Diamonds may be the hardest substances on earth but that does not mean they do not get dirty and require regular cleaning. Your diamond jewelry will never wear out, but to keep it looking at its best as the years pass, you will need to clean it properly. Cleaning diamonds at home is simple and does not require any special materials. There's no need to spend money on getting them cleaned by a jeweler. And this is not something that domestic cleaners are usually asked to do:
- The first thing you need is a sink with a tight drain plug and a fine strainer. Never risk your diamonds literally going down the drain! If you're not sure about the sink, you can use some plastic bowls in its place. Just vary the following steps accordingly.
- Fill the sink with really hot water. Wear rubber gloves to protect your hands.
- Mix in a small amount of normal detergent.
- Place the jewelry in the hot water and let it soak for about 15 minutes.
- Remove the jewelry from the hot water and place it in a bowl full of glass cleaner. Make sure that the piece of jewelry is completely immersed in the glass cleaner.
- Allow the item to soak in the glass cleaner for 15 minutes.
- Now comes the difficult and delicate part. Remove the jewelry from the glass cleaner and using a soft brush, brush over the complete surface. Pay special attention to the nooks and crevices.
- If you have a magnifying glass, use it to look for any spots of dirt the brush may have missed and if the brush cannot get in that area, use a wooden toothpick to pry out the dirt.
- Now take the jewelry back to the hot water and detergent solution and swish it around for a minute or two to remove any remaining dirt.
- Now remove the jewelry and drain out the water. Making sure the drain plug or fine strainer is in place, rinse off the item in hot water, making sure to remove all the soap residue.
- Place the jewelry on a soft towel and allow to air dry.
- Once it is completely dry, wipe it off with a clean soft lint free cloth and you are done.
It's important that after cleaning you check to make sure that the diamonds are still secure in their settings. It often happens that the settings get loose and it is the dirt that keeps the stones tight. If you feel the diamonds are loose, go to a jeweler and have the adjustments done.