Caring for Your Diamond Engagement Ring
Clean your engagement ring on a regular basis. A diamond will look its best if it is cleaned at frequent intervals. If you wear your diamond engagement ring everyday, your ring will be exposed to soaps, lotions, and natural skin oils that can cause film and grime to build up and dull the sparkle and brilliance of your diamond and the setting.
You can clean the diamond at home by using store bought solution or household detergent mixed with water. Do not use bleach cleansers which can damage the setting and mounting. To clean your diamond, you can use a small soft bristled brush – an eyebrow brush is perfect.
The best way to clean your diamond engagement ring and keep it sparkling is to make a bowl of sudsy water with soap or mild detergent and put the ring in the water to soak. After a few minutes take the soft bristled brush and scrub the diamond in the suds.
Rinse the ring thoroughly to remove all the soapy suds. Don’t simply hold it in your fingers under the water. If you do, be sure to put the stopper in the sink so you don’t lose accidentally drop your engagement ring down the drain! You can put the ring in a small strainer and run the water through that to make sure all the soap gets washed off. Finally, take a 100% cotton jewelry cloth and pat the ring dry. Cotton is the only cloth that is guaranteed safe for whatever precious metal your diamond is set in. A clean cotton cloth will not scratch fine jewelry.
You don’t really need any special chemicals to keep you engagement ring looking beautiful, but if your diamond on the ring is really dirty, you may need something stronger than soap and water. In that case, try a mixture of half water and half ammonia. Take off the ring and let the ring soak in the liquid for about 30 minutes. Then gently brush the ring with a soft brush. Rinse and dry as recommended above. You can also dip your ring in rubbing alcohol or vodka prior to cleaning with soapy water to remove excess grease or oily residue.
You can also buy jewelry cleaning kits in almost any department store. These kits have everything you need – the solution and brush and are quite convenient as you can store them away and use them over and over again. Read the label to see if the kit is safe to use on your diamond engagement ring.
If you really want a super clean diamond you can try an ultrasonic cleaning machine. These machines use high-frequency to generate a cleaning motion. Remember to read the instructions before using.
You should also consider having your engagement ring cleaned by a professional jeweler at least once a year. At the same time, have the jeweler check the mounting and prong to make sure that the diamond or other gemstone is securely in place. This can prevent your diamond from coming out of its setting and getting lost.
Don’t Wear Your Engagement Ring
Before doing rough manual work, or when using harsh chemicals, remove your engagement ring and store it in a safe place. Although diamonds are a very hard stone, they can be chipped and scratched easily, no to mention the metal used for settings that hold the diamonds in place. Also avoid allowing your diamond to come into contact with bleach or other household cleansers this can damage or change the color of the settings and mountings, and it may even irreversibly change the color of the diamond.
Storing Your Engagement Ring
When you are not wearing your engagement ring you should store it in its own fabric lined jewel case, or fabric pouch so it can be kept separate from your other jewelry. Ideally, every piece of you jewelry should have its own compartment. This will keep the diamonds in your engagement ring from getting scratched as well as keep your diamond from scratching your other jewelry.
When you are traveling, either leave your engagement ring safely at home or bring a case along to store it at night or when you shower. Don’t leave your diamond ring behind unless your hotel room features a sturdy safe.
Caring for a diamond takes more than occasional cleanings. Diamonds are forever, but they can be damaged if you don’t exercise some care. By learning how to properly care for your diamond, you will ensure that your diamond is indeed forever.