Diamond rings, or any expensive jewelry or big purchase, can be considered an investment. If this is your first time wearing a ring often, you may ask yourself how often to clean a diamond ring. An item like a diamond ring can make up for its cost in the number of wears you get out of it, and the longer you wear it, the cheaper its cost per wear becomes. In this article, we will go over how often to clean, options if you want to clean yourself, and how to extend its shine for long-term wear.
Key Takeaways
- Natural oils on your body, perfume, lotion, and other oils can tarnish your jewelry over time.
- Most of the time, cleaning with a gentle cleanser like dish soap or baking soda will clean daily debris.
- Chlorine will discolor sterling silver; take care when going into a swimming pool.
The Value of Clean Jewelry
Keeping your jewelry looking shiny and new is essential. But keeping it clean, also helps the jewelry piece stay intact and last as long as possible (if maintained properly).
The natural oils on your body, along with debris from touching surfaces in your day-to-day life, can slowly wear down the precious metals holding your diamond or other stones held in by your jewelry piece.
Dirt and debris gathering on your jewelry is normal. Oils from your skin, deodorant, perfume, soaps with fragrance, and lotions, all accumulate onto jewelry like rings, diamond studs, bracelets, and necklaces. The grime can be abrasive to the prongs and other settings causing the metal surface to tarnish or the diamonds to fall out of the ring over time. However, simple maintenance through regular cleaning can help prolong the life of your jewelry.
How Often Should You Clean Your Engagement Ring?
It doesn’t take much to keep your engagement ring shiny. The cleaning process can even be done at home. You can even have your engagement ring professionally cleaned. It is generally recommended to have your ring cleaned once a month to maintain a shine on the stones and diamonds.
At the very least, if you find that you’ve gotten your hands dirty from working on something like gardening, or handling something messy, it may be time to clean it with warm water and dish soap, do it yourself, or consider having someone clean it for you.
Do I Need To Get My Ring Professionally Cleaned?
Consider where you bought your engagement ring or diamond ring. Do they offer any services for purchasing fine jewelry from their establishment? Most jewelers will offer free professional diamond cleanings if you purchased the ring from them. Cleaning your ring from them is a selling point to build customer loyalty.
If you purchased the ring from another professional jeweler, you can generally expect to spend a small fee to get a professional jewelry cleaning. It is generally good engagement ring care to get it cleaned twice a year. This is because a professional jeweler offer a more thorough cleaning than what you can do at home.
What Do You Clean Rings With?
It really doesn’t take much to bring your ring back to tip-top shape. If you’re willing to take the time to give it some love, you’re investing in bringing out its best shine. It does not need to be expensive or overdone. You do not need all the tools below as some can be used as a replacement for others. But the tools below, which can usually be found in your home are things to help you clean your ring at home:
- A small bowl
- Dishwashing soap or gentle soap or baking soda
- Water and cleaning solution
- A soft toothbrush or ultrasonic jewelry cleaner
- A lint-free cloth or cotton cloth
Avoid harsh household cleaners, sanitizers with high alcohol content, and powdered cleaners with strong fragrances. Over time, these chemicals can damage precious stones and metals. At home, we generally recommend a chemical-free solution like hot water diluted with baking soda to help loosen compressed dirt from the ring’s setting.
How to Clean A Diamond Ring
The ingredients you need to clean a diamond ring are so simple, you can often save some money by doing it yourself. To begin cleaning your jewelry, get water or use warm running water and a bowl in a sink. Prepare a solution with several drops of dish soap or cleaning solution in the water. Soak your jewelry in the water for 20 minutes. As it is soaking, gently brush the ring or multiple rings with the soft toothbrush.
If you have an ultrasonic machine, you can use it instead of a soft bristle toothbrush. It mimics the gentle scrub action and helps to provide good cleaning.
If you find that the debris between the settings is stubborn, and the band isn’t as new and shining as you expected, soak it for an additional 20 minutes. Once done, rinse under warm water again.
Lay out paper towels, and dry them with a soft cloth or something non-abrasive to remove dirt and gently clean the remaining debris. Avoid paper towels on more intricate rings. Leave to air dry and you now have a ring that’s like new!
Take care not to open the faucet drain too large! We’ve definitely heard stories of engagement rings falling down the drain.
How to Take Care of Ring
Jewelry, especially a diamond engagement ring or wedding ring, is something you end up wearing every day. Consider your lifestyle and everyday activities. Washing your ring with soap and water after something messy is always a good habit to have to prevent minor scuffs and tarnishing. Some things can knock a center stone or smaller diamond out of its setting.
For example, harsh chemicals like chlorine can damage rings and cause permanent discoloration. Exercise extreme caution before going into a swimming pool with your ring on. If you or your spouse play contact sports or weight lift, it can be easily scratched by blunt force. This is not always the case, but one can never be too sure. Replacing diamonds can also be expensive. A diamond ring is often an investment- it would be wiser to make sure it remains in good condition.
Cleaning jewelry doesn’t have to be a difficult task. A ring does not always have to be professionally cleaned. As demonstrated, it can actually be done at home-sometimes with specialized equipment for ease of use. The same equipment can be substituted with items you may already have lying around in your home.
FAQs
How often do you clean a diamond ring?
Clean a diamond ring once a month at home, and twice a year professionally.
Can you clean a diamond ring too often?
No you cannot clean a diamond ring too often if you use gentle cleansers.
Is it OK to wear my diamond ring everyday?
Yes, it is OK to wear your diamond ring everyday.
Do I Need Special Tools To Clean My Ring?
You do not need special tools to clean your ring, unless you want to invest in an ultrasonic cleaner.
What Metal Will Look Like New, Longer?
Most precious metals used in rings like platinum, sterling silver, and gold will look like new and last longer.