GIA Releases Gem Cleaning and Display Chart for Retailers and Benchworkers

The Gemological Institute of America has published a Gem Cleaning and Display Chart intended for retailers and benchworkers and encourages stores to keep it on hand: "Download this chart and keep it in your store or workroom." The chart is presented as an evergreen reference that lists popular gem materials alongside practical care and cleaning recommendations, and the GIA positions it as part of its retailer support materials.

The chart layout uses explicit column headings and a four-tier safety legend printed at the top: "Relatively Safe Use Caution Use Extreme Caution Avoid." Captured column headings include "GEM MATERIAL MOHS HARDNESS TOUGHNESS POSSIBLE TREATMENTS ULTRASONIC STEAMER COMMENTS HEAT SUNLIGHT ARTIFICIAL LIGHT COMMENTS." Product imagery on the GIA Store shows gem images and color-coded indicators to map cleaning-method safety to those categories.

GIA’s front-matter language stresses identification and equipment caution: "Correctly identifying the gem material you are cleaning before you begin working on it is critical to proper care and will save from inadvertently harming the stone." The chart also contains a safety caveat in identical phrasing across captures: "The information on this chart is intended to provide general guidelines for routine cleaning. Outcomes can vary significantly depending on the manufacturer of your equipment; the type and strength of the solutions you use; and the intensity and frequency of their applications." GIA’s practical advice is underscored in plain language: "Be sure to follow manufacturer guidelines and, if you’re uncertain, avoid steam or ultrasonic".

Illustrative rows captured from the chart show the level of detail benchworkers will find. Amber is listed with hardness and warnings: "AMBER 2 - 2 ½ Poor Heat, pressure, dye, reconstruction • • Attacked by strong solvents • • • May darken with age. Treated red and green amber might fade." Zircon appears with treatment and light-sensitivity notes: "ZIRCON 6 - 7½ Poor to Fair (heat-treated); Fair to Good (untreated) Heat • • • • • Heated: some revert to original color when exposed to light." Zoisite (tanzanite) is noted for thermal sensitivity and common treatments: "ZOISITE (Tanzanite) 6 - 7 Poor to Fair Heat, coating (rare), fracture-filled • • Avoid thermal shock • • •". Those verbatim entries illustrate how the chart pairs Mohs hardness, toughness, common treatments, ultrasonic/steamer markers and short comments for each gem.

Distribution and legal details are published alongside the product. The GIA Store pages include usage conditions: "Use of GIA Retailer Support materials is contingent upon adherence to the usage guidelines prescribed in the Terms of Use." Store metadata captured from the page records "© 2026 GIA Store" and the nonprofit legal line, "GIA is a nonprofit 501(c)(3) organization. All rights reserved." Contact information listed for GIA world headquarters reads, "World Headquarters and The Robert Mouawad Campus 5345 Armada Drive Carlsbad, California 92008 Tel: 760-603-4200." The store capture also shows commerce copy such as "Free shipping on all U.S. and select international orders." and payment options language, "Shop now, pay later. Klarna. Learn more."

The GIA chart is presented as one element in a broader suite of retailer tools. The site copy highlights "In-Store Tools" and "Downloads & Interactive Tools" including videos, 4Cs scales and images for use on retail websites. Care and cleaning cross-references are explicit: "Care and cleaning information for many of these gems can be found in the GIA Gem Encyclopedia at GIA.edu." For retailers and benchworkers who handle a range of materials from porous amber to heat-treated zircon and tanzanite, the chart aims to be a concise, on-the-workbench reference that pairs gem-specific hardness and treatment notes with clear, visual cleaning-safety indicators.