Cleaning Diamond Jewelry

[Kelly]

I've heard so many ways to clean diamonds that I would like an answer from the experts.

I've heard ultrasonics are the best however friends have told me this can make your diamonds wiggle loose and in the long run can damage your piece.

I also heard use plain old soap and water every day.

I saw at Wal Mart that they had a jewelry cleaner, but with my luck I'd be buying a container of soap and water for big bucks with a fancy label.

What is the best way for average gal to clean her rings and necklaces safely at home?

[Gregory Diamond]

Diamonds naturally attract grease. At the mines they run the dirt over grease belts to separate the rough from it.

You have to be careful with what you use, many cleaners on the market contain chemicals that can discolor or weaken gold over time.

My wife uses an old soft toothbrush, dawn dish soap and warm water.

I am sure the retailers here have even better suggestions.

Greg

[Bonzo]

My wife uses a liquid soap and a tooth brush also, works great.

Never use any cleaner that has chlorene in it. It attacks the gold alloy, especially white gold.

Remember to remove jewelry when swimming in a pool or hottub.

Chad

[AlphaGemLab]

In my lab, we use a version of the old Calgon "ancient Chinese secret" advertisement. I had a bottle of Mr. Clean that I mix 1 part cleaner to 3 parts of water. The key is to use HOT!!!! water. Just like doing the dishes, the hot water breaks up the grease. Then I have an old toothbrush to clean, then dip in warmish water for a final rinse. I would only advise this for diamonds as colored stones can be sensitive to the changes in temperature and the chemicals (no matter how mild) in the cleaner. As Chad pointed out, chlorine attacks the alloys in the metal and makes it brittle so avoid it as much as you can. It's a good excuse not to clean the kitchen!