How To Clean Diamonds

Diamonds are precious gems and they must be taken care of in order to maintain their natural beauty. Cleaning a diamond on a regular basis will ensure that the gemstone remains beautiful for a long time. Grease and oils from our body seem to accuulate on diamonds, so they must be cleaned on a regular basis to keep their sparkle and fire.

One easy way to keep a diamond clean is to soak it in an ammonia-based household cleaner (such as window cleaner) overnight, at least once or twice weekly. The next day the diamond should be removed from the cleanser and brushed with a soft, clean toothbrush to remove any excess dirt.

It is important to brush the back of the diamond as well as this is usually the area that has collected the most dirt and oil. After that, rinse the diamond with water and wipe it with a soft, lint-free cloth.

Chlorine and abrasives are harmful solutions and they should not be used to clean a diamond, especially those that are set in jewelry. The harmful solutions can erode some of the metals used in diamond settings, and may loosen prongs, or dissolve the metal completely.

An ultrasonic cleaner is a good way to remove encrusted dirt on a diamond. Sending the high frequency sound waves through a detergent solution cause the vibrating fluid to remove accumulated dirt and grime. However, the ultrasonic waves may shake loose stones from their mounting, so the method should not be used on fragile settings or well-worn jewelry, and is often best undertaken by a professional jeweler.

I actually discovered that two diamonds were loose in a ring I wear all the time when I got it professionally cleaned. The jeweller noticed they were loose and removed them from the setting so they could be reset later. This way they weren't left to fall out and be lost as they would have if I'd done it myself. 

Diamonds that are mounted into jewelry should also be cleaned carefully. Cleaning a diamond that is mounted into a jewelry piece should be done in steps to ensure that the diamond receives the proper care.

First, owners should use a small bowl and mix a small amount of mild dish detergent with warm water as the cleaning agent. Next, the jewelry piece should be dipped into the solution. Then, a soft toothbrush should be dipped into the solution, and used to brush the piece.

Like the diamonds, the jewelry piece should be rinsed with warm water, and softly dried with a lint-free cloth. It is important to brush softly, because gold and silver may become scratched if brushed too hard.        

There is some extra care that should be taken for diamonds that are extremely dirty. For diamonds that are extremely soiled, a mixture of cold water and ammonia should be made in the bowl. The cold water and ammonia mixture must be divided up as half and half, in order to give the safest cleansing results. Next, the diamonds should be allowed to soak in the solution for 30 minutes, and then gently brushed with a soft toothbrush.

However, it may be helpful to dip the diamonds into the cold-water solution twice. They should be rinsed in warm running water, and allowed to air dry on paper towels. The water and ammonia solution should only be used in well-ventilated areas, and it is important to avoid inhaling the ammonia solution directly.

Making a cleaning solution may not be viable for many diamond owners, but there are many jewelry cleaners that may help solve this problem. Any brand name jewelry cleaner should be suitable for cleaning diamonds. However, it is important to read the directions that are given on the label. Following the directions on the jewelry cleaner's label will ensure that the diamond is not damaged or completely ruined by the cleansing agent. 

Before cleaning a diamond, it is advisable to receive a recommendation from a professional jeweler; some people may even find it best to have their diamonds cleaned by a professional jeweler.