As sparkly and beautiful as diamond jewelry is when we first get it, inevitably over time the dust and dirt gathers and our once brilliant pieces lose a little of their shine – especially when worn every day, like engagement rings. Although it’s best to go for a professional clean if a piece of diamond jewelry is particularly dirty, there are plenty of ways you can give it a quick clean in your own home.
Before starting to clean your jewelry, first give it a once over to check it’s still in good condition – that all the settings are still firm, all clasps are still working, etc. If there are problems in any of these areas then you should take your piece to an accredited jeweler, like www.abelini.com, who will be able to fix it up for you.
The first thing you’ll need to invest in is a very soft toothbrush – a child’s toothbrush works well. It’s important to get the softest bristles you can find, as hard bristles may damage your jewelry.
All you need to do is simply give the piece a wash in some washing up liquid. Especially with an item like an engagement ring that’s constantly exposed, the most common things making your jewellery dirty are everyday contaminants like makeup, creams and soaps. Washing up liquid will easily cut through these substances and instantly bring back some of your jewelry’s shine.
Fill a small container with some lukewarm water and a little detergent, and leave the item to soak for a little more than half an hour. After you’ve taken it out, scrub it lightly with the soft toothbrush to get all the dirt out, and then rinse any residue away. Dry the ring using a cotton cloth, and give it a polish with a polishing cloth to get the metal back up to full shine.
It’s important to avoid using strong household products like bleach which can severely damage the jewelry. If you want to keep your diamonds looking absolutely tip-top all the time, then you should clean them about once a week – however, it won’t do any harm if you don’t do that. It is a good idea to take engagement rings for a professional clean at least once a year to avoid any permanent damage – and twice a year is ideal of if your ring is exposed to a high level of dirt.
