A lint-free cloth, in the gem and jewellery context, is a tightly woven or knitted fabric, usually microfibre or a fine cotton flannel, that does not shed fibres or particles onto the cleaned surface. The cloth is the basic cleaning aid for finished jewellery, for finished gemstones, and for fragile organics such as pearls and coral, and it is the recommended drying surface after any wet cleaning of jewellery.

The principal advantage of a lint-free cloth over an ordinary towel or paper towel is that no loose fibres are left on the work after the wipe, a particular concern with cabochons, with engraved or carved surfaces, and with pieces destined immediately for client return or for photography. Microfibre cloths, with their very fine synthetic filament structure, have largely supplanted earlier cotton and chamois cloths for general jewellery cleaning, and they have the additional advantage of carrying away grease and surface oils more effectively than their predecessors.

For pearls, opal, turquoise, amber and other porous or organically derived materials a lint-free cloth is the only cleaning agent that should be used between professional services. These materials should not be exposed to ultrasonic, steam, or detergent solutions, and a soft dry or barely damp wipe with a lint-free cloth is the appropriate at-home maintenance.