How to Clean Diamond Jewelry at Home

The internet abounds with great ideas and information. It's also full of ridiculous, impractical and downright dangerous advice (just visit Yahoo answers to get the gist).

The full spectrum of crowd-sourced info quality applies to virtually any topic - there will be good advice and terrible advice. Once such subject is how to clean diamond jewelry at home.

There are "recipes" for DIY ring cleaners all over blogs, Pinterest and search results, but we are begging you to resist the urge to try your hand at concocting a better diamond cleaner. If you create your own cleaning "solution" for cleaning a diamond at home, the best case scenario is that any negative reactions are easily solved by a quick trip the jeweler. Worst case scenario - your diamond jewelry is ruined.

Now, while a professional jeweler will always get your ring the sparkliest (unless you have a professional grade steamer and ultrasonic at home), we understand that it's not possible for everyone to swing by the jeweler for a quick clean every time their diamond dulls. And diamonds, while the hardest known substance, are quite susceptible to dirt and grime. The oils from human handling alone are enough to seriously dull a diamond's shine with every day use, but put down the bleach - there's a safe way to clean diamond jewelry at home.

Simply soak your diamond jewelry overnight in ammonia based household cleaner like Windex, and gently brush the diamond with a clean toothbrush. This will remove dirt and grime enough to tide you over until your next professional cleaning. However, if your jewelry is estate, vintage, contains gemstones other than diamonds or is in a fragile setting, do not attempt this method. Even the softest toothbrush can scratch some stones and settings. If your jewelry is especially delicate, your best bet is taking it to the jeweler - attempting to save money by doing DIY diamond cleaning is pretty counter-intuitive if it damages your stone. Now grab some window cleaner and sparkle on!