromised.

Treatments Change How Stones React

Many gemstones on the market have undergone treatments such as heat, irradiation, filling, or coating. While these processes can enhance color and clarity, they can also affect durability.

Heat treated stones are generally stable, but filled stones like emeralds can react poorly to ultrasonic cleaners or harsh chemicals. Coated stones may lose their surface layer over time, particularly when exposed to cleaning solutions.

Jewelers wish more customers understood what treatments their stones have received and how that impacts care. A cleaning method that’s safe for a diamond can permanently damage a treated gemstone.

Jewelers Aren’t Blaming You

When jewelers explain how a stone was damaged, customers sometimes feel defensive or embarrassed. Jewelers want customers to know that damage isn’t a moral failing or a sign of negligence. Jewelry is meant to be worn, and wear naturally comes with risk.

The goal of these conversations is education, not blame. Jewelers want to explain what likely happened so it doesn’t happen again and to help customers make informed choices about future purchases, repairs, and wear habits.

Final Thoughts

Stone damage is often preventable with the right information. Understanding which stones are durable, how settings affect protection, and when to remove jewelry can make a meaningful difference.

Jewelers don’t expect customers to memorize hardness scales or treatment methods. What they hope for is awareness, an understanding that gemstones are strong but not invincible, and that proper care is part of owning fine jewelry.

When customers understand how and why stone damage happens, they’re better equipped to protect the pieces they love. And for jewelers, there’s nothing better than seeing a well loved piece remain beautiful for decades instead of coming in with damage that could have been avoided.