Bead set pave. Hard to clean?

[sparklyforever]

If you like to keep a really really clean ring... is bead set pave with the 4 prongs in the channel with the walls on 4 sides (I am referencing the description and picture on LM site for bead pave) hard to clean? what's in the channel underneath the stones? why does it always look dark?
would it be something that needed steam cleaned to really "get at" the back of the stones?

 

[mrssalvo]

Most designers will suggest not putting bead set pave in an ultrasonic but just using a baby toothbrush. Honestly, with stones so tiny a baby toothbrush really does work fine. I have a fishtail pave ring and I do take it to a jeweler to have it steamed clean every so often. I figure if a stone does come out it was probably loose anyway and I'd rather it fall out in their care.

 

[diamondseeker2006]

My original wedding band had bead-set pave without holes in the back and it never looked dirty. I just used regular jewelry cleaner. My current band is also bead-set pave (Tiffany Legacy) but it does have the holes in the back. I have put it in the ultrasonic for very short times, but I generally just soak it in jewelry cleaner. It really always looks sparkly. I think well cut stones look good even when they aren't spotless. But I'll have the jeweler steam clean my rings when I go in.