Diamonds of different shapes and sizes are exclusive jewelry, and you need to know how to care for them. Otherwise, they will lose their incredible shine and seem like simple pieces of glass.
If you have a diamond of several carats in your jewelry chest, then, of course, it is better to take it to a jeweler for cleaning. But what to do if you urgently need to put on gold earrings with diamonds or a ring, and it needs cleaning?
We have already written about how to clean gold more than once. But what about the stones? And anyway, where does dirt come from on diamond jewelry?
Firstly, our skin produces its own sebaceous oil. It, in turn, attracts street dust, which either settles evenly on stones or gets clogged into small cracks in fastenings in jewelry, forming pieces of dirt.
Secondly, when we come home, we don’t always put our jewelry in special bags or boxes. House dust, even if you consider your home sterile, exists. And it envelops the diamond rings with a gray coating.
You can restore the original shine to the stones yourself. This is very easy to do by following our tips.
How to store gold and diamond jewelry
In order for gold jewelry with diamonds to delight you with its beauty for a long time, they should be stored correctly.
It's easy to clean gold and diamonds at home
It is important to remember the following:
- Do not forget jewelry in the bathroom , a room with high air humidity - be sure to keep it in a dry place, out of direct sunlight.
- Store the products in a box, in a fabric bag - this will not lead to oxidation of the metal, scratches upon contact, or friction.
- Keep jewelry as far as possible from acid , chlorine, and other aggressive chemicals: this can cause the metal to oxidize and the stone to lose its shine.
All this will allow you to preserve the purity and shine of precious metals encrusted with diamonds for a long time.
What you should never do
Many bloggers on the Internet suggest cleaning diamonds using lipstick. We do not recommend this method unless you want to lose your gold diamond ring. Lipsticks are made with fat, so the ring becomes slippery and can easily fall off your finger at the most inopportune moment!
Always wear jewelry when it is dry, do not wash your hands in it, or remove diamond earrings when you are about to shower.
Jewelry has no place during training in the gym or on the street. Under no circumstances should you wear them when going to the pool. Firstly, they will disturb you, and secondly, chlorine dissolved in water will create an additional coating on your jewelry.
We do not recommend using aggressive agents, such as well-known carbonated drinks, to clean diamond jewelry. Yes, they can very quickly remove plaque from any product. But your diamonds are not a kettle with scale; they require a careful and patient attitude.
Are you planning to clean your diamond jewelry? Then be patient, because now you are not just caring for expensive jewelry, but also for “best friends” who present you to others in the best light.
Traditional methods of cleaning
A gold ring, necklace, earrings, rings encrusted with precious stones become dirty over time. But folk methods for removing dirt will help clean their surface and restore shine.
Do not rub the product itself with soda
The main thing is to follow a number of rules:
- After cutting, a diamond loses its strength and becomes brittle, so be careful when cleaning.
- Twice a year it is recommended to take the product to a workshop or a jeweler in a jewelry store for professional cleaning using special products.
- At home, it is recommended to remove contamination using traditional methods once every 3 months.
- Do not use abrasive particles, alkalis, or aggressive chemical components that will scratch the surface of metal and stone.
All these simple tips and recommendations will extend the life of your jewelry and effectively remove plaque and dirt.
Soft cloth or napkin
Cleaning the surface of the jewelry with a soft, short-nap cloth is an easy way to clean it. It will take you 5-10 minutes.
Wipe the product with a piece of natural wool felt or fleece until it shines, polishing its surface. The main thing is that the fabric should be soft and not scratch the metal surface.
Soda solution
For a glass of warm water you will need soda, 1 tbsp is enough. l. Place in it for 3-5 minutes. product. Clean the surface with a soft bristled brush, rinse, and dry with a soft cloth.
Attention! Do not rub the product itself with soda, and even after extinguishing it with vinegar - this will scratch the jewelry, and the acid will cause the gold to darken and the stone to lose its shine.
Onion juice and Coca-Cola
Coca-Cola helps remove rust from metal and cleans the metal surface of dirt. Immerse the jewelry in a glass container, fill it with Coca-Cola and leave for no more than an hour, then rinse the product under running water and wipe dry.
Read more ► How to clean old coins from rust and oxidation at home: tips from numismatists
After cutting, a diamond loses its strength and becomes brittle, so be careful when cleaning
Onion juice is a proven and effective remedy for removing grease and dirt from jewelry.
Just cut the onion in half and rub it well on the surface of the ring or earrings, leave for a couple of hours - during this time the onion juice solution will corrode the dirt. Afterwards, rinse in clean water and wipe dry with a soft cloth.
Hyposulfite and borax solution
A solution of jewelry borax will help remove severe contamination. Apply a couple of drops of borax to a cloth, wipe the jewelry, rinse under water and wipe dry.
Alternatively, you can use hyposulfite. Dissolve 1 tsp in a glass of warm boiled water. products, immerse the decoration for 20 minutes.
Rinse under running water, using a brush, and wipe dry with a soft, moisture-absorbing cloth.
Ammonia and peroxide
Cleaning white gold products has its own characteristics.
Their effect on metal and stones is very aggressive, therefore the use of ammonia and peroxide in their pure form is prohibited. Dissolve 2 tbsp in 200 ml of water. l. peroxide and 3 tsp. ammonia, add a couple of drops of detergent.
Place the product in the solution for 3-4 hours, rinse and wipe dry.
Important! It is worth taking glass or enameled dishes - this will not lead to oxidation of the metal and darkening of the jewelry.
Soap solution is the ideal choice
Dissolve grated baby soap and a little shampoo in warm water and dip the product in the solution for 20 minutes, brush with a brush with soft natural bristles.
The process is completed by washing under running water and then rubbing with soft felt to a natural shine.
Liquid soap and toothpaste in the fight against plaque
Liquid soap is used in the same way as a soap solution, and toothpaste does an excellent job of removing any dirt due to the light abrasive particles it contains.
Toothpaste copes well with any stain due to the light abrasive particles it contains.
Wipe the gold with the paste, then rinse under running clean water.
Advice! For cleansing, you should not choose toothpaste or powder that contains colored, large abrasive particles and pigments.
Onion juice
The most popular folk remedy is onion juice. It effectively combats all types of stains on gold jewelry.
- Cut the onion and rub the onion juice over the garnish. You can grate the onion and coat the decoration with the resulting paste.
- Place the decorations in a glass bowl and cover it with cling film.
- Leave for a couple of hours.
- Remove jewelry and rinse under clean running water.
- Dry and polish the product with a microfiber, felt or velvet cloth.
How to clean white gold?
Cleaning a white gold product has its own characteristics . The methods described above are not applicable to it: it is a special alloy of several metals that requires a delicate approach.
It is important to remember that:
- Do not use abrasive cleaning compounds or alkaline solutions, metal brushes or hard fabrics for cleaning.
- You can clean it with both professional cleaning products and household products.
Cleaning a white gold product has its own characteristics.
To clean white gold at home, the following products are used:
- Sugar is suitable for removing plaque and greasy stains and adding shine - dissolve 2-3 teaspoons of crystals in a glass of water and place the decoration there for a day. Then rinse under water and wipe dry.
- Place shavings of baby or laundry soap or shampoo in clean water, dissolve and immerse the decoration for 15 minutes. Next, rinse under water and rub until shiny with a soft cloth.
- Rinse the product under clean, distilled water or use alcohol. Wipe dry and until shiny with microfiber.
The methods are simple and effective, but if they do not remove dirt, grease, stains, and scratches from the jewelry, you should take it to a jeweler.
Precautionary measures
Don't blindly trust all advice. Remember that jewelry settings are not as durable as diamonds and can be easily scratched. Also remember that diamonds do not like high temperatures and can be scratched by their fellow diamonds. Therefore, when cleaning, you should not allow friction between jewelry.
- Remove all foreign objects from the work area.
- To avoid missing decorations when flushing down the drain, prepare a fine sieve. You can also close the drain with a tight stopper.
- Use rubber gloves and a mask. The latter is especially important when working with volatile, caustic compounds and a tendency to allergies and asthmatic attacks.
Keep small children and animals away from the work area. Shiny things actively attract both children and pets, who at the same time may spill the solution on themselves or drop the decoration into the drain.
Is it possible to restore scratched and tarnished gold?
If the product has lost its original shine or scratches have appeared on it, a jeweler can solve this problem.
You should not polish the product at home - if the scratches are large, you can damage it.
If the darkening is insignificant, the scratches are minor, use the following home recipes:
- wipe metal and stone with felt;
- use GOI paste for polishing.
When there is no felt or special paste, you should not try to solve the problem on your own . Give the product to a craftsman - he will return it to its original appearance without the risk of damage.
How not to spoil jewelry: secrets and tips
Cleaning and polishing gold jewelry at home is not that difficult. The main thing is to know how not to make things worse.
Cleaning and polishing gold jewelry at home is not that difficult
To ensure you get the desired result, consider the following:
- When cleaning precious metal, do not use abrasive, aggressive products to remove dirt: powders and gels, cloth with hard pile.
- Choose a brush for cleaning stones with soft natural bristles - it will effectively clean the surface of the gold without scratching it.
- For purification, take purified water (at most distilled, at least passed through filters).
- Before cleaning, check your jewelry for the integrity of the latch, other link connection, and stone attachment. This is an essential precaution, as the product may break during the cleaning process.
- After cleaning, rinse the jewelry thoroughly in cool water, always running, and then dry it, polishing with a soft cloth.
Read more ► How to sharpen scissors correctly: 5 methods, procedure and sharpening angle
What is strictly prohibited from cleaning jewelry:
- Baking soda - in pure, powdered form, it will cause scratches and remove shine.
- Iodine - under its influence, gold can change its color.
- Bleach and chlorine-containing solutions, powdered cleaning agents - they can discolor gold.
- Potassium permanganate - this will lead to the metal simply oxidizing.
What kind of soap can I use?
Oil released from the sebaceous glands of the skin forms an oily coating on gold and diamonds. Dust settles on the surface and the object begins to darken. The wedding ring is wiped with soda, but the abrasive material scratches the precious stone on the ring, and boiling water changes color. The soap is gentle, removes plaque from pearls and coral, topaz and diamonds, and leaves no marks on gold.
Children's
To restore shine to jewelry or remove stains on earrings or a pendant, heat water, fill a bowl with it, add a little baby soap, and whisk into foam. Gold items are dipped into the solution, wiped with a soft brush, after an hour, removed from the container, rinsed and placed on a napkin.
Dermatological
This type of soap consists of synthetic substances that have antibacterial properties. The detergent produces a small amount of foam, but disinfects and removes plaque that forms on gold jewelry.
Self made
The jewelry is cleaned of dirt with a paste prepared from water, chalk and grated soap, which is made from olive or castor oil and wax. Rub the stone and gold with the mixture and polish it to a shine with a dry cloth.
Liquid
Jewelry retains its beauty and sophistication when it is cared for regularly. You don’t have to seek help from a professional for a long time if you soak gold objects with an attached stone in a liquid soap that forms a thick foam. The plaque dissolves, and the dirt is easy to wipe off with a soft brush. The product is rinsed and dried with a napkin or cloth.
Cream soap
Rings and signet rings with loose diamond inserts should not be soaked in liquid composition. Such jewelry is cleaned with a special paste or wiped with a swab and soaked in cream soap.
Gold and Diamond Cleaning Tools
The cost of professional jewelry cleaning can be quite high, which is why many jewelry owners try to do the cleaning themselves at home.
For an economical option for caring for jewelry, you can and should use the following tools:
- salt and soft cloth - felt or fleece napkin;
- brush – soft, preferably with natural bristles;
- dishes for cleaning - the decoration must be completely placed in it and covered with the solution.
Soda solution
Soda, or sodium carbonate, is used very actively in everyday life. It is also used to clean diamond earrings and other jewelry. Here you need to be careful before embarking on experiments. Need to remember:
- Diamonds do not tolerate high temperatures and cannot be boiled;
- baking soda makes a diamond brighter, but the shine of gold from contact with it will fade and the product will become dull.
Add 1 tablespoon of soda to a glass of warm water (200 ml). Stir until completely dissolved. The earrings are kept in the solution for 2 minutes, after which they are cleaned with a soft brush or brush, and washed in running water.
