DIY Diamond Jewellery Cleaning Tips

If you’re not keen on taking your jewels to a store to be cleaned, here are top tips and solutions for cleaning them yourself at home.

Image by Kaushal Vaidya from Flickr

Whether you own antique diamond rings or silver bangles, you’ll no doubt want to keep your wares clean and sparkly.

As for diamonds, we all know these glittery gemstones have a high refractive index and that daily use and contact with hand creams, dirt and even hair styling products can render diamonds lifeless and dull. If you’re finding your diamonds aren’t shining as they should be, they probably need to be cleaned.

Home v.s Store Cleaning

While you could choose to take your precious diamond jewels to professionals – cleaning or selling jewellery in Sydney, Melbourne or any major city in Australia – to be cleaned with their purpose-built equipment, you could actually clean it at home yourself.

One of the gentlest ways to clean your jewellery yourself is by dipping the item in a warm solution of water and mild liquid detergent, such as washing up liquid. Use a soft brush to clean it the following day. Once you have done that, thoroughly rinse your items and wipe using a soft cloth, such as a microfiber cloth. If the dirt is really stubborn or there are other stones as well as the diamond on the item, it may be best to take it to a jeweller.

Cleaning Your Diamond Jewellery At Home

If you’d rather clean your own diamonds at home, here are some great home remedies and tips for doing just that and bringing the sparkle back to your beloved jewels:

Soak your diamond jewellery in a container of 3 teaspoons of baking soda and a half a litre of cold water. Leave the items to soak for four hours and then wipe with a soft, clean cloth.

Grab a piece of cotton wool and soak it in methylated spirits. Use it to clean your diamonds, rubbing gently.

Use toothpaste to brush on your diamond items and then clean with water and a soft cloth.

Rub a piece of chalk on your diamonds and then clean it off with a dry and soft cloth.

Add 4 teaspoons of gin to a container and soak the jewelry for about half an hour. Rub clean and dry with a soft chamois leather cloth.

What About a Batch of Homemade Jewellery Cleaner?

Making your own jewelry cleaner is safe, affordable and super easy. It’s sure to bring back the sparkle to your diamond jewelry. By using your own-made jewelry cleaner to clean your items, the entire process will be a breeze.

Before Getting Started

Don’t be mistaken – jewelry cleaner isn’t all you need to bring the sparkle back to your diamonds. It’s not the same as cleaning turquoise or opals, for example. And if you use the wrong cleaner, you run the risk of blackening and damaging your items.

What’s more, some of the ultrasonic jewelry cleaners found on the market today can damage delicate items and has even been reported to fracture precious stones.

So here is a recipe that can be used to clean your diamond jewelry.

This jewelry cleaner should not be used on porous of soft items of jewelry owing to the ammonia in the recipe. That includes not using it on the likes of coral; opals; pearls; jade; turquoise; lapir; amber or malachite.

But the mixture is perfect for gold and costume jewelry. If you’re going to clean your jewelry over the sink, be sure to put the stopper over the drain just in case you drop the jewelry or a loose stone falls out.

The Homemade Jewellery Cleaner Recipe

1 cup of water

2 tablespoons of liquid dish soap

1 tablespoon of ammonia

Add the ammonia and dish soap to the cup of water and mix together really well. Add your jewelry to the mixture and leave it to soak for about 15 minutes.

Use a soft brush like a soft jewelry brush or a baby’s toothbrush to gently clean the jewelry and then rinse with water. Pat the items dry with a soft cloth.

You don’t have to throw the mixture away once you’re done, simply store it in a glass jar for up to a year and continue to use over and over again to keep your diamonds sparkling.

4 comments:

Joy Calipes-Felizardo7:35 AM
Can you give examples of methylated spirits? I do have some jewelries need cleaning up:)
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Chubskulit Rose2:46 PM
I was just thinking about cleaning my jewelry this morning but I got sidetracked. Thanks for the reminder.
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Mhie6:55 PM
That's an interesting DIY,though I don't try to do it yet. I like diamond.Thanks for sharing
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Maria Teresa Figuerres2:23 AM
These tips are very helpful. I have a few jewelry pieces that badly need cleaning. Thanks for the tips!
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