How to Safely Clean Your Diamond and Gold Jewelry

Diamonds and gold are precious materials and after investing so much in purchasing them, it is important to clean them in a way that will retain and enhance their original beauty. If you are not sure about how to do it, I would like to present some basic maintenance tips for diamond and gold jewelry.

Hand lotions, hair styling products and everyday oil and dirt leave a film on diamond and gold jewelry preventing them from sparkling. This material can accumulate into a thick layer of gunk on the back of the stone if you wait too long between cleanings.

Diamonds are the hardest substance known but the coatings and other materials that are used to enhance them can sometimes be removed by harsh cleansers and vigorous scrubbing. So, you should remove the dirt and film in a careful way.

First you should find out if treatments were applied to the diamond before it was placed in a setting? If you have this information then it probably means you've done enough research to know how to keep the ring clean without damaging it. In any case, here is a method to clean jewelry safely:

1. Soak diamond rings in a warm solution of mild liquid detergent and water. Ivory dishwashing liquid is good, but other mild detergents are fine.

2. Use a soft brush, if necessary to remove dirt. Soft is the word-don't use a brush with bristles that are stiff enough to scratch the ring's metal setting.

3. Swish the ring around in the solution then rinse it thoroughly in warm water. Close the drain or put the ring in a strainer to keep from losing it!

4. Dry the ring with lint-free cloth

For extra power, use a Water Pik. It provides stream of water that flushes away the grime. If you don't have a Water Pik, then use a wooden toothpick to carefully push dirt away from stone and setting.

Cleaning Unfilled Diamonds

Diamonds that have not been fracture-filled can be cleaned with an ammonia/water solution. Use a gentler liquid detergent solution for fracture-filled diamonds. Ammonia can eventually cloud or remove the coating placed on the stone.

If the ring has other gemstones then there are additional precautions to take. When cleaning any piece of jewelry, you must protect its weakest element. If the setting includes other gems, use a cleaning method suitable for the less durable stones.

When you use household chemicals, think about your jewelry. Remove rings or wear gloves to protect them from products like chlorine, because it damages metals. Avoid bleaches and hair dyes on your fine jewelry.

Diamonds and gold are beautiful and durable. If you clean your jewelry properly you will enjoy it for a lifetime.