Because garnet is a relatively inexpensive, though extremely beautiful gemstone, many people do not realize that it still needs to be cleaned with care and attention to detail. Garnets are hardy stones that can be worn everyday, but this advantage also leads to heavier wear, tear and grime buildup on the accessory. Garnets are unique in that they should not be regularly cleaned with water, so you will need to use proper care when cleaning your garnet jewelry in order to get a bright, clean shine.
Polish the stones with a clean, dry cloth. Be sure that you use a soft cloth, not one that has any texture that could scratch the gemstone. Polish the stone or stones thoroughly to make them shiny and bright. Use firm rubbing motions to polish the gem and remove any dust, dirt and grime.
Make a mild soap-and-water solution. Mix about a half a cup of water and 2 drops of soap in the bowl and stir it up.
Clean the setting of the garnet with a soft toothbrush. Since garnets should not be cleaned with water on a regular basis, you should not do this every time you clean your garnet jewelry. However, if you do not occasionally clean your setting, it will detract from the beauty of the gemstone over time. Moisten the bristles of the brush and clean out from under the stone if it is in a raised setting. If the stone is in a decorative setting, then you can scrub the portions of the setting that are not in direct contact with the garnet.
Rinse the garnet jewelry with a damp cloth. Make sure you remove all soap residue. If absolutely necessary, pass the ring once or twice though a running stream of clear water. Minimize rinsing so that the garnet is not unnecessarily wet.
Dry the garnet jewelry thoroughly. Use a clean, dry cloth. This will prevent streaking and spotting. You can let the item air dry once you have dried as much as you can with the cloth.