Keeping diamonds and diamond jewelry sparkling doesn’t always require professional servicing. In fact, there are a number of do-it-yourself methods that can be employed at home to save both time and money. In this article, we’ll look at five easy ways you can keep your diamonds in great shape.
Limit Use
The easiest way to prevent your diamonds from looking dull or dirty? Don’t touch them that often. Diamonds tend to accumulate lots of dirt and oil by handling them, so to keep them sparkling longer, try not to touch them with your finger unless it’s absolutely necessary.
Regular, Gentle Cleaning
Perhaps the most overlooked and simplest method to keeping your diamonds shining is to be consistent with cleaning them. No advanced cleaning formula is required, just let them soak in hot water with a few drops of dish soap for several minutes. Once your diamond pieces are done soaking, use a small brush, such as a toothbrush with soft bristles to remove any additional residue or buildup. Blot dry with a soft cloth once finished.
Don’t Use Harsh Chemicals
Often, our first instinct to clean jewelry is to reach for the nearest cleaning solution that contains a range of chemicals, such as chlorine and bleach. While many of these won’t necessarily harm diamond directly, they can have an effect on silver or other metal settings. If a piece of jewelry with a diamond setting needs to be cleaned, first try using our suggested soap and water soaking method, and ensure the brush or towel you use is non-abrasive.
Use White Vinegar
If the soap and water soak just doesn’t seem to be adding enough sparkle back to your diamonds, another option is to use white vinegar. This household ingredient provides a simple and powerful solution to keep jewelry clean, and it won’t harm gold or silver diamond settings. After soaking for about 15 minutes, rinse your jewelry in hot water and use a non-abrasive cloth to blot it dry.
Note: It is sometimes recommended to mix white vinegar with baking soda for a more powerful cleaning solution. We do not suggest using this mixture, as baking soda is slightly abrasive and could scratch the jewelry metal if you’re not careful. Stick with white vinegar to be safe.
Use Ammonia
Gently place your objects into a small bowl filled with one cup warm water and one-quarter-cup of ammonia. Let your diamond soak for about 15 minutes. Again, using a soft toothbrush, gently brush away any dirt, oil and grime that may have accumulated, especially within the small crevices of a setting. Rinse with warm water and then blot dry.
Use Lemon Essential Oil
Not unlike the soaks we mentioned above, lemon essential oil can also be used to clean jewelry and diamonds. All you need to do is add a few drops to a relatively small cup or bowl of water. The concentrated solution is completely safe, and we suggest letting your jewelry soak for at least 30 minutes. Brush away any grime around diamond settings gently after soaking. Once done, rinse and blot dry with a soft cloth.
