fine black lines in my RB?

[cstj1]

Hi,
I just noticed some thin black lines near the prong on my RB. The grade is SI1 . I did not see this at first, then put a magnifier to the ring and now I can see this all the time now.
The polish grade (GIA) came back excellent. It does state that I have an indented natural inclusion but I think that is more toward the girdle.
I am going to an independant appraiser this week but can I try to clean this in the meantime? What could I try using? It has made me pretty upset thinking that this might have happened when it was set. It looks like a needle inclusion but this was not noted on the certificate. It is also black and not white.
Thanks for your help

 

[Lorelei]

Date: 7/20/2008 4:01:27 PM
Author:cstj1
Hi,
I just noticed some thin black lines near the prong on my RB. The grade is SI1 . I did not see this at first, then put a magnifier to the ring and now I can see this all the time now.
The polish grade (GIA) came back excellent. It does state that I have an indented natural inclusion but I think that is more toward the girdle.
I am going to an independant appraiser this week but can I try to clean this in the meantime? What could I try using? It has made me pretty upset thinking that this might have happened when it was set. It looks like a needle inclusion but this was not noted on the certificate. It is also black and not white.
Thanks for your help

It is normal when you find an inclusion that you can find it pretty easily afterwards, as your eye automatically goes there. Do you see this from the top view? It is possible that it is some type of inclusion you are seeing, especially as it is a SI grade, but equally it could be some dirt or other substance as the ring is new, stuck under or around the prong or diamond from the setting process - it doesn't sound like a natural to me due to what you describe and the location. I remember one of our long term members had something similar sounding happen, she was worried it was damage or scratches if I remember rightly, but it turned out to be a substance on the diamond which came off with a pro clean - so hopefully it is isn't anything to worry about, but you are doing the right thing in getting the independant appraiser to check.

You can certainly try to clean it, some use sudsy ammonia - dilute some in hot water, soak for about half an hour, then scrub and rinse - if the ring is white gold though, ammonia based cleaners aren't usually recommended. Alternatively, if you have an ultrasonic machine, you could use that. Sometimes substances on diamonds can be pretty stubborn so if this is the case, a professional cleaning might do the trick. But please let us know what happens, and how you get on with the appraiser.

 

[cstj1]

thank you for your reply. I can see it from the top view. I am upset is might have been damaged during the setting process.
The diamond is in a pave setting... it is still ok to use the cleaning methods you describe?

 

[Lorelei]

Date: 7/20/2008 4:42:20 PM
Author: cstj1
thank you for your reply. I can see it from the top view. I am upset is might have been damaged during the setting process.
The diamond is in a pave setting... it is still ok to use the cleaning methods you describe?

Try not to panic, it is more likely to be a foreign substance than damage, so hang in there until you can get to the appraiser. If the setting is pave, then it may be best to not use an ultrasonic machine, but to soak it as previously described, scrub then rinse. If the setting is platinum, then diluted ammonia is a good cleaner, but not suitable for white gold. But even if you do give the ring a good clean and the marks are still there, again don''t panic as sometimes a professional cleaning can be necessary.

 

[honey22]

Hey there. Try not to panic! (like I did

)

I had the same problem when I got my ring back from some alterations. It looked like fine black lines running through the stone, which I was convinced were scratches of some sort.

Grab a bowl of warm sudsy water (if gold can add a dash of ammonia) and a baby toothbrush. Soak for 10 mins, then brush the stone carefully with a toothbrush and then I used a wet cloth to rub the surface of the stone too. I popped it in the ultrasonic for good measure too

. Dry the ring totally and I then ''buffed'' the surface of the stone with a soft cloth and the marks were gone. I am pretty sure they were some sort of polishing compound left over from the jeweller.

I will say though, the first time I tried to clean it with the ultrasonic, the marks didn''t come off. I think you need to soak them and then rub them off.

Good luck. Keep us updated!