Have I done something stupid (steaming/feather)?

[gailrmv]

hi! I''ve had my e-ring now for 5+ years. I knew when we bought it that it had a sizeable feather, and it was visible to the eye if you know where to look and hold it at the exact right angle. However because of this feather we could afford the size we wanted and we went with it after good checkout with the appraisor. Had not discovered PS and the wealth of knowledge at that time.

A month ago I had my ring re-set into the dvatche x prong which I love. At first I kept staring at it thinking I could hardly see the feather but also kept thinking that my ring didn''t look very clean. In fact I always like to check the feather to make sure it was really "my diamond" and I had a hard time finding it. About a week ago I decided to hold the ring near a tea kettle to steam clean it at home after reading about that on pricescope. Just did it once, but it seemed to really work and my ring looked a lot cleaner. I did NOT rinse it in cold water after but I was cooking so there''s a chance I did run in under the sink not long after, just can''t remember. I know the hot/cold can lead to feathers expanding.

I feel like I can see the feather a lot more now - not so much in its length but it just seems more pronounced and like you don''t have to look very hard to see it.

I''m sorry not to be able to give you more specifics about the feather. I think the appraisal document is in the safe deposit box. I could get it, if it''s important to have more details.

1) Is is likely that I enlarged the feather by steaming the ring?
2) Maybe I am just noticing it more since I''ve been looking at my diamond a lot more and cleaning it more?
3) Is it safe to steam it again?

I should note that I have had it "steamed off" and whatever else they do to clean the ring at the jewelers countless times - probably once a month for 5 years.
Am I needlessly worrying? (I hope!) If the feather enlarged is there anything I should do?
Help!

 

[recran]

Hey! I don''t know a ton, but I think you prolly just see the feather better cuz the diamond is clean. I was looking at a dirty SI2 diamond under a microscope at Jared''s one day and was surprised by how clear it looked - just a couple of spots from what I could tell. But I could also tell it was dirty. So the salesperson steamed the diamond and put it back under the microscope. I could then easily two huge feathers that I hadn''t seen before. And I know they were there before cuz that''s what the report said; I just hadn''t been able to see them for the dirt. I wouldn''t worry about it if I were you. Hope someone else will chime in who has more knowledge.

 

[Lorelei]

I'm not an expert but I doubt you harmed the feather with steaming, especially as I know you read Rockdoc's caveat regarding not rinsing a steamed ring in cold water soon after. You can probably see it more because it is clean and it has been reset so you are naturally checking the diamond out more closely and the new setting could expose more of the feather.. I doubt also that holding it near kettle steam would do it, considering the power of a professional machine that has been used on this diamond many times previously from what you say. I would clean it again with another method and blast it dry with canned air, there is a tiny possibility that there might be a coincidental watermark near the feather. Check it as best you can against the cert map, and / or get a pro to check it for you , well worth it for peace of mind. Poor Vuittongal had a shock the other week with her new Princess - she thought it was scratched, however a good clean in water and ammonia soon sorted it out, it was only a dirty mark, so try this first and reclean it. I'm sure the diamond is fine!

 

[RockDoc]

I think you need to see if the feather in your stone "breaks the surface". If it does, I would be more cautious about steaming it.

The home remedy of steam with a tea kettle will not result in thorough steaming. You do need pressure and that pressure should be regulated for optimal results.

Maybe I am a sort of stick in the mud for procedure and proper equipment, but using "mickey mouse" home treatments for cleaning when proper stuff is available at reasonable prices is in my opinion foolish.

Diamonds are worth thousands of dollars, and investing in the proper home tools to do the job, is really a consideration that needs to be done, if you want to do the maintenance yourself. There is no substitute for the knowledge and experience with handling items worth thousands of dollars that can be unintentionally damaged.

A good ultrasonic cleaner costs arround $ 125.00 and a good steam for consumer use about $99.00......a relatively small price to pay for doing it right.

Here in my facilities I would not use the Steam Jet. I have two steamers here. One sells for about $ 700.00 - the other $800.00. I also have the tea balls and steaming tweezers, which eliminate the risk of getting a burn from a steamer ( learned the hard way about this).

Additionally, before I do steam something, I check the stone and know it intimately well so I avoid any damage that could potentially happen.

Rockdoc