Amethyst bracelet care.
Keep the purple deep.

Amethyst is quartz. That one fact does most of the work of caring for it: quartz sits around 7 on the Mohs hardness scale, but hardness does not make it scratchproof. Protect both the beads and the elastic, especially during exercise, cleaning and storage.

How to clean an amethyst bracelet

Dullness may come from surface residue. Start with a soft cloth; avoid scrubbing or trying to restore color with a chemical cleaner.

• For amethyst beads, use a soft cloth lightly dampened with lukewarm water and mild soap. Avoid soaking an assembled elastic bracelet.
• Wipe each bead with a soft cloth. No brushes, no abrasives, no harsh cleaners.
• Remove soap residue with a clean, lightly damp cloth. Dry fully before wearing or storing, taking care around the cord.

Clean according to wear and residue. If your bracelet contains other materials, follow the care instructions for the whole piece.

Sunlight, heat and purple color

Amethyst’s purple is not a pigment or a coating. It comes from trace iron held inside the quartz, altered by natural irradiation underground over geological time. Those altered sites in the crystal are what your eye reads as purple, and they are part of why no two stones carry the color in quite the same way.

Some amethyst can fade after prolonged exposure to intense light. Sudden temperature changes can also cause fractures. Store your bracelet away from bright windows and heat; do not use steam cleaning. These precautions follow the GIA amethyst care guide.

The three places amethyst hates

You do not need a regimen. You mostly need to keep the bracelet out of three situations.

• Standing sunlight. A sunny windowsill, a car dashboard, a hook by a bright window. Limit prolonged exposure to intense light, especially when storing the bracelet. Let it sleep somewhere shaded.
• Strong heat. Saunas, steam rooms, hot yoga. Heat leans on the same color centers that sunlight does, and steam is hard on the elastic cord as well. This is the bracelet you leave in the locker.
• Cosmetic film. Lotion, sunscreen, perfume, body oil. These can leave residue on beads and cord. Avoid direct contact and wipe the bracelet gently after wear. The old rule holds: the bracelet goes on last, after everything else has dried down.

A soft cloth after wear. A shaded place to rest.

Can I wear amethyst with sunscreen or at a festival?

Apply sunscreen and cosmetics before putting on your bracelet, and let them dry. Wipe off residue after wear. For heavy exercise, swimming or a hot shower, take the bracelet off to protect the whole piece, including its elastic cord. A darker purple is not a guarantee against fading: do not choose a bead color as a substitute for careful storage.

Cord care, and when to re-string

On nearly every bracelet, the elastic cord ages long before the amethyst shows any change at all. Elastic is a consumable: it stretches, dries out, and weakens with use. Take the bracelet off for lifting, swimming and sleeping to reduce pulling, water exposure and accidental snagging.

Store your bracelet separately in a soft-lined compartment or your own pouch; a pouch is not part of our standard packaging. At around 7 on the hardness scale, amethyst sits mid-table in a jewelry box — harder materials can scratch it, and it can scratch anything softer. A drawer of loose, mixed jewelry is where most scratches happen. Every stone we string, amethyst included, is introduced in the stone library.

And watch the cord itself. If gaps open between beads, if the loop feels slack on the wrist, or if you can see thin stretches of elastic between stones, stop wearing it and ask about restringing. Email us with a photo and your order number; we will explain what is possible and any cost before you decide.