by If you are new to the world of high-end jewelry (as many of us are these days), it can be a concern when you are presented with a shiny new diamond ring to mark your engagement. Should you clean it? How do you clean it? How often? These and other questions pop up frequently, usually in the days and weeks after the excitement and romance of the proposal! Fortunately, despite their relative expense, diamond engagement rings are fairly easy to maintain and keep clean. Here is how:
Fragile Stones
Diamonds are tremendously strong, but they can still be chipped with a hard enough knock in the wrong place, so always be mindful of your ring when you are out and about. If in doubt, take your rings off for strenuous activity and keep them somewhere safe until afterwards. Many jewelers have horror stories of diamond novices bringing back brand-new engagement rings with a large chip or crack in the stone – rather like getting into a fender-bender in your new sports car!
Keep it Clean
Skin oils and general grime can build up on your ring – on the stone and inside the setting – and this can interfere with the sparkle of a diamond. Try not to touch the large central stone too much as it will pick up your fingerprints readily in the form of a residue of skin oils.
A good way to clean your diamond ring is a very simple one. Soak it for a short time in warm water with a little soap dissolved in it. Soap dissolves fat and oils, and water is also an effective solvent. Then use a clean, very soft toothbrush to gently scrub the ring and the mount. Do not neglect the inside of the mount, which can be accessed from the inside of the band – this is notorious for gathering dirt! Then simply rinse with cool or warm clean water and dry gently on a soft, clean lint-free cloth
Ultrasound That Baby?
Ultrasonic cleaners work by literally shaking the dirt off an item. Sadly, the sound waves cannot distinguish between a piece of grime and the stone’s setting, and they have been found to loosen stones right out of their settings! More upsettingly, if the stone is flawed or included, the ultrasound treatment can actually worsen these – dramatically reducing the value of your stone, interfering with the sparkle and perhaps even weakening it to the point of breaking! Use with caution, and only after thoroughly reading your diamond’s certificate!
What to Avoid
Do not use harsh chemicals or toothpaste on your diamond ring. Toothpaste is not such an odd product to mention in relation to jewelry, as it can be used to bring up a shine on some lightly tarnished metals. However, it will abrade your diamond’s facets and diminish the sparkle, so keep it well away from your engagement ring!
Finally, check your diamond ring in for an annual service! Your preferred jeweler can check it over, tighten any loose settings and will have access to superior cleaning equipment. Of course, insure your ring first, and pick a jeweler that you would trust enough to buy diamonds from – you would not trust a stranger with your bank account, a diamond is expensive enough to warrant caution.
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