How to Clean Diamond Jewelry at Home
There’s nothing more mesmerizing than watching a beautifully cut diamond dance and sparkle in the light. Unfortunately, this effect can diminish over time as dirt and oils build up. Regular cleaning can restore your stone to its original state, but only if you use the right methods. Here's our guide for safely cleaning your diamond jewelry at home.
Why You Should Clean Your Jewelry
The key to a diamond's beautiful sparkle lies in its facets, which function like a series of tiny mirrors reflecting light within the stone. Regular cleaning will keep your diamond sparkling and ensure that it’s ready to shine for your next big occasion.
How to Polish
For routine cleaning, you can simply wipe down your diamond jewelry with a fresh polishing cloth. Regular polishing helps keep precious stones looking shiny and new. Always gently polish and use a soft, lint-free cloth or chamois. Never use a paper tissue or standard washcloth or you could risk scratching your jewelry.
How to Clean Diamond Jewelry
While there are a number of jewelry-cleaning solutions on the market, they aren’t all suitable for every type of jewelry. If you choose the wrong one, you could risk damaging the precious metal components of your piece. With this in mind, the best way to clean a diamond ring, necklace or bracelet is to mix a simple solution of very warm water and ordinary dishwashing soap which has powerful degreasing properties.
Soak the jewelry for between 20 and 40 minutes. Then, gently brush the gemstones using a soft-bristled toothbrush. When you’re finished, thoroughly rinse the piece under warm running tap water. Be sure to plug the drain in case a stone comes loose from its setting.
Things You Should Avoid
Never use chlorine bleach, toothpaste or abrasive household cleaners to clean diamond jewelry. Abrasives can scratch precious metals, and chemicals can damage many of the precious metals used to alloy gold for diamond settings.
In almost every instance, ordinary dish soap is the safest, most effective way to clean your diamond ring. Avoid harsh cleansers and never use abrasive brushes or sponges.
Should You Use Ultrasonic Cleaners?
Ultrasonic cleaners are sometimes used to remove encrusted dirt from diamonds. By sending low-frequency sound waves through a liquid solution, these devices loosen accumulated grime and dirt using vibrating fluid. Unfortunately, they can also chip the girdles of diamonds and shake the stones from their mountings. Use caution if your diamond contains feathers and avoid ultrasonic cleaners if the gem has been treated by any sort of fracture filling.
Before using an ultrasonic cleaner, it's best to refer to your diamond's individual grading report, which should disclose whether the gem has been treated. You should also consult a professional jeweler such as John Atencio to check for loose stones before you have your ring cleaned.
Avoid Handling Your Diamond
While routine cleaning can help keep your diamond jewelry looking its best, you can also help protect its sparkle by taking a hands-off approach. Even the most stunning diamond is a natural magnet for skin oils and grease. When you handle your stone, the oils from your fingers stick to its surface and diminish its brilliance and fire. Although it may not always be possible, try to limit how often you touch your diamond to reduce the need for cleaning.
When getting ready for the day or a night on the town, always put your diamond jewelry on last. Jewelry can get makeup on it, and stones can snag on clothing, loosening the setting and causing lasting damage to your treasure.
What About Hand Sanitizers?
Generally speaking, ordinary hand sanitizers are safe for diamonds and precious metals such as platinum, silver, titanium and gold. If a ring contains soft stones such as opals and pearls, however, an alcohol-based hand sanitizer could dull or damage their shine. If your diamond rings contain soft stones, consider removing them before applying hand sanitizer.
Storing Diamond Jewelry
Because of the exceptional durability and hardness of diamonds, it's best to store your diamond ring separately from other jewelry to keep from scratching softer gemstones. You can also wrap your diamond ring in a soft cloth to reduce the risk of any potential damage.
To make sure your gemstones and diamonds look their best, we offer free in-store cleaning over the lifetime of your John Atencio jewelry. This includes in-store routine (every six months) assessments to make sure all gemstones are secure in their settings. With proper cleaning and care, your John Atencio jewelry will maintain its luster, beauty and character for generations to come. Contact our jewelry experts or bring one of your jewelry pieces into any John Atencio location for a safe, thorough cleaning.
