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How to Care for and Clean Diamond Rings
Posted on You’ve got a swoon worthy engagement ring to serve as a symbol of your eternal love, and now it’s time to ensure it stands the test of time with proper care. Here at Kalfin Jewellery, we’re experts at maintaining exquisite engagement rings so they remain showstoppers for decades to come. That’s why we’ve put together this diamond ring care and cleaning guide, featuring everything you need to know.
Why Should You Clean Your Diamond Ring?
When you first received your gorgeous engagement ring, there’s no doubt you would’ve noticed how it sparkles in the sun and glints underneath the light. Over time, however, dirt, oil, and debris build up from everyday wear, causing it to dull and look less than its best.
Unfortunately, dirty rings are also a breeding ground for harmful bacteria, which can cause irritation to your skin. Furthermore, improper care of your engagement ring can contribute to discoloration or scratching of the metal – something no recipient of a beautiful diamond ring would want.
Thankfully, caring for your bespoke engagement ring is easy, plus with professional after sales care (like what we offer for Kalfin Jewellery engagement rings Melbourne), the experts are on-hand to help out.
How to Clean Diamond Rings at Home
In-between professional cleans from your jeweller, you can maintain your ring’s beautiful state by following the correct at-home cleaning process. This is as follows:
1. Fill a small bowl with very warm water.
2. Add a small squirt of dishwashing soap. Just regular dishwashing soap will do – nothing too harsh.
3. Place your ring in the bowl and allow it to soak in the liquid for 20 – 40 minutes (You can even soak overnight).
4. After soaking, use a soft-bristled toothbrush to gently clean the ring, including around its diamond(s). This will remove the build-up of dirt, debris, and oils.
5. Always rinse with the same temperature water that your rings were originally soaking in. Never go from cold to hot or from hot to cold. And more care is required for coloured stones.
6. Use a hairdryer to dry rings. Do not air dry.
Ideally, you should repeat this process once per week to regularly remove grime or harmful bacteria. Just ensure you avoid harsh household cleaners and sanitizers, as they can do more harm than good.
Cleaning products to avoid include:
- bleach
- chlorine
- acetone
- toothpaste
- baking soda
- powdered cleaners
Additionally, handle your ring gently when brushing, as you don’t want to cause the diamonds or other stones to loosen.
Places Where You Shouldn’t Wear Your Diamond Ring
As much as your diamond ring becomes a part of you and is something you may never want to take off, there are some places it is best left at home for safekeeping. The following situations can increase the risk of damage to your engagement ring. Additionally, they may just make the ring slip off and become lost altogether.
The gym: anything that involves excessive sweating, weights, heavy lifting, and boxing gloves is a big no-no for your gorgeous ring.
The shower: while it might seem like an inconvenience to remove your ring every morning, it’s worth it to protect your most precious piece of jewellery. Soap can cause your ring to slip off and fall down the drain. Furthermore, exfoliating scrubs and other harsh products may be harmful.
Washing the dishes: Similarly to the shower scenario, washing the dishes provides the perfect environment for your ring to loosen from your finger and potentially slip down the drain. You’d also hate for a heavy pot or other metal item to leave a dint or damage the claws of your ring.
Gardening: In order to avoid a build-up of stubborn dirt underneath and around your diamond, don’t wear your engagement ring while gardening – even if it will remain underneath a glove.
Cleaning: Unfortunately, many of the cleaners we use to maintain our home can be detrimental to your ring’s appearance and longevity. Along with these harsh chemicals, cleaning also places your ring at risk of being knocked and damaged.
Swimming: This might surprise you, but the majority of engagement rings are lost while at the beach or a pool. This is because cold water shrinks or reduces the size of your finger whilst acting as a lubricant, resulting in the ring becoming loose and falling of. Plus, once a ring is lost within the ocean, it’s extremely difficult to recover. Now that’s one risk we wouldn’t be willing to take!
There are also some clever things you can do to assist you in taking off your ring and not losing it. Keep ring dishes or similar ring-based storage in key places around your home, including near your kitchen sink, in the bathroom, or anywhere else you will have to remove it regularly.
Also, ensure you have a secure ring box or something similar within your handbag at all times. This means you’ll always have somewhere safe to store your ring if you find yourself at the gym, beach, etc.
Get Your Engagement Ring Professionally Cleaned
While regularly cleaning your engagement ring at home helps to keep it looking its best, the key to maintaining its pristine condition is to have it professionally cleaned at a jeweller’s. If you’re in Melbourne, please come visit us.
There are two types of cleaning provided at Kalfin Jewellery:
- A quick on the spot clean via the use of an ultrasonic cleaner, which will remove basic dirt and grime from the gemstones but will not remove dents and scratches from the metal. We offer this free of charge.
- A detailed clean and polish which removes all dents and scratches and restores the ring to its original condition including any form of plating. This may incur a small charge.
If your ring was purchased from a reputable jeweller, there’s a good chance professional cleaning may be offered as a lifetime complimentary service. Here at Kalfin Jewellery, we are committed to providing you with outstanding customer service, long after your purchase. This includes the maintenance and upkeep of your stunning ring.
All our work is done onsite, meaning a basic clean can be performed on the spot and requires no prior appointments. We welcome our clients to come in daily if they choose to do so.
However, with certain types of jewellery, we do not advise the regular removal of dent and scratch blemishes as this can affect the life of the jewellery. Instead, we recommend an annual clean, if not longer.
At an annual clean, your diamond jewellery can be restored to its original glory. This also provides us with an opportunity to examine the state and wear of your jewellery. Checking the claws, removing scratches, monitoring unusual wear and the rhodium plating will ensure the maintenance of your jewellery for years to come.
Want to find out more about our bespoke and high-quality jewellery? Contact us today.
