Cleaning Diamond Jewelry in 5 Minutes - How to Put Some Bling Back Into Your Life!

How can such an important project bring out so many different methods? Over the years, I've heard quite a few ways of putting the bling back into your diamond jewelry. Some of the methods were good, some were ineffective, and some could be damaging to your diamond jewelry. Now with the Internet, all of this "information" about cleaning diamond jewelry gets spread around faster and farther. I will give you the fastest, easiest, and safest way to clean diamond jewelry.... and this is based on many years of experience.

Three important elements are needed when cleaning diamond jewelry- heat, a cleaning agent, and some pressure. We will get into the "how to" in a minute, but first a very important basic has to be covered.... this is a method for cleaning diamond jewelry only.... diamond rings, diamond earrings, etc. Rubies and Sapphires generally would also be OK.... but NO emeralds, opals, pearls, rhinestones, coral, shell, amber, ivory, costume jewelry, etc.

OK... let's get started!

You will need to have a coffee cup or a bowl filled with some water. Place the cup or bowl into the microwave and zap it for a couple of minutes. Remove it from the microwave; it will be very (boiling) hot, so be please careful! Place a bit of dish detergent in with the water; the general ratio is about 10 parts water to 1 part cleaner. You could experiment on the proper ratio or use a different type of household cleaner, however whatever cleaner you do use please read the ingredients to be sure that it does not contain bleach. Now, you have a container of very hot water, with a bit of cleaner/detergent in it, and you can carefully place your jewelry into the hot solution.... again, please be careful!

Now you will have to let this sit for a bit.... I did actually find an additional cleaning diamond jewelry tip on the Internet that could come in nicely right now! You will need a shot glass of Vodka, an 8 oz. glass, some ice, and some cranberry juice... mix all of them together, have a few sips, and just relax for 5 minutes while you are busy cleaning diamond jewelry at home!

Once the temperature of the cleaning solution has dropped low enough to be able to touch it (without saying a bunch of bad words!) you can now start to use a soft toothbrush to dislodge some of the more stubborn build up of dirt. Do not scrub! Be gentle.... you should use the bristles of the toothbrush in more of a pushing motion to get the bristles along the sides and under the diamonds. Being too excited about cleaning your diamond jewelry could cause a prong or two to loosen and a diamond could fall out of it's setting!

Next you will want to rinse off the soapy cleaning solution to see how it looks. Do not, repeat, DO NOT rinse your jewelry over an open drain, NEVER! If a diamond has become loose it could end up taking a one-way trip through your plumbing system. Instead have a much bigger bowl or container with clean water in it to be able to rinse away the soapy cleaning solution. Pat your diamond jewelry with a clean cloth and let dry.

Congratulations...

You now have earned your "cleaning diamond jewelry" merit badge! This cleaning diamond jewelry system will work especially well if you do it on a regular basis. You should go to your local jewelry store every 6 to 12 months in order to have your diamond jewelry cleaned and inspected. This is especially a good thing to do in early November.... so you can be at your "blingiest" for the holidays and while you are at the store it will give you a chance to update your wish list! This is a fast, easy, and free process that most jewelry stores are happy to do for you. Once this thorough cleaning has been performed at the jewelry store, a monthly cleaning of your diamond jewelry at home will be a snap.

By Bud Boland