How to clean a diamond at home: tips on how to care for rings, earrings and other diamond jewelry

Diamonds of different shapes and sizes are exclusive jewelry, and you need to know how to care for them. Otherwise, they will lose their incredible shine and seem like simple pieces of glass.

If you have a diamond of several carats in your jewelry chest, then, of course, it is better to take it to a jeweler for cleaning. But what to do if you urgently need to put on gold earrings with diamonds or a ring, and it needs cleaning?

We have already written about how to clean gold more than once. But what about the stones? And anyway, where does dirt come from on diamond jewelry?

Firstly, our skin produces its own sebaceous oil. It, in turn, attracts street dust, which either settles evenly on stones or gets clogged into small cracks in fastenings in jewelry, forming pieces of dirt.

Secondly, when we come home, we don’t always put our jewelry in special bags or boxes. House dust, even if you consider your home sterile, exists. And it envelops the diamond rings with a gray coating.

You can restore the original shine to the stones yourself. This is very easy to do by following our tips.

Why you need to clean your jewelry

Gold rings, earrings, chains, pendants, bracelets are constantly in contact with the skin and are exposed to various external influences. Particles of dust, grease, residues of care or decorative cosmetics and other contaminants get on jewelry. This causes the gold to fade, and the stones gradually darken and lose their shine.

Contaminated diamonds appear smaller and less attractive. In addition, dirty deposits on earrings or a chain can cause skin itching, irritation and cause skin inflammation. Therefore, it is necessary to process jewelry as often as possible. Cleaning your diamond jewelry yourself is easy.

Diamonds are resistant to most alkalis and acids. The stones can withstand temperature changes and are resistant to high humidity. But despite this, you need to care for the stones carefully.

Main causes of pollution

Other metals are added to the gold used to make jewelry to make the jewelry harder and not deform. Although the precious mineral gains strength, it darkens over time, neither silver nor copper protects it from wear and tear.

Gold becomes dull and less shiny as it touches the skin, which produces sweat. Dust settles on rings and earrings; cosmetics, ointments, and lotions leave traces. Products come into contact with fat produced by the sebaceous glands and get dirty when cleaning the apartment or weeding flowers. Sun rays, high temperature, and hot water have a negative effect on gold and deteriorate the appearance of diamonds.

How to properly clean diamonds

Simple rules will help you maintain the attractive appearance of precious stones:

· Clean your diamond jewelry every 2-3 months. Give them to a jeweler for processing twice a year.

· A thick, lint-free cloth is suitable for cleaning stones. Do not choose cotton pads or fluffy napkins for these purposes, as they will leave fibers on the stone.

· Do not clean stones with a hard toothbrush or products with a high alkaline content. Use small synthetic brushes and mild baby cream soap or handmade soap.

· Do not clean diamonds with abrasive compounds. Abrasives can damage the surface of the stones and make them cloudy.

· Do not wash diamond jewelry in hot water, as this will cause the precious inserts to stop shining.

Don't forget about the frame, especially if it is made of gold or platinum - these precious metals require delicate care. They also cannot be cleaned with aggressive compounds.

In addition, in jewelry, diamonds are often combined with other stones, such as emeralds or pearls, which must be handled with care. In some cases, cleaning precious inserts should be left to a professional.

What kind of soap can I use?

Oil released from the sebaceous glands of the skin forms an oily coating on gold and diamonds. Dust settles on the surface and the object begins to darken. The wedding ring is wiped with soda, but the abrasive material scratches the precious stone on the ring, and boiling water changes color. The soap is gentle, removes plaque from pearls and coral, topaz and diamonds, and leaves no marks on gold.

Children's

To restore shine to jewelry or remove stains on earrings or a pendant, heat water, fill a bowl with it, add a little baby soap, and whisk into foam. Gold items are dipped into the solution, wiped with a soft brush, after an hour, removed from the container, rinsed and placed on a napkin.

Dermatological

This type of soap consists of synthetic substances that have antibacterial properties. The detergent produces a small amount of foam, but disinfects and removes plaque that forms on gold jewelry.

Self made

The jewelry is cleaned of dirt with a paste prepared from water, chalk and grated soap, which is made from olive or castor oil and wax. Rub the stone and gold with the mixture and polish it to a shine with a dry cloth.

Liquid

Jewelry retains its beauty and sophistication when it is cared for regularly. You don’t have to seek help from a professional for a long time if you soak gold objects with an attached stone in a liquid soap that forms a thick foam. The plaque dissolves, and the dirt is easy to wipe off with a soft brush. The product is rinsed and dried with a napkin or cloth.

Cream soap

Rings and signet rings with loose diamond inserts should not be soaked in liquid composition. Such jewelry is cleaned with a special paste or wiped with a swab and soaked in cream soap.

Method 1: liquid soap

At home, diamonds can be cleaned using a soap solution. As a rule, liquid products or crushed soap are used, previously dissolved in warm water.

To make diamond jewelry sparkle, soak it in soapy water for a few minutes. First mix the soap with water until foam forms. Remove heavy dirt using a soft cloth or sponge. After cleaning the jewelry, rinse with running water and blot with a dry cloth.

Method 2: ammonia and ammonia

Dissolve nine drops of ammonia in a glass of water and stir well. Place a ring, earrings, pendant or chain into the resulting liquid and leave for 20–30 minutes. After cleaning with ammonia, place the jewelry in a soapy solution and clean off any remaining dirt with a brush or brush. After this, all that remains is to wash the product with clean water. Wear protective gloves when cleaning jewelry.

Treatment with ammonia restores the shine of gold jewelry with stones. To prepare a cleaning solution, take a glass of water, add two tablespoons of ammonia and hydrogen peroxide (3%) to it. Place into the mixture. After half an hour, remove them and then wash them well with water.

Onion juice

The most popular folk remedy is onion juice. It effectively combats all types of stains on gold jewelry.

Cut the onion and rub the onion juice over the garnish. You can grate the onion and coat the decoration with the resulting paste.
Place the decorations in a glass bowl and cover it with cling film.
Leave for a couple of hours.
Remove jewelry and rinse under clean running water.
Dry and polish the product with a microfiber, felt or velvet cloth.

Method 5: special means

Professional jewelry cleaning products have a safe composition and high-tech formula. Thanks to particles of different dispersion, they remove dust, dirt, and grease well. As a result of the use of industrial compounds, the metals from which jewelry is made acquire a bright shine. Some compositions are capable of filling microcracks and returning natural radiance to precious stones.

Cleaning products in the form of solutions, pastes, foams, and sprays can be purchased at jewelry stores. There are also specialized cleansing shampoos, but they are more intended for use in professional cleaning installations, for example, ultrasonic washers or chambers.

Method 7: Coca-Cola

The carbonated soft drink is renowned for its anti-corrosion and cleaning properties. This soda is often used to remove rust and limescale. How it works? It's all about phosphoric and citric acids included in the product.

The active substances in the drink are good at removing dirt from jewelry. Pour 0.5 liters of cola into a deep container and place a diamond ring there. After 30–40 minutes, remove the jewelry, rinse with cool water and wipe with a dry cloth.

It is important to understand that you should use soda carefully. Not all diamond jewelry can withstand such an original cleaning.

How to Clean a Diamond Ring

To clean a complex ring shape, use small brushes or brushes.

· Prepare a warm soapy solution, place the diamond ring in it and leave it for a while.

· Gently brush the jewelry.

· Rinse the ring with water and wipe with a soft cloth.

Pay attention to fasteners, as well as decorative inserts and elements of complex shape. They tend to accumulate the most dust and dirt. To better clean dirt, take a cotton swab dipped in glycerin or alcohol.

How to clean gold with diamonds: nuances

Jewelry made from yellow or white gold is chemical resistant. All of the above cleaning methods will not damage the precious metal and stones. But in some cases, gold jewelry may lose its original shine. For example, when trying to clean them with baking soda.

To clean gold, you cannot use compositions containing abrasive particles. At home, you can clean gold jewelry with stones using onion juice, shampoo, alcohol or ammonia. Special pastes are also suitable for this purpose.

Rhodium gold can be washed with a sugar solution: dissolve 3 tsp in a glass of water. sugar and place the decoration in it for 10–12 hours. Rinse off the remaining sweet solution with running water.

When cleaning diamond jewelry, it is recommended to use soft brushes, brushes, sponges and cotton swabs, as well as lint-free wipes.

Cleaning Methods Not Recommended

Jewelers do not recommend carrying out the procedure with a toothbrush or hard material . The restrictions include abrasive cleaning products containing quartz sand and chalk, and other solid particles.
Ammonia is also undesirable for the session; if it remains on the surface of gold jewelry, it spoils the thin coating of the product. This category includes food vinegar and other acidic cleaning chemicals .
Regular gold jewelry can be treated with toothpaste , but this rule does not apply to white metal. The paste may contain some chemical ingredients that threaten the rhodium top layer of the accessory.

How not to clean diamonds

Due to improper cleaning using aggressive substances, a diamond can lose its beauty and shine. Do not use chlorine or iodine to clean gemstones as they may leave stains. What can ruin the appearance of diamonds:

· Chlorinated water. Contact with bleach causes diamonds to lose their shine, so it is better to use filtered or bottled water to rinse stones.

· Ultraviolet. When exposed to direct sunlight, diamonds begin to attract oil and dust particles.

· Remains of cosmetics. Fatty components in cosmetics contaminate and spoil precious stones. Therefore, it is advisable to minimize the contact of diamonds with creams, lotions and other cosmetics.

Also, do not use gasoline, potassium permanganate (potassium permanganate) and household cleaners. Abrasive products can scratch stones and dull them. It is forbidden to boil diamonds, as this will cause them to become dull. Neither chalk nor tooth powder is suitable for cleaning diamonds.

Take your jewelry to a jeweler once a year. The master will not only clean it using professional products, but also check the strength of the frame and fastenings, and, if necessary, polish and strengthen the product.

Additional recommendations

Preventing pollution is much easier than eliminating it. Following simple rules will save money and preserve your decoration.

How to save the result

Over time, sweat particles, dirt from the environment and traces of cosmetics remain on the product. If you do not clean the product regularly, it will begin to oxidize. After a few years, it will appear as if the gold has turned black. It will lose its shine, become dull and inconspicuous. This can be avoided by following the rules of prevention:

Wear rubber gloves when washing dishes and cleaning. They will protect not only the jewelry, but also your skin.
Remove earrings and rings before swimming in the sea or going to the pool.
During active physical activity, it is also better to get rid of diamond jewelry.
Do not apply cosmetics to gold. Even hand cream contains substances that can cause oxidative processes.

If a recently purchased piece of jewelry turns black, this indicates low quality metal. The product should be taken for examination.

How to properly store diamonds

Diamonds should be protected from direct sunlight, as well as bleaches, powders and other harsh chemicals. It is recommended to store diamond jewelry in closed boxes lined on the inside with soft material, such as velor or velvet. Velvet bags will also work.

It is best to store jewelry separately from each other. So, different diamond rings should not touch each other. You should not leave diamond jewelry for a long time in rooms with high humidity.

Do not store diamond jewelry near heating appliances. It is also undesirable for stones to lie next to pearls. You can put a bag of silica gel in your jewelry box to absorb excess moisture.

Precautionary measures

To prevent jewelry from darkening and gemstones from looking like simple pieces of glass, you should not wear jewelry in hot weather, or wear it to the beach, pool or sauna. You need to remove the rings when washing and washing your hands with hot water.

At least once every 6 months to a year, earrings or rings with diamonds should be taken to a workshop, where the jeweler will clean the plaque using ultrasound, adjust the stones, and disguise scratches.

It is impossible to do this on your own without special tools.