I wear my engagement ring at all times. I don’t take it off to shower or do the dishes. If I’m using a harsh chemical, I will wear gloves. It’s a little shmutzy. I don’t like bringing it to the jeweller for a “sonic cleaning”, because I want it in my presence at all times. Though I have the GIA diamond maps (which I know by heart), I’d prefer not going through the hassle of verifying with a jeweller’s loupe that my diamond hasn’t been replaced. Also, I’m looking for a convenient and safe way to clean my ring at home, since I would like to clean it often.
The little bottles of jewellery cleaner aren’t worth the plastic they’re packaged in, in my experience. I use a jeweller’s cloth to shine the ring, but that doesn’t get into the crevices to dig out the crut.
I know one of my friends used to use an amonia solution in hot water, soaking the ring on aluminum foil (can’t remember what side), to clean her jewellery. I’m iffy on that. I know my tanzanite isn’t supposed to be exposed to harsh chemicals; though I know diamonds are rock hard, I’m wondering if that’s a safe method. Even if it is, I can’t even remember her exact recipe.
What’s the best way to clean a diamond ring at home?
I clean mine just like my Grandma showed me, scrub little bit of tooth paste on an old toothbrush. Don’t use whitening toothpaste though cause it leaves a little bit of film.
I figure that if toothpaste/toothbrush are gentle enough for your teeth it isn’t going to hurt a diamond. My grandma has been cleaning her diamond that was for almost 50 years and it sparkles.
Unless your ring is terribly, terribly grubby, the simple way is to wear it when you wash your hair. Maneuver your hand and ring so the hair scrubs every part of the ring. Put a wad of nylon mesh over the drain. That’s to keep the stone from going down the drain in case your hair yanks it loose. Anyway, your ring will be sparkly clean.
I worked in a pawn shop for 5 years and the one surefire way to sell a ring was to take it to the back and clean it. We just used a mild dishwashing liquid and a soft toothbrush. They might have added some ammonia to the mix but you know what they say about mixing cleansers, so I’m not going to recommend it. (But it did have a distinctive odor to it)
I usually heat up a small dish of Windex in the microwave, then drop the ring in it and let it soak for a few minutes. Then I gently scrub it with a baby toothbrush. Works very well.
If your ring is a real diamond set in real gold, then you can use (nearly) any chemical conceivable (stay away from nitric acid, but I don’t think you were planning on it in the first place). Diamond and gold are both extremely chemically stable. Anything you could find which would harm your ring would probably eat through your sink first.
If there’s anything other than diamond and gold in your ring, then it’s another story. Most metals and some gemstones (notably pearls) will be harmed by most acids.
My mother uses denture tablets to soak her diamonds (she is very fond of diamonds), and then gently cleans them with a SOFT old toothbrush. I wouldn’t do this with pearls, as they’re organic and rather fragile anyway, but diamonds and gold seem to hold up under this treatment very well.
You should never use basking soda or toothpaste it can scratch the actual ring and make the prongs lose if that happens your diamond can fall out I guess if your just cleaning an actual diamond this would be okay but if it’s a ring with a diamond I wouldn’t do that
You should use anything without harsh chemicals or any kind of scrubs this will prevent you from scratching your ring or damaging the prongs. Use a mild dish soap or windex and let soak with warm water then rinse off use only a soft never used before toothbrush to scrub in the cracks then soak in cold water and rinse again and it will shine and you will not have any scratching or damage.
Careful. Whitening toothpaste has (or used to have) a mild abrasive. I wouldn’t recommend it for cleaning jewelry. It is possible to scratch, chip, and wear a diamond, and definitely the metal it is set in.
Tiffany’s used to have a cleaning solvent the sold in a little plastic jar. The insert had a rod in the middle. Put your jewelry in this, let it soak overnight, rinse and at worst, scrub with a soft toothbrush. Last time we looked for this, they recommended we ask at a jewelry store off Fifth Ave for the same thing but different brand. It was probably just some sort of detergent that loosened the finger equivalent of toe jam…
Tiffany’s told us they will not ultrasonic-clean the Etoile (?) rings, with the tiny embedded diamonds. they are too likely to come loose and require extra repairs. So don’t try ultrasonic except for larger set stones.
My grandmother has always used dish soap/shampoo. She keeps her ring on most days (until recently, it’s now too big). It still shines like a new ring, and she’s had it since 1955.
eta: The she’s had the ring itself since 1955, but had the diamond replaced in the late 1960’s, when she lost the diamond in her car.
I used to use toothpaste on my silver but stopped as even that low abrasion takes the luster off it. You’re not going to hurt the diamond but the gold is relatively soft so any abrasive will take down the shine.
I have been soaking them overnight in fantastic and rinsing them off the next morning. Works like a charm on my Ti wedding ring and my SO’s sapphire and diamond ring.
If your jewelry is so caked-up with gunk that the $5 “soak for a bit and use the soft brush” cleaner that **md2000 **described isn’t enough, you need to take the ring off the next time you gut fish or mix plaster.
Seriousy though - Five bucks for a jar of Goddard’s at Bed Bath & Beyond, and a brush is included. If the jewelry is abnormally filthy, bite the bullet and take it to a reputable jeweler for a deep clean, then clean it at home weely or however often you desire.
I have a silver and diamond wedding ring that has a weird lattice design on the inside under the stones. It inevitably gets nasty every now and then (smells like mildew) no matter how careful I am to keep it clean and dry.
I use the cleaner that comes with a brush and follow directions and it works great. It smells fine (after the chemical smell wears off) and looks shiny and new each time.
