Summer is here, along with wonderful plans for fun and frolicking. People will soon be headed for the pool, the beach, the lovely gardens, and barbecues and cookouts with family and friends.

"But summer is also the season when more diamonds and other fine gems and jewelry are lost or damaged than any other time of year," warns Antoinette Matlins, PG, author of many books on gems and jewelry. Matlins cautions that every summer people inadvertently damage or lose jewelry because they don't understand the hidden risks posed by many summer activities. Here are some tips offered by Matlins to help avoid the risks this summer.

1. Beware of chlorinated swimming pools.

Chlorine can damage or destroy many types of fine jewelry. It can dissolve the surface of beautiful beads; attack the alloy in precious metals; remove the polish from many stones, such as malachite or turquoise.

2. Don't wear rings in cold water.

The cold temperature of the water in pools, oceans, lakes and rivers causes your finger size to shrink temporarily. When this happens, rings become too large and, aided by the movement of  hands as people swim or play, can easily slip off the finger without someone being aware of it.

3. Check mounting to make sure stones are secure in their settings.

Active sports are very popular in the summer. If a stone is loose in the setting, it may fall out during sports activities and break or become chipped or cracked.

4. Don't wear fine jewelry while gardening.

Many fine gemstones have been lost or badly damaged while the wearer was gardening. Gold and platinum settings can be badly scratched or gouged by rocks and tools. Even a diamond can chip or crack when hit on a rock or tool because although it is very hard, it is also brittle and thin edges and points at the corners of a stone are vulnerable (for example, a princess-cut comes to a point at each of its four corners).

5. Is your watch waterproof or water resistant?

Many expensive watches are ruined when people do not understand the significant difference between "waterproof" and "water resistant." Do you know the difference?

Many more tips can be found in Ms. Matlins' books Jewelry & Gems—The Buying Guide, 7th Edition: How to Buy Diamonds, Pearls, Colored Gemstones, Gold & Jewelry with Confidence and Knowledge; Diamonds: The Antoinette Matlins Buying Guide—How to Select, Buy, Care for & Enjoy Diamonds with Confidence and Knowledge and Colored Gemstones: The Antoinette Matlins Buying Guide—How to Select, Buy, Care for & Enjoy Sapphires, Emeralds, Rubies and Other Colored Gems with Confidence and Knowledge.