i finally got my engagement ring (yeay!!)
it has an engraved band that seems to have gotten some black stuff stuck in the side. it’s probably from the box it was in.
what’s the best way to get this out without going to a jewelry store and having it cleaned?
You can go to walmart, target, riches, etc. and buy jewelry cleaner for like $6. Just use a toothbrush to scrub in the cleaner, then rinse.
I always just get mine done at one of the jewlery stores at the mall… it’s free and they do a good job.
Take it and cast it into the hottest part of the fire. Grasp it with the fire tongs and drop it into your hand (it will be quite cool). Look for the pretty red lettering that will show that it is the One Ring to Rule Them All.
This sounds funny, but it always works great for me.
Heat up a little dish of Windex in the microwave, and then drop your rings into the warmed Windex for a few minutes (don’t nuke the rings!). Then brush them gently with a very soft toothbrush (I use a baby toothbrush) and rinse with water. That’s it!
Of course, this method is only good for very hard stones like diamonds, rubies and emeralds. Opals, pearls and other soft stones should never be cleaned this way, it will ruin them.
I clean mine with an old, soft toothbrush and toothpaste. It’s a nice mild abrasive, and has always worked really well for me.
At the jewelry store it was basically clean. Before they boxed it they took it in the back to put it in this heated solution ultrasonic cleaning doo-hicky. Before the girl at the shop (who I went to highschool with and hadn’t seen for about 5 years, coincidentally) went back she asked if we had anything else she could put in the cleaner… so we all donated a ring.
When I got my ring back it was fairly warm, so I think the black stuff is melted plastic (acrylic, probably) from the suedesque pad in the ring’s box. This would tend to explain why normal cleaning hasn’t yet gotten rid of it. If it is plastic, some sort of hydrocarbon solvent might work… but then I condisered that diamonds are made of carbon and I’m not sure if, for example, naphtha would damage diamond.
Anyone have an answer ont he solubility of diamond or any other sugestions for geting melted plastic out of the engraving?
if you’re careful and have a steady hand, using the point of a pin or needle might help pick/scrape out any material that has gotten into the engraving of the band. work from the edge inward, trying to lift/flake off the substance if it’s thick enough to feel it. (very light scratching across the top of the substance might also help in creating thinner spots/fault lines for it to chip on. just be careful, because a slip might put scratches into the metal.)
they also do sell small ultrasonic jewlery cleaners for home use, probably in the $30-$50 range. sometimes an ultrasonic contact lens cleaner can be used in a pinch, if it has a deep enough well that can hold the ring and some jewelry cleaning solution.
diamonds are pretty tough. when i needed to have the platinum band enlarged on my engagement ring (left-over screw from multi-pieces bone breakage repair), the jeweler told me afterward that they didn’t have to take the diamond out while they welded (not soldered) a new section into the band. my rule of thumb would be, if your hand could survive exposure to whatever solution you’re contemplating, then the diamond can probably survive too.
Drop it into a glass of Pepsi overnight, et voila!! Seriously.
My wife and Geobabe are in agreement here. Seems to work well.
Another vote for toothpaste.
There is a nearby jewelry store that will clean jewelry and inspect it at the same time, for free. Every so often, when I am in that shopping center for something else, I drop my jewelry off to be cleaned/inspected. The inspection is the superior part that I wouldn’t get by doing it myself, at home. One time, they found two loose stones in my wedding band; it’s a good thing they found out before I lost the stone, because they’re only 10 point stones, and I never would have found them again! So, my vote is for professional cleaning at a jeweler.
I have gotten it professionally cleaned since I started this thread. It didn’t get the stuff out. It just looks tarnished, which I know it isn’t since the ring is only a few months old. I guess I’m just going to have to live with having it look antiquish.
Be sure to use an old-fashioned toothpaste. Some of these new-fangled dental creams have abrasives and chemicals that will harm the metal.
Also, soda or molassas mixed with water make good dips.
JUST MAKE SURE NO ONE EMPTIES THE GLASS… it’s dangerous to leave valuable things soaking in dark liquid. Especially near the sink.
You can also use baking soda and water with an old soft toothbrush to clean them. It’s abrasive enough to clean but not too harsh.
EJsGirl mentioned not cleaning pearls and opals this way and she’s absolutely right. Pearls are usually glued to a post, and water will weaken the glue, and opals are too fragile to be cleaned this way. Take them to a jeweler.
I’d also encourage you to take your regular rings to the jeweler’s once in a while to have the stones checked. I used to work in a jewelry store and we’d clean rings for free. As norinew said, you never know if stones are loose unless they’re checked.
It was amazing how many people came in with rings with loose stones.
I used to work in a pawn shop and we used sudsy ammonia and a drop of dish detergent in an ultrasonic cleaner. The problem with toothpaste is that it can get caught up in the settings and under the stones.
Yes, diamonds are carbonaceous, yet they have undergone a time/pressure conversion. A mild solvent such as acetone (nail polish remover) or petroleum naptha (charcoal grill lighter fluid) should remove the crud without damage to the ring. Wash the ring thoroughly afterward, as these solvents will act to defat the upper layers of skin, and can be quite irritating to your finger.