This is a question asked of diamond ring owners all of the time and you may be surprised to find you do not need to pay hundreds or even thousands of dollars to bring your diamond to life.
Even the most perfectly flawless diamond will lose its brilliance and fire as the detritus of everyday life accumulates on the ring. Aside from the obvious culprits such as soap and make-up, products such as hairspray and perfume will contribute to the deterioration of the diamond's appearance over time and diminishing your enjoyment. Fortunately, you can easily clean your jewelry with a little effort and even les money.
A recommended cleaning method is to buy an ammonia solution or take neat ammonia and dilute one-third of a cup ammonia to two-thirds of hot water from the tap. Soak the ring in this solution for 10 minutes which will loosen accumulated dirt and grime as well as matter such as bread dough. After you have soaked the ring for 10 minutes, take a soft toothbrush and gently scrub the ring but do NOT use toothpaste as it contains scouring agents (a principal ingredient in toothpaste is sand!) and for this reason do not use an old toothbrush as this will still have toothpaste residue and it only takes one scratch to ruin the appearance of your ring.
Here are Ultrasonic cleaning services available if you wish to use these but they are really not necessary and can be very expensive even when you buy them yourself for use at home. Not only can the alcohol cleaning fluid they use be expensive to buy and replenish, the violent spinning and shaking process which is applied may actually loosen your diamond setting and result in the loss of your diamond when you least expect it!
Another method you can try is to buy some rubbing alcohol (isopropyl) which is very cheap (less than a couple of dollars) and use a shaving brush with medium to hard bristles. Soak the ring for a couple of minutes and then apply the brush and pay special attention to the underside of the basket and around and between the prongs. Soak the ring for a further two minutes and dry it off with a tissue. Your ring will look as fresh and sparkling as it did when the craftsman finished it.
We have already mentioned how your ring should not be subjected to shock or shaking however, everyday life being what it is, it is inevitable your jewelry will be knocked and suffer the odd knock no matter how careful you are with it. You should routinely check your ring to make sure it is tight and the diamond is in no danger of falling loose; diamonds being what they are, it is more than likely you will not notice your diamond has fallen from the setting until it is far too late and you will have lost I for good!
Check your diamond ring by taking your thumb and forefinger and putting them on opposite ends of the girdle while you VERY gently try to move the diamond. If you experience even the slightest "give" in the diamond you should take this as a sign the prongs need some attention and tightening. Another good test is to hold your ring to your ear and shake it gently; if you hear any rattling this will be the diamond hitting the prongs and therefore it must be loose so get them tightened as soon as possible and refrain from wearing your ring until you do.
By Lawrence Reaves
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