Cleaning your diamond! Help!

[kel12345]

Hi everyone!
I need help, I recently got engaged and of course the first few days my diamond was perfectly clean. However, after 4 or 5 days I noticed it needed some cleaning. I used the warm water, dawn and soft baby toothbrush trick and it left all of these white marks. Possibly water marks (hard water marks)? Or residue? Dirt? They were not there when I first got my ring so definitely either dirt that I’m not removing or water marks. I txted my jeweler and she said it just needs to be professionally cleaned. So I did a ton of research and read up on @kenny ’s method of 91% rubbing alchohol and compressed air and it definitely helped! But I’m still getting some of these spots. Almost like condensation spots, I believe it’s on the side of the diamond. It’s a 4 prong platinum solitaire setting. I would rather avoid ultrasonic (I don’t want to loosen my prongs over time) and I don’t want to have to take it in every week to get it professionally cleaned. So any advice would be super appreciated. Thank you!


P.S. I came across another post by @mrwish who seemed to have the same issue as I have had so I’m including their photo that came out better than mine. If you see this @mrwish did you ever figure out the trick?!

 

[kenny]

Hey thanks.
Your checks in the mail.

Key to my process is ... after scrubbing diamond blow away the contaminated alcohol immediately before any can evaporate.

Why?
The alcohol evaporates but the gunk does not, so gunk film would remain on your diamond even if you tried to dry it off meticulously with a towel.
If left to evaporate the gunk really builds up at the last place it can evaporate - IOW where the prongs touch your diamond.

Since my process didn't get off all the gunk, I'd soak it in alcohol longer and scrub well.

Use canned air, preferable when the can is more than half full as the pressure decreases as the contents gets used up.
But hold on tightly to your precious; the air (actually gas) comes out at high pressure.
You don't want to fling your ring across the room.
91% cuts grease better, but 70% is cheaper at Costco.



And the perfect "tooth" brush above is a "Gum End Tuft Model 308", widely available, including Amazon.



Since I clean my Octavia 1 to 3 times a day I have the above cool Menda pump bottle for my alcohol.
You just push on the top, and about a half teaspoon gets sucked up to the top.

Menda makes nice glass containers and break proof cheaper plastic ones and some with pretty designs you might see at a nail salon.

MENDA Beauty | Home of the Original MENDA Liquid Dispensing Pump

MENDA Beauty | The Original MENDA Pump Manufacturer for Nail Technicians, Medical Professionals, Make-up Artists! Famous for our push-down “dish type” liquid dispenser pumps and bottles for acetone, alcohol, acrylic liquid and more!

www.mendabeauty.com

 

[kenny]

I used so much canned air that I got tired of paying $$$ for it and thought of how the can, even if I recycle, ain't so green.

So I researched those little electric air compressors.
I bought 3, price from around $20 to $135.
Only the $125 model has airflow as powerful as a brand new can of compressed air.
So I kept it and returned two cheaper ones to Amazon.

https://www.amazon.com/Bonus-Electr...32-b2db-9f0083f5a99b&pd_rd_i=B07DP7RYBD&psc=1


Another benefit of using the electric one is it is blowing air.
Real air.

Canned air is not air when it is in the can.
It is a gas that is only has at normal atmospheric pressure, but when compressed it turns to liquid.
So you're buying a can of liquid that converts to gas when released into the room.

I have fancy camera lenses and prefer to blow dust off the expen$ive glass with plain air, not some mysterious gas.

 

[kel12345]

Hey thanks.
Your checks in the mail.

Key to my process is ... after scrubbing diamond blow away the contaminated alcohol immediately before any can evaporate.

Why?
The alcohol evaporates but the gunk does not, so gunk film would remain on your diamond even if you tried to dry it off meticulously with a towel.
If left to evaporate the gunk really builds up at the last place it can evaporate - IOW where the prongs touch your diamond.

Since my process didn't get off all the gunk, I'd soak it in alcohol longer and scrub well.

Use canned air, preferable when the can is more than half full as the pressure decreases as the contents gets used up.
But hold on tightly to your precious; the air (actually gas) comes out at high pressure.
You don't want to fling your ring across the room.
91% cuts grease better, but 70% is cheaper at Costco.



And the perfect "tooth" brush above is a "Gum End Tuft Model 308", widely available, including Amazon.



Since I clean my Octavia 1 to 3 times a day I have the above cool Menda pump bottle for my alcohol.
You just push on the top, and about a half teaspoon gets sucked up to the top.

Menda makes nice glass containers and break proof cheaper plastic ones and some with pretty designs you might see at a nail salon.

Oh my goodness, thank you for the detailed explanation. I did not soak it, just used my soft baby tooth brush dipping into the clean IA 4 times, trying to flick off the liquid as I went so I will definitely try to soak longer and maybe brush with a bit more pressure.
Should I blow the gunk off before each time I dip into clean IA?
I also used the red piece (straw? Lol) attached to the compressed air can). Should I try taking that off? Thank you again!

 

[kel12345]

I used so much canned air that I got tired of paying $$$ for it and thought of how the can, even if I recycle, ain't so green.

So I researched those little electric air compressors.
I bought 3, price from around $20 to $135.
Only the $125 model has airflow as powerful as a brand new can of compressed air.
So I kept it and returned two cheaper ones to Amazon.

https://www.amazon.com/Bonus-Electr...32-b2db-9f0083f5a99b&pd_rd_i=B07DP7RYBD&psc=1


Another benefit of using the electric one is it is blowing air.
Real air.

Canned air is not air when it is in the can.
It is a gas that is only has at normal atmospheric pressure, but when compressed it turns to liquid.
So you're buying a can of liquid that converts to gas when released into the room.

I have fancy camera lenses and prefer to blow dust off the expen$ive glass with plain air, not some mysterious gas.

Great idea! Cheaper in long run and more green. I might try that. The canned “mystery gas” is probably okay on the diamond? Just not on expensive camera lens? I have a couple (canned air) to use up.

 

[kenny]

A quick scrub of mine gets it perfectly clean, even under a fancy loupe.

Yours must have lots of stubborn caked on gunk.
Perhaps it's been gunky a long time, and/or you use hand lotion, I never do.
And my diamond never goes uncleaned more than one day, so gunk never builds up.

Yeah, I recommend a long soak, maybe 15 minutes.
Then scrub.
Then blow.
Repeat if needed.

And yes, the red straw condenses the can's opening into an even smaller opening ... which increases the pressure.

And keep in mind the cans' pressure is highest when full.
Pressure goes down with each use ... another reason I love my Metrovac.
I have found a zillion uses for it all over the house.

 

[kenny]

I can see the gunk in your pic.
If you still can't get the gunk off I'd get some acetone (read the safety label carefully and avoid breathing fumes) Actually, I'd use it outside.
As a solvent acetone is even more powerful than isopropyl alcohol.

But be careful when blowing it away,
You don't want to spray to go onto a person or a pet's eyes.
It may stain clothing, or leave spots on things ... another reason to step outside for this cleaning.

Good luck.

There is nothing like a perfectly clean diamond.

 

[Diamonds n Dirt]

You might try this jewelry steamer. It’s only $80 and works great.

https://a.co/d/88pvypl

 

[denverappraiser]

Try rinsing with distilled water. It’s almost certainly waterspots.

 

[MMtwo]

I like using simple green (but actually lemon scented). I Just cleaned my bathroom and the ring is flipping spotless! (bonus housecleaning). This is safe for gold and diamonds. Please note, not safe for all soft jewelry like pearls and opals. You do need to be careful on what you use, for instance, bleach/chlorine can damage gold. Best remove either if you swim or work with chemicals. Back to other options:

Dawn in warm water will work in a pinch too. Just soak the ring before a scrub with a toothbrush and rinse with warm water. I like the brush and little cup from the red bottle jewelry cleaner kit I picked up in Target. Found it on Amazon: https://connoisseurs.com/shop/squeeze-drop-cleaners/dazzle-drops-advanced/
I just reuse the tub!

Also agree with picking up a steamer or ultrasonic. The steamer can blast the ring in the tiny spots under the bottom that are hard to get to. Depends on the ring design.

 

[Mems20]

Congratulations on your engagement! I like Dawn power wash for a quick clean. I spray it on and let it sit for a few minutes so it can do its degreasing thing to loosen any gunk. When the suds have died I take a baby toothbrush (though I like the look of that gum toothbrush and have added it to my Amazon cart!) with a little water and scrub. Make sure to scrub underneath the diamond too, not just the top. Then I rinse and blow any water off with my hair dryer. It doesn’t match a professional clean but it’s maybe 85-90% of the way there? If I do this regularly my ring stays pretty sparkly - I try to remember to do this when I wash my hair. Let the ring soak while I wash and dry hair and then finish it up as a last step.

Also recommend an ultrasonic or steamer for deeper home cleans.

 

[kel12345]

Try rinsing with distilled water. It’s almost certainly waterspots.

Thank you! I will try distilled water. Do you also recommend removing ring when washing hands with tap water during the day? I’m a bit worried to take it off that often

 

[Sunrises Sunsets]

Thank you! I will try distilled water. Do you also recommend removing ring when washing hands with tap water during the day? I’m a bit worried to take it off that often

My diamond stays bright and sparkly with the toothbrush and Dawn dishwashing liquid routine. It's as clean as can be when I loupe it but I NEVER wear my ring when using hairspray, gels and other cosmetic products.

I was advised by my diamond source never to wear a diamond when using hairspray in particular. Good luck in returning your diamond to it's original condition soon.

 

[togal]

Wouldn't it be better to take it to the jeweller and have them clean it properly in a professional-grade ultrasonic machine and then have it professionally steamed cleaned? One cleaning in the ultrasonic isn't going to loosen the prongs, and the jeweller will loupe it to ensure that the prongs are secure. I use an ultrasonic on my claw set diamonds weekly, for years, and have never had a problem. It's advisable to take your ring for a professional cleaning every so often, if only so that the jeweller can check the prongs. Plus, most jewellers do it for free, especially if it's where you purchased the ring. You're more likely to lose your stone using an air-compressor. I personally wouldn't advise it. Leave it to a professional and get the job done right. Problem solved.

 

[togal]

Wouldn't it be better to take it to the jeweller and have them clean it properly in a professional-grade ultrasonic machine and then have it professionally steamed cleaned? One cleaning in the ultrasonic isn't going to loosen the prongs, and the jeweller will loupe it to ensure that the prongs are secure. I use an ultrasonic on my claw set diamonds weekly, for years, and have never had a problem. It's advisable to take your ring for a professional cleaning every so often, if only so that the jeweller can check the prongs. Plus, most jewellers do it for free, especially if it's where you purchased the ring. You're more likely to lose your stone using an air-compressor. I personally wouldn't advise it. Leave it to a professional and get the job done right. Problem solved.

I should add that I wouldn’t advise using acetone on precious metal.

 

[Daisys and Diamonds]

we dont have Dawn here, i use sunlight liquid dishwash as it has no moisturizer and i use bottled drinking water as we have very hard tap water here
cogradulations on your engagment

 

[vintage diamond]

I just use dish soap and warm water with a baby toothbrush. If I want to prevent water spots when drying, I just dry my jewelry with a blow dryer. Just be careful not to burn yourself, because the metal will get hot from the blow dryer.

This is close to the method I use:

My process is to fill up a bowl with hot soapy water. I then let my diamond jewelry soak for awhile. (I always see the recommendation for 30 minutes). After that with a baby toothbrush I brush around the top, side, and bottom of the diamond. I also brush around any pave diamonds on my jewelry pieces. Then I rinse off the jewelry piece in a bowl of clean water. Then if I feel like putting in the effort to prevent any water spots, I dry each piece of jewelry with the blow dryer, making sure I dry the diamond from all angles so there's no water trapped between the diamond and the setting.