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Using Soap and Water
Make a mild degreaser. Fill a bowl of water about 3/4 full with warm water. Add a few drops of a gentle dish soap such as Dawn. Soak the jewelry for at least a 30 minutes for a good result. The dish soap will make the ring slippery, so if there is a sink you are using, make sure that the drain is plugged.
Scrub the ring with a soft-bristled toothbrush. If you have sensitive skin, you may want to wear gloves. Use a clean, soft-bristled toothbrush to be used only for cleaning your jewelry. Wet the toothbrush in the solution. Clean the ring over the bowl, using gentle circular motions. Pay special attention to places that are hard to reach, like the inside of the setting and undersides of the diamonds.
Dry the ring. Allow the ring to air dry. Alternatively, you can use a soft, dry lint-free cloth to remove moisture from the ring. If you’re in a hurry, you can blow-dry it. If you’re allowing the ring to air dry, place it somewhere safe on a dry lint-free cloth. Don’t put it somewhere it can be easily knocked down, like on the edge of a counter. Don’t set it near a sink with an unplugged drain.
Using an Ammonia Solution
Make sure your ring is compatible. Do not use ammonia if your ring contains other gems besides diamonds. Diamonds are hard gems, which won’t be damaged by ammonia. If your ring includes softer materials like opals, emeralds, pearls, or onyx, you should stick to a cleaning method that doesn’t include ammonia. You can find out the hardness of gemstones by looking up their rating on a gem hardness scale. However, you should know for certain that the stones in your ring are the natural gemstones you’re identifying them as. If in doubt, use a gentler cleaning method such as soap and water instead, or consult with a professional jeweler first to verify what stones are in your ring.
Soak the jewelry in diluted ammonia. Fill a glass bowl with equal parts cold water and ammonia. Don’t fill the bowl all the way to the top, or you won’t be able to move the bowl easily without spilling it. Put your ring into the bowl of solution. Set the bowl somewhere away from children and pets and allow your ring to soak for 30 minutes. After half an hour, put on rubber gloves and plug the sink drain before you retrieve the ring. Or, remove the ring with tongs.
Make a scrubbing solution. Once you’ve soaked your ring to loosen any built-up grime, it’s time to scrub that grime away! Fill a glass bowl about 3/4 full with hot water. Add a splash of ammonia and a squirt of dishwashing liquid – exact measurements aren’t needed. Just don’t pour so much ammonia that you can’t handle the strong odor of it.
Gently clean the ring. Wear gloves to protect your hands. Use a light scrubbing motion to clean the ring with a soft-bristled toothbrush. Clean well on the inside of the ring underneath the setting. Scrub the back of any diamonds if you can, and pay special attention to any hard-to-reach nooks.
Rinse and dry the ring. Rinse your ring in a bowl of plain water. Make sure that you rinse it well enough that all of the solution is washed away. Plug the sink drain before attempting to retrieve the ring. Set your ring aside in a secure place to air dry. You can use a dry lint-free cloth or blow dryer if you want to resume wearing the ring immediately.
Using Diluted Household Cleaner
Choose a household cleaner. Check the list of ingredients. It’s fine if the product contains ammonia as long as your ring only has diamonds and no other gemstones. However, the cleaner should not have any chlorine bleach, which can negatively affect metal in your diamond’s setting. The cleaner’s label should indicate that it is non-caustic. This method will work for hard gems such as diamonds, rubies, sapphires, blue topaz, amethyst, and tanzanite. Don’t use this method for soft gemstones like pearls, onyx, emeralds, or opals. If in doubt about whether to use a certain cleaning agent, you can call a professional jeweler. Try saying, “I have a diamond and platinum ring. Could you tell me if I can use diluted (name of cleaner) to clean my ring in between professional cleanings? I see from the ingredients that the cleaner doesn’t contain any chlorine bleach.”
Dilute the cleaner and soak the jewelry. In a jar, mix approximately 2/3 parts water with 1/3 parts of the household cleaner. Place the jar out of reach of children and pets. Leave the jewelry in the jar of solution to soak for at least several hours, ideally overnight.
Clean the jewelry over a protected drain. Cover the sink drain with a wash cloth or sink stopper. You should wear rubber gloves in order to protect your skin from the chemicals in the solution and to get a better grip on the ring. Take the ring out of the solution. Hold it firmly and run it under cold water. Gently scrub the ring with a wet washcloth or a soft-bristled toothbrush. Make sure to clean the underside well.
Dry your ring. Set the jewelry aside in a safe, secure place to dry. You may choose to use a soft, dry lint-free cloth and/or blow-dry it if you want to put it back on right away. Make sure to thoroughly clean the jar before reusing it.
Maintaining a Clean Ring
Visit a jeweler annually. Take your ring to a professional jeweler at least annually, if not twice per year. Have them professionally clean your ring. It's wise to visit a jeweler if the dirt on your ring is a compacted layer of dirt or oil. Ask them to check your settings as well. Have your jeweler make any necessary adjustments to keep the stones secure.
Avoid touching your diamond(s). Touch your diamonds as little as possible, even when your hands are clean. Grease accumulates easily on the material of a diamond. The natural oils in your skin can cloud the diamond’s surface. You may actually want to clean your jewelry more often, such as twice a week, when it's new. Even a thin film can cloud your diamond's luster, and people may want to touch your ring when you show it off...especially if you just got engaged or married!
Be careful with ultrasonic cleaners. Ultrasonic cleaners use sound waves and a vibrating solution to remove built-up grime. However, they can loosen or chip mounted diamonds if you’re not cautious! Before using an ultrasonic cleaner, you should ensure that your diamond has not been treated, does not include feathers, and your ring is in solid condition. If your ring came with a grading report, check it to see whether your diamond has been treated. Don’t use ultrasonic cleaners if the report indicates that your diamond was enhanced through fracture-filling. If your diamond has feather inclusions, don’t use ultrasonic cleaners. “Feathers” are very small cracks in the diamond. You can look for diamond feathers using a 10x jewelry loupe, however the feathers may not be visible from every angle. It’s best to ask your jeweler to inspect your diamond ring before using an ultrasonic cleaner. Ask them to look for any diamond feathers. You should also ask them to inspect your ring’s setting as well; if there are any loose stones, get them tightened.
Protect your ring. Remove your ring and put it in a safe, secure place when you are doing a task that requires getting your hands dirty or working with harsh or abrasive chemicals. For example, remove your ring when you are using cleaning products. You may also want to remove your ring before swimming in a chlorinated pool. Chlorine can damage some metals used in ring settings. Furthermore, swimming in cold water shrinks your fingers temporarily, so it would be easier for your ring to slip off. Remove your ring when you are doing a task wherein your hands can accumulate grime, such as gardening or making dough.
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