There is nothing more beautiful and mesmerizing than watching your diamond sparkle. But with all we do every day, it seems impossible to keep your ring looking good all the time. Before you go and try some old wives tale method, or try what your mom always did with her ring, let’s get all the facts and determine just what kind of gunk is on your ring!
Diamonds are natural magnets for grease; even touching your diamond with your hands provides enough oils to affect the look of your ring. Most of the dirt that accumulates on your ring comes from minor things we use every day, like perfume, make-up and my biggest culprit…lotion! I am always so scared to take my rings off when I put lotion on, thinking I am going to forget to put them back on, so I always have tons of lotion packed onto my diamond! Yuk!
The best way to clean your ring is with a mixture of warm water and dish soap. Leave it in the solution for 20-40 minutes and then use a soft toothbrush to get the dirt off. Do not use toothpaste, acetone, or any household cleaner that contains bleach. Even though this will not hurt the diamond, it can erode the metal settings and scratch it over time. You can also use an ammonia based solution like window cleaner mixed with warm water as well. I can remember my mother’s diamond always looked so beautiful and never dirty. When I asked her how she kept it looking so shiny, her reply was she always kept in on when she washed dishes every night. So, maybe skip the dishwasher some evenings and do them by hand and kill two birds with one “stone”-haha!
If you're very active outdoors or in the kitchen and there may be a hard compacted layer of oil or dirt that maybe best cleaned at the jewelers using professional-grade products that will restore the brilliance of the stone safely. Most jewelers will use what is called an ultrasonic machine. This sends high frequency sound waves through a detergent solution that vibrates the fluid to remove the dirt and grime. There are many of these machines that you can purchase; however, I don’t recommend these. They can shake loose stones from their mounting, especially pave settings, and you must be careful not to place certain stones or fragile settings like estate pieces in them. I recommend taking it to a jeweler to have them inspect the stones before its cleaned. So let’s keep those rocks shining bright… and get in the routine of soaking at night! Regular cleaning will keep your diamond jewelry gleaming!
For more tips visit Sumpters Jewelry
www.sumptersjewelry.com
edited and designed by: Carolyn M
