Diamond Care

Diamond is the hardest of all natural materials. Only a diamond can scratch a diamond. Be very careful when wearing more than one diamond ring on the same finger. If the diamond of one ring touches the diamond in another ring, there is a strong risk that either or indeed both stones may become scratched, and having scratches polished is a risky and expensive business.

It is even more likely that diamonds may scratch each other is in your jewellery box. Do not put your diamond rings, diamond earrings, and diamond bracelets loosely together. Since diamonds will scratch diamonds, they are even more likely to damage other gemstones and precious metals. Keep each item of diamond jewellery in a separate compartment, or at the very least separate them with a soft cloth to keep them from rubbing against each other.

Although diamonds are very durable, they can break or chip. Your diamond ring, especially if it is an exposed setting, can easily be damaged by filing cabinets, metal seat belt buckles, and car doors, to name just a few of the metal surfaces that can chip your diamond. By avoiding sudden impacts with hard surfaces, you will be protecting your diamond from potential chips and cracks.

Diamonds naturally attract grease, so try to avoid touching your diamond with your finger. The invisible grease from your fingertips will coat the diamond and reduce its sparkle. The same is true when your diamond ring touches the oil in your hair. Hand creams, lotions, hair sprays, soap, and grease from food will all create a film on your diamond that will hide its beauty. You should remember to remove your diamond ring when, for example, doing the washing-up, as the dirt and grease in the water will adhere to the diamond.

Even these precautions will not prevent your diamond from losing its sparkle over time, because grease from your finger will slowly begin to coat the back, or pavilion, of the diamond. Fortunately however, diamonds are easy to clean. Simply put your diamond jewellery into a solution of mild liquid detergent and warm water. Swish the ring around in the solution, rinse it with warm water, and dry the ring with a lint-free cloth. Any stubborn grease on the pavilion of your claw-set diamond can be removed with a tiny brush, such as the smallest size of interdental brush available from supermarkets, or with a specialist jewellery-cleaning brush. While chemicals will probably not hurt your diamond, harsh chemicals like chlorine or bleach can weaken and discolour the metal in the jewellery.

There are many types of ultrasonic cleaners on the market. The piece of jewellery is placed in a bowl of water and detergent. The ultrasonic cleaner produces high-frequency turbulence which is especially effective in cleaning the more inaccessible parts of your jewellery. However, not all gemstones are as durable as diamonds, so take care never to use an ultrasonic cleaner on soft gems such as emeralds, opals or pearls.

DiamondFind.co.uk