Caring for Colour-Change Diaspore Jewellery

Colour-change diaspore is 6.5–7 on the Mohs scale — durable enough for jewellery — but its perfect cleavage means it can split under a sharp knock. Favour protected settings, clean with warm soapy water and a soft brush, and never use ultrasonic or steam cleaners.

Hardness and cleavage

At 6.5–7 Mohs, gem diaspore is in the same durability band as tanzanite and peridot. The important caveat is its perfect cleavage on the {010} plane: cleavage is a plane of weakness, and a sharp impact in the wrong direction can split the stone even though it resists scratching reasonably well. This is the single most important thing to understand about wearing it.

Settings and daily wear

• Prefer protected settings — bezels, halos, pendants and earrings — over an exposed prong-set ring for everyday wear.
• Treat a diaspore ring as a special-occasion piece rather than a knock-about band.
• Remove it before sport, gardening, or heavy manual work.

Cleaning and storage

• Clean with warm soapy water and a soft brush; rinse and pat dry.
• Avoid ultrasonic and steam cleaners — as with any perfect-cleavage gem, vibration and thermal shock are risks.
• Store separately from harder stones (like sapphire or diamond) so they can’t scratch it.

For how durability factors into choosing a stone, see the buying guide.