What is the white residue on the bottom of my diamond?

[Scooba116]

I've had this diamond for about a year and a half and for about half that time it has had a white residue on the bottom of it. It was hard to get a picture but the pointed area is basically white and opaque. I have used chemical cleaners, steam cleaned it, and use an ultrasonic almost daily. I don't think that I have particularly hard water where I am living. Any idea what it is? How to get rid of it or prevent it? Some sort of indestructible mineral or soap buildup? I am going to get it professionally cleaned so hopefully that will do it but I'm worried about it coming back.

 

[canvasback]

Though it impossible for me to tell from the pictures, it may be calcium carbonate. If it is, soaking in vinegar will clear it up. I've never seen this on a stone, but my knowledge of chemistry leads me to believe it's a likely culprit.

 

[Texas Leaguer]

hard to tell from the picture. It sort of looks like the typical buildup of film on the pavilion. But the fact that you are cleaning it regularly is puzzling. Do you ever take a brush and try to physically remove the residue after ultrasonic, and does it come off? What sort of liquid do you use in the ultasonic?

At this point it is probably wise to take it to a jeweler and have it inspected and professionally cleaned. Then resume a good home cleaning routine. Try a dilute solution of household ammonia and water (1/3 ammon 2/3 distilled water). Get a fine paintbrush with long, thin but firm bristles. After soaking clean it carefully underneath with the brush. This should keep any film from building up to a troublesome level.

 

[kenny]

After cleaning, even if you do a final rinse in clean tap water, allowing the diamond to air dry allows any minerals in the water to build up.
Drying with a towel won't help because it can't reach the pavilion or into all the tiny nooks and crannies where the prongs touch the diamond.

Minerals don't evaporate when the water does.
They are left behind and may build up such a film.

I use canned air to blow off the liquid every time I clean my diamond.

A hair dryer won't work because it can only speed up the evaporation ... which will still leave the film.
Hair dryers almost certainly can not deliver enough PSI to blow off all the liquid; if it did it would damage people's faces.

 

[momhappy]

^That's a good idea, kenny - where do you buy it?

 

[chrono]

Do you have hard water? It looks like calcium carbonate buildup to me. Computer stores should have compressed air cans.

 

[kenny]

^That's a good idea, kenny - where do you buy it?

Costco sells cases of 6 large cans WAY WAY WAY cheaper than anywhere else.
Their website sells it but you have to buy 12 cans.
My Costco 6-pack lasts maybe a year and I clean my diamond daily.

Office supply stores, camera stores and computer stores are the most expensive places to buy it.
IIRC the price is double or triple the price of Costco's



WARNING: Hold onto your ring tightly since there is a LOT of force when the can is new.
Use only 2 or 3 quick spurts.
Spraying more is a waste and may cause the diamond to cool and attract condensation ... but that's just pure H20 and harmless and clean and will dissipate in a few seconds.

 

[kenny]

Oh Yea ... money-saving tip.

As the gas get used up (actually it's liquid till it hits the atmosphere) the can gets lighter and the pressure declines.
At some point you throw it away and open the next can.

But don't throw it away yet.
Put the can in a sunny window.
This heats up the contents, which makes it expand.
You will get good pressure for several more cleanings.

 

[Texas Leaguer]

Oh Yea ... money-saving tip.

As the gas get used up (actually it's liquid till it hits the atmosphere) the can gets lighter and the pressure declines.
At some point you throw it away and open the next can.

But don't throw it away yet.
Put the can in a sunny window.
This heats up the contents, which makes it expand.
You will get good pressure for several more cleanings.

Kenny, you may be obsessing just a little too much on the cleaning if you have calculated the money saving of extracting the last breaths out of the compressed air cans.

Seriously though, It's a great cleaning technique and good advice -we should never waste. Not good for the environment or the pocket book.

 

[FancyIntense]

I only use warm Arrowhead water on my diamond it has never seen tap water, does that mean no calcium build up? I follow up with an alcohol rinse. I use a lip brush similar to a paint brush to clean. I blow the water off before I dry.

I love all of Kenny's suggestions. I hate getting fuzz in the prongs from wiping.

Kenny, do you just use the can air no wiping? And wipe with what if you do?

I've been using Dawn dishwashing soap as my cleaning solution is that a bad idea? My setting is platinum.

 

[Scooba116]

Thanks for your replies. I use either water alone or water with Dawn clean dish soap in my ultrasonic. I have tried brushing the residue, scraping with a toothpick, and even a needle. It doesn't budge. I have even tried paint thinner, but I have not tried vinegar. That's a good idea, I'll try it tonight.

I went and had it cleaned this afternoon and there is no change. The residue might be slightly less opaque. Attached is a post cleaning photo.

I like the compressed air idea for the future, and it makes sense, but I am a bit of a germaphobe and I wash my hands a lot. I would have to keep a can by every sink in the house and in my handbag and carry it to the restroom at work, it just doesn't seem practical to for me to do that every time it gets wet. Would something like alcohol-based, quick-evaporating hand sanitizer have a similar effect?

 

[Scooba116]

FancyIntense-

how do you avoid getting tap water on your diamond when washing your hands?

 

[Texas Leaguer]

Don't worry about washing your hands. I believe Kenny is talking about drying after you do your periodic ultrasonic cleaning.

You had it professionally cleaned today? what did the jeweler say about the residue?

 

[kenny]

I only use warm Arrowhead water on my diamond it has never seen tap water, does that mean no calcium build up? I follow up with an alcohol rinse. I use a lip brush similar to a paint brush to clean. I blow the water off before I dry.

I love all of Kenny's suggestions. I hate getting fuzz in the prongs from wiping.

Kenny, do you just use the can air no wiping? And wipe with what if you do?

I've been using Dawn dishwashing soap as my cleaning solution is that a bad idea? My setting is platinum.

My diamond is a tension setting so it's easy to keep clean.

Since you asked I'll post my process again:
With the tooth brush I pump up some fresh isopropyl alcohol from my handy dandy Menda Pump Bottle.
Scrub and dab the diamond firmly, intentionally making most of the contaminated liquid splatter away.
When most of the liquid is splattered away I reload the brush with fresh clean alcohol.
Lather, rinse, repeat 2 or 3 times.

I blow away the last of the contaminated alcohol with canned air.
A 10x loupe long ago showed me this gets ALL of the diamond as clean as it can be so I see no need polish the diamond diamond.
There is nothing remaining to polish away.
If I did want to polish away something on the crown I'd use a fresh new Q-tip that I was careful to not touch and contaminate with skin oil.

No matter what cleaning liquid you use it becomes contaminated with the gunk removed from the diamond so blowing the liquid away is better than letting the contaminated liquid evaporate.

 

[kenny]

FWIF if anyone is interested here are those pump bottles. http://www.mendabeauty.com/Search/Frost+Bitten/
Very convenient for OCD daily diamond cleaners (or beauty use) and there is a dust cover that flips over the top.

Menda also sells cheaper ones of plastic and metal.

 

[Scooba116]

I had it cleaned today at a jewelry store at the mall. I am new in town and a google search didn't turn up any reputable jewelers within a quick lunch-hour drive. I would say it was cleaned by a retail sales associate (I'm not sure she qualifies as a jeweler), but she thought before and after cleaning that maybe it was lotion. It's obviously not since even dried up lotion would come off when scraped with a needle. I can send it back to the jeweler who made it but I was told that will take 2.5-3 weeks even with 2-day shipping.

I also forgot to mention that when I am in too much of a hurry to wait for the ultrasonic, I clean it with a water ammonia mixture and a toothbrush. When I soak it in ammonia/water how long should I leave it in there? How long should I soak it in the vinegar?

 

[Texas Leaguer]

You need to get this attended to by a professional jeweler to get a read on your problem. It is probably just baked on film that your device and the minor cleaning done at the mall is not cutting through.

I suggest going to the AGS website and see if there is an AGS store in your area. They will take good care of you.
http://www.americangemsociety.org/find-a-jeweler

 

[Scooba116]

I followed your link, Texas Leaguer, and the local AGS store is the Helzberg at the mall that I took it to earlier today! There is another one in town though, I'll have to try to get over there this weekend.

 

[Texas Leaguer]

I followed your link, Texas Leaguer, and the local AGS store is the Helzberg at the mall that I took it to earlier today! There is another one in town though, I'll have to try to get over there this weekend.

That's most dissappointing. It sounds like they just did a perfunctory cleaning and did not solve your problem or give you a meaningful diagnosis. Is the other AGS store an independent or a chain store? If so, I think you will get better service there.

From the picture it looks like the ring could use a polishing. I'm not trying to spend your money, but if you put it in for a thorough service, it will be professionally cleaned in the process.

 

[Texas Leaguer]

Also, if you say what town you are in, others may come on to recommend a good jeweler. Probably do a proper cleaning for free.

 

[FancyIntense]

FancyIntense-

how do you avoid getting tap water on your diamond when washing your hands?

I don't wear my ring while cooking or cleaning and I'm a germaphobe too, so I take my ring off (put it in my pocket temporarily) to wash my hands then put it right back on. I don't wear it while putting make up on either.

I don't let my diamond get dirty so there isn't anything I have to scrub off really except for surface oil that the diamond attracts probably from the hands.

I don't put lotion on my hands while my ring is on I put lotion on before I go to bed and I don't wear my ring to bed.
If I put lotion on during the day I let it soak in for a while then wipe my hands on a towel to make sure there isn't anything to smudge or gunk up my diamond.

I don't like wearing my diamond water spotted and don't want to wet my platinum several times a day.

There is chlorine in tap and pool water so I avoid it.

 

[momhappy]

^That's a good idea, kenny - where do you buy it?

Costco sells cases of 6 large cans WAY WAY WAY cheaper than anywhere else.
Their website sells it but you have to buy 12 cans.
My Costco 6-pack lasts maybe a year and I clean my diamond daily.

Office supply stores, camera stores and computer stores are the most expensive places to buy it.
IIRC the price is double or triple the price of Costco's



WARNING: Hold onto your ring tightly since there is a LOT of force when the can is new.
Use only 2 or 3 quick spurts.
Spraying more is a waste and may cause the diamond to cool and attract condensation ... but that's just pure H20 and harmless and clean and will dissipate in a few seconds.

Thanks so much, kenny I can't believe I'm not already doing this - as obsessed as I am about keeping my jewelry clean & sparkly

 

[Lookinagain]

Where did you buy your diamond? Does it have a GIA certificate? I'm asking because you have said you soak it in amonia and if it is a clarity enhanced diamond, then you can't clean it in amonia. If it isn't clarity enhanced, then this isn't an issue, but if it is enhanced, perhaps that could be the problem? I'm not expert but was trying to figure out why this is happening to you.

 

[Scooba116]

It is a GIA certified VVS2 from James Allen, definitely not clarity enhanced.

It could use a polishing and JA will do it as part of their warranty service, and although I don't like seeing the scratches, I like the patina that is more visible on the outside edge. I also don't want to send it off for 2.5-3 weeks, it had to be remade twice due to crookedness when I got it last summer so it's already been gone for 6 weeks of my engagement.

It's in vinegar and I've been sticking a paintbrush in there periodically and blasting it with distilled steam from the iron which seems to be slowly helping, so we'll see...