Diamonds are a significant investment, so it’s important to preserve the value of your diamond by keeping it in top shape. That includes maintaining its sparkle.
They’re Earth’s hardest natural substance, but that doesn’t mean diamonds aren’t prone to damage during daily activities. While it often takes a serious hit to chip your diamond, the ways it can slowly lose its sparkle over time are less obvious.
If you don’t pay attention, you might notice one day it doesn’t have the luster it used to.
Let’s look at the 10 best ways to keep your diamond sparkling.
Don’t Touch the Stone When Removing Your Ring
The diamonds you own are magnets for oil, dust, and dirt from your hands. Not only can it hurt its overall appearance, it can actually keep the diamond from looking as large because of its minimized shine.
One way to keep your diamond sparking is to be careful when you put it on and take it off. Grip the band surrounding the diamond instead of directly grabbing the stone. Doing so will protect your diamond from the grease and grime your fingers will leave on it otherwise.
Nothing can dull a precious stone like the smear from fingers, transporting the dust and oils on it. Touching the diamond over and over will result in a cloudy film.
Gently Clean it With a Mild Dishwashing Detergent
Maintain a simple cleaning plan for your diamond. It’s best to soak it in a mild dishwashing detergent once a week to remove the grease and other debris it accumulates. Then take a clean, soft toothbrush to brush off the remaining dirt tenderly.
Remember to reserve a new toothbrush, with soft bristles, exclusively for your diamond. The bristles will clean those tiny corners in the jewelry piece with the stone where your fingers cannot reach. Remember to brush it gently so you prevent any scratching.
Avoid Harsh Chemicals
While cleaning your diamond, it’s best to avoid the harsh chemicals found in many cleaning detergents. These include:
- chlorine
- acetone
- bleach
These chemicals can damage your diamond in no time by causing the color and sparkle to fade.
Similarly, perfumes and sunscreen also contain harmful agents whose residue can stick to your stone and ruin it. Take a moment to remove your ring when applying them because you may not even notice it’s been covered in those chemicals while applying.
Take it Off When Cooking Messy Foods
When you plan to cook a meal that could get messy, remember to slide your ring off before you begin.
Oils and food particles from the foods can stick in tiny openings and corners of the setting and even discolor your diamond. In most cases, food is difficult to remove from the stone’s setting and structure, so prevention is a better option than repair.
Additionally, food particles can harbor bacteria that do even more damage to your diamond.
Don’t Let it Get Covered in Lotions or Creams
Just as food particles can create layers of grease and residue on your stone, lotions and creams can too. You risk discoloring your diamond if you continually let it get covered in these products.
They contain chemicals that likely will not remove your diamond’s sparkle after one instance but over time can cause it to lose shine.
Be Careful With Ultrasonic Cleaners
If you decide to use ultrasonic cleaners for your diamond jewelry, exercise caution. The low-frequency sound waves the cleaners send through their solution may clean the accumulated grime and dirt with the vibrating liquid but also disturb the stones.
The vibrations can shake the stones to the point they come off loose from their mounting or chip the diamond girdles sitting beside each other. We advise you to be extra cautious if your diamond has feathers or is included.
In fact, try to avoid ultrasonic cleaners altogether, especially if it’s had fracture filling as a form of clarity enhancement.
Learn How Your Particular Setting and Stone Should be Cleaned
Every diamond is unique, so when buying your piece of jewelry, discuss the setting, stones, and cleaning instructions with the jeweler. If your diamond has accents around the center stone or on the shank, you’ll need to know how to keep those sparkling as well, and the particular techniques may differ depending on their type.
A jeweler will also be able to determine any loose stones, fix them, and conduct a professional cleaning.
Minimize How Often you Remove Your Ring
It’s better not to develop the habit of removing your ring often when you have to wash your hands, especially while being away from home. You might think you’ll only be taking it off for a quick second, but it’s easy to get distracted.
It’s only a matter of time before you leave it behind, which is an even worse situation than losing its sparkle.
Schedule Routine Maintenance with a Jeweler
To preserve the life and quality of your stone, you should schedule at least two maintenance appointments per year with your jeweler. This way, the professional can tighten any loose prongs, ensure the diamond is not loose, reset it in case it’s loose, and tend to hairline cracks.
Some jewelers offer free cleaning services, including on-site steam cleaning and magnified examination to look for loose prongs or stones and diamond fractures. Such a cleaning twice a year will maximize the life of your precious stone and help keep its sparkle for many years.
Get Insurance for Your Diamond
While the thought of slipping a diamond ring on to your love’s finger might make you oblivious to the more administrative tasks, remember to get insurance on your diamond.
Insurance will protect you financially if the diamond is lost, stolen, or damaged. Make sure you have a clear understanding of your specific policy before you purchase it. You don’t want to end up in the situation where you think you have coverage for a certain event, only to learn it isn’t included in your policy.
That results in paying for a policy while not even getting the benefits.
You can earn tremendous peace of mind by choosing the right coverage policy for your valuable diamond.
Conclusion
There are several best practices to help preserve the sparkle and shine of your diamond ring. Most of all, it takes awareness of the types of situations that are most likely to cause damage, such as oil and dirt from your fingers, chemicals from cleaning agents, and particles of food.
By carefully removing your ring during instances in which it could lose its shine, and being proactive about cleaning it carefully, you can ensure your diamond sparkles for years to come.
Diamond Care and Cleaning Q&A
Q1: What are the risks associated with cleaning a diamond ring using harsh chemicals? A1: Harsh chemicals such as chlorine, acetone, and bleach can cause discoloration and may damage the sparkle and overall appearance of the diamond. They can also potentially harm the metal setting of the ring.
Q2: Why is it recommended to use a soft-bristled toothbrush when cleaning a diamond ring? A2: A soft-bristled toothbrush allows for gentle cleaning, reaching into the small crevices of the setting without risking scratching or damaging the diamond or the setting.
Q3: How often should one clean their diamond ring to maintain its sparkle? A3: It’s advisable to clean the diamond ring once a week with mild dishwashing detergent and a soft-bristled toothbrush to maintain its sparkle and remove accumulated grease and debris.
Q4: Why is it important to dry a diamond ring thoroughly after cleaning? A4: Thorough drying prevents any residue water spots from forming on the diamond and setting, ensuring that the ring remains sparkling clean after the cleaning process.
Q5: How can lotions and creams affect the appearance of a diamond ring? A5: Lotions and creams can leave a residue on the diamond, dulling its sparkle over time. They can also accumulate in the setting, making the ring look dirty or cloudy.
Q6: What is the downside of using ultrasonic cleaners for cleaning diamond rings? A6: Ultrasonic cleaners, while effective at dislodging dirt, can cause vibrations that may loosen the diamonds from their settings or chip the diamonds, especially if they have inclusions or fractures.
Q7: How can one ensure that they are cleaning their diamond ring correctly, especially if it has a unique or intricate setting? A7: Consulting with the jeweler who sold the ring or a professional jeweler regarding the correct cleaning methods for the specific setting and diamond is advisable. They can provide tailored advice on maintaining the ring’s sparkle without causing any damage.
Q8: How does touching the diamond while removing or wearing the ring affect its cleanliness? A8: Touching the diamond transfers oils, dirt, and grime from the fingers onto the diamond’s surface, which can dull its sparkle and require more frequent cleaning to maintain its brilliance.
Q9: Is there any instance when a professional cleaning for a diamond ring is strongly recommended over home cleaning? A9: If the diamond ring has loose settings, hairline cracks, or is heavily soiled, a professional cleaning is recommended. Also, a routine professional cleaning twice a year can help maintain the ring’s overall integrity and sparkle.
Q10: What precautions should be taken while cooking or applying lotions to ensure the diamond ring remains clean? A10: It’s wise to remove the diamond ring before cooking messy foods or applying lotions and creams to prevent the accumulation of residues that can dull the diamond’s sparkle and require additional cleaning.
Jacob Clarke
Jacob Clarke is the founder of TeachJewelry.com.
He earned an Applied Jewelry Professional Diploma from the Gemological Institute of America (GIA) and now brings you essential information about diamonds, settings, and more.
Jacob has consulted with leading jewelry brands, and his work has been cited in Clean Origin, Diamond Nexus and industry publications.
He's also a member of the International Gem Society.
He enjoys discussing jewelry with readers, so contact him with any questions at jacob.clarke@teachjewelry.com.
