Carlsbad, Calif.
– Diamond is the hardest natural substance on Earth.
It can cut any kind of rock or metal, but only
another diamond can cut a diamond. In fact, a
diamond must be heated to a temperature of 1292
degrees Fahrenheit before it will burn. Yet the oil
deposited from the mere touch of a human finger can
cause dirt to collect and make this nearly
indestructible gemstone quickly lose its sparkling
appeal.
So how can you keep your diamond looking its very
best? The nonprofit Gemological Institute of America
(GIA) – regarded as the world’s foremost authority
in gemology – offers the following tips on diamond
care:
Handle your diamond sparingly. Because diamonds are
natural magnets for grease, they’re not easy to keep
clean. Handling a diamond with your fingers provides
enough oils from your skin (the type of “grease”
that most affects diamonds) to alter the way your
diamond looks.
Clean your diamond regularly. A simple plan to keep
your diamond jewelry always looking beautiful is to
soak the diamond in an ammonia-based household
cleaner (such as window cleaner) overnight, once or
twice weekly. In the morning, remove the diamond
from the cleaner and brush it with a soft, clean
toothbrush (one that has not previously been used in
any way, and that you reserve exclusively for
cleaning your diamond) to remove any leftover dirt.
Take extra care to brush the back of the diamond as
this will be the area that has collected the most
oil and dirt.
Be aware that fragile settings and estate jewelry
won’t take kindly to being scrubbed with a
toothbrush, so use a soft touch. Then, just rinse
the diamond with water and wipe with a soft,
lint-free cloth.
Don’t use harmful solutions. Chlorine (as in
household bleach) or abrasives (such as household
cleansers or toothpaste) should never be used when
cleaning diamonds, especially those set in jewelry.
These erode some of the metals often used in diamond
settings, and may loosen prongs, or even dissolve
the metal completely.
Sometimes an ultrasonic cleaner is necessary to
remove encrusted dirt on diamonds. By sending high
frequency sound waves through a detergent solution,
ultrasonic cleaners cause vibrating fluid to remove
accumulated dirt and grime. However, they can also
shake loose stones from their mounting, so this
method shouldn’t be used on fragile settings (or
estate jewelry), and is best undertaken by a
professional jeweler.
Regular cleaning will keep your diamond jewelry in
gleaming condition and ready to sparkle on that
special occasion.
If you have additional questions on diamond care,
seek the advice of a qualified jeweler – ideally
someone who has been educated by GIA. Visit
www.gia.edu and check out the GIA Alumni
Association database for a list of members in your
area.
