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Though diamond rings can safely be cleaned at home with a little soap and water, with them being so valuable many prefer to leave it to professionals jewellers for a more thorough clean. After all, these people work with diamonds every day, so they know their stuff.
While diamonds are one of the toughest minerals on earth, they still require a lot of care and precision when cleaning to ensure they remain in tip-top shape and continue to sparkle for the remainder of the time.
So how do jewellers clean diamond rings? Read on to discover the precise diamond jewellery cleaning techniques adopted by some of the best in the business.
How Jewellers Clean Diamond Rings Overview:
- What Jewellers Do To Clean A Diamond
- What Jewellers Do To Clean Metals
- A Professional Clean VS Cleaning At Home
What Jewellers Do To Clean A Diamond
Your hands are the most utilised part of your body. Naturally, this means they receive a lot of abuse. This can make jewellery that you wear on your hands like diamond rings more susceptible to the pollutants that we come into contact with daily including dirt, makeup, fake tan, lotion, hand sanitiser and more which can accumulate on your piece, causing its appearance to deteriorate. Storing your diamonds becomes an important factor. Find out How To Store Diamond Jewellery here.
To clean diamonds, professional jewellers will use a specialised device referred to as an Ultrasonic Jewellery Cleansing Bath to get your piece sparkling once again. This device uses vibration and ultrasonic sound waves to lift the dirt and other pollutants off your diamond.
To use this device, the jeweller will first pour a special solution into the machine's tank up until a specified line. Following this, they will then fill the machine up to the top with warm water.
Next, depending on the ring's size the jeweller will place it onto the carousel or 'S'-shaped hook featured on the device. Then, switching on the ultrasonic bath, the jeweller will generally leave the ring in the machine for one or two minutes depending on how dirty it is.
The jeweller will then switch off the machine, remove the diamond and then rinse it off under warm water. The result is a glittering diamond ring that looks as good as new.
What Jewellers Do to Clean Metals
When it comes to cleaning jewellery, no two metals are alike. This means what works for one diamond ring, won't necessarily work for another. Certain products and chemicals can not only cause metals like gold jewellery and silver jewellery to become tarnished, but in some circumstances, they can even cause them to become brittle and break down. This is why professional jewellers will polish the ring or clean it using a cleaning solution specifically formulated for the metal within your setting.
To clean a diamond's setting, the jeweller will first assess the ring for any visible damage and tarnish using specialised equipment including a jewellery loupe, which is like a small magnifying glass that you can hold between two fingers. If the ring has become bent or misshapen, the jeweller will first lightly and gently refinish it using a piece of emery paper (sandpaper).
Then, to remove any fine scratches, abrasions or scuffs, they will then use a special polishing machine to polish the inside and outside of the setting until it looks all shiny and new again. The jeweller will then use an ultrasonic jewellery bath or use a liquid cleaning solution formulated for a particular metal to remove any residue left by the jewellery polisher. If the setting of your diamond is white gold jewellery, the ring will then be placed in a solution containing rhodium plating to ensure it maintains its colour and doesn't begin to revert to yellow.
A Professional Clean VS Cleaning At Home
Now you know the answer to 'how do jewellers clean diamond rings,' cleaning your ring at home gets the job done too. While some may prefer to have something as precious and valuable as a diamond ring delegated to the professionals who will arguably give a more thorough clean, others prefer a more low-cost solution like cleaning their jewellery at home.
Some will regularly clean their ring at home every few months and then treat their piece to a professional clean annually. Whether you decide to clean your ring at home or a jeweller does not matter, as to how you do it is not important. What is important, however, is that your ring is treated with exceptional care to ensure the longevity of your piece for many years to come. Check out our Diamond Cleaning Guide for some tips.
More About Diamonds:
- Diamond Guide
- Diamond Price Guide
- Diamond Style Guide
- Diamond Buying Guide
- Diamond Cleaning Guide
- Engagement Ring Guide
- Diamond Jewellery Brands
- Diamond Earrings Buying Guide
- How To See If A Diamond Is Real At Home
- What To Know About Diamonds Before Buying A Ring
- How To Buy A Diamond Ring Without Getting Duped
