Diamonds are grease magnets. When worn often, soaps, lotions, and oils will accumulate on the diamonds and significantly reduces the light return. If your diamond jewelry looks like it has lost its luster, it may just be time for a cleaning.
You are busy and may not have time to stop by the jewelry store every six months to have it professionally cleaned.
The good news: You don’t need anything special to clean your jewelry at home. No ultrasonic machine or any special jewelry cleaning solution is necessary – You most likely have everything you need in your house already.
Things you’ll need:
- Small cup or bowl
- Dish soap
- Toothbrush
- Warm water
3 EASY STEPS TO CLEAN JEWELRY AT HOME:
- Fill bowl with some warm water and dish soap, and let the ring soak for 5-10 minutes.
- Use toothbrush to gently brush the gold and diamonds, especially the bottom of the diamonds. In case you are near the sink, make sure to plug the drain in case a stone falls out. (This way you won’t have to play plumber for the day)
- Rinse under water and dry with a cloth.
JEWELRY CLEANING TIPS
With tweezers or a toothpick you can check to make sure that none of the stones are loose. If any stones are moving around, bring your ring in to Vardy’s and we can tighten the prongs for you, and for a small fee we can completely refinish the ring to make it look like the day you got it!
Also, don’t use products such as household cleaners, toothpaste or bleach because they can erode the metals in the ring.
Vardy’s Jewelers is a family owned jewelry store located in Cupertino, California.
More Cleaning Tips from the Gemological Institute of America
Here is a great article from the Gemological institute of America website explaining how to clean your diamond jewelry at home….
“Diamonds are among the hardest natural minerals on Earth, yet they require special care to keep them shining and looking their absolute best. In fact, a diamond’s sparkle can be lost by the mere touch of a finger, which can cause dirt to collect on the diamond.
The best way to keep your diamond looking its best is to clean your diamond jewelry regularly.
A simple plan to keep your diamond jewelry looking beautiful is to soak each diamond in an ammonia-based household cleaner (such as window cleaner) overnight, once a week. The next morning, remove the diamond from the cleaner and brush it with a soft, clean toothbrush (a new brush reserved exclusively for cleaning your diamond) to remove any leftover dirt. Take extra care to brush the back of the diamond, because this area tends to collect a lot of oil and dirt.
In the picture above, notice the change in appearance between a diamond when it has oils on its surface from being handled by fingers (left) and a clean diamond (right).
While the instructions above will keep your diamond sparkling, there are a few things to be aware of:
- Not all gemstones are as hard as diamonds, and some can easily be scratched with a toothbrush. Be sure to check the best method for cleaning your particular gemstone.
- Fragile settings and older estate jewelry may not respond well to the scrubbing of a toothbrush, so use a soft touch.
- If you haven’t had your ring setting inspected, be aware that diamonds can work loose from their settings if the settings aren’t secure
You’ll want to find a safe place to clean your diamond. If it can be avoided, do not clean your jewelry in or near the sink. If a sink is the only option for cleaning your jewelry, be sure to cover the sink drain so that you can protect your jewelry from going down the drain. Also, use a rubber sink mat when possible to prevent jewelry from breaking or chipping if dropped.
Finally, avoid harmful solutions. Chlorine (as in household bleach) or abrasives (such as household cleansers or toothpaste) should never be used when cleaning diamonds, especially those set in jewelry. These types of products can erode some of the metals often used in diamond settings, and they may loosen prongs or even dissolve the metal completely.
Keeping your diamond clean is a good step in protecting your diamond. While a home method is perfectly acceptable, you should consider having your diamond cleaned periodically by a professionally trained jeweler.
Your jeweler can use one of two more thorough options for cleaning your diamond: a steam cleaner or an ultrasonic cleaner. An ultrasonic cleaner sends high-frequency sound waves through a liquid solution to remove the dirt and build-up, and a steam cleaner will use high-pressure steam to remove dirt and build-up.”