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How does my jeweler get my ring so clean?!?

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EHR2009

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Does anyone have any suggestions about ring cleaning? I am pretty good about cleaning my ring (I do it every few days), and I have been using an ultrasonic that I purchased for about $20 with jewelry cleaning solution, but I took my ring to my jeweler to get the platinum polished, and the diamond came back looking better than it has ever looked! Do you think a higher priced ultrasonic will make a big difference? Any suggestions on good cleaners or techniques? I try not to let it get too dirty, but I know that it is difficult to remove dirt from around the prongs.
 

Laura27

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I''m pretty sure that they steam clean them. At least that''s what they did with my right hand ring that I had sized the other day. For tips on cleaning at home I''ve heard that vodka works really well. I''ve also heard of people using toothpaste and a soft toothbrush to clean it. You could also let it soak in a glass of hot water and then clean it with either the vodka or toothpaste.
 

Lorelei

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You can try sudsy ammonia on plat, it is not suitable for white gold. Soak the ring in a mix of hot water 2 thirds, and ammonia 1 third. Leave for about half an hour, scrub with a soft brush, rinse and dry.
 

futuremrsT

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I rinse in warm water and then scrub use a toothbrush and handsoap, and then rinse under warm water again. It always comes out sparkly. I haven''t gotten my ering professionally cleaned yet, but I believe my jewlers also steam cleaned my right hand ring.
 

Ellen

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Date: 4/19/2009 1:11:46 AM
Author:EHR2009
Does anyone have any suggestions about ring cleaning? I am pretty good about cleaning my ring (I do it every few days), and I have been using an ultrasonic that I purchased for about $20 with jewelry cleaning solution, but I took my ring to my jeweler to get the platinum polished, and the diamond came back looking better than it has ever looked! Do you think a higher priced ultrasonic will make a big difference? Any suggestions on good cleaners or techniques? I try not to let it get too dirty, but I know that it is difficult to remove dirt from around the prongs.
Yes.
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I have one made by Crest. I feel it''s definitely worth the money to get a high quality cleaner. I went through two cheapies before biting the bullet and getting a good one. Worth every penny.

However, there are other things you can do to help. I clean mine every single day, by hand most days, then use the US once or twice a week. I also don''t cook, shower, do dishes or clean with it on. Between all this, it stays much cleaner to begin with. I don''t really notice a difference with mine after a prong check and cleaning from the jeweler.

I ditto the Ammonia and hot water, that''s the absolute best.
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fabienne

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Does polishing a ring make it shiny? I wonder if any of the shine is contributing to the sparkliness? I don't have a US yet...but I'm never super impressed with the way Zales cleans my rings...the one near my house anyway......

ETA--I just reread your post and I also think a more expensive US would clean it better....

A bit off topic .....You know what I hate the most about having white gold? Not being able to use ammonia! Sometimes I want to get a platinum setting just so I can clean it with ammonia.

This thread just makes me want to clean my rings!
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Gotta go!
 

LaraOnline

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What do you put in an ultrasonic if you don''t use an ammonia-based cleaner in a solution with warm water?
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EHR2009

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Thanks everyone! I will try the ammonia! I''ve never heard of that before. I love this site!
 

Ellen

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I have a WG setting, and I use Dawn and hot water for hand cleaning. For US cleaning I use water and Mr. Clean, like 4 parts water to 1 Mr. C. For some reason, if I use Dawn in the US, I get this white coating on everything.
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And once in a while, I'll soak my ring in hot water to loosen things up, and then dip the cleaning brush in ammonia water and just scrub the diamond. I don't think that teeny bit of contact for a brief period is hurting it. And I don't do this very often.
 

EHR2009

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Sometimes I will swipe my diamond with Windex (I heard that is what Tiffany''s uses), and it makes it very sparkly. It doesn''t really clean around the prongs, but it is a nice little finishing touch.
 

Demon

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Ammonia not being suitable for white gold is because of the rhodium plating, right? I mean, there''s nothing in the makeup of white gold that the ammonia will hurt, it''s just the plating? So it would be fine on an unplated/plating worn off, ring?
 

mrscushion

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Date: 4/19/2009 11:32:11 AM
Author: LaraOnline
What do you put in an ultrasonic if you don''t use an ammonia-based cleaner in a solution with warm water?
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I put in very hot water and a couple drops of Dawn and that works fine for me. I have also added in a few drops of Windex now and then, even though I know I''m not supposed to use it on white gold, but I don''t do that every time I use the Ultrasonic, and so far, so good.
 

EHR2009

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Demon, I am interested in what unplated white gold looks like? Do you have any pics? I had always thought that white gold was really just yellow gold with plating on it, but is it white to begin with?
 

Demon

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Date: 4/19/2009 1:23:35 PM
Author: EHR2009
Demon, I am interested in what unplated white gold looks like? Do you have any pics? I had always thought that white gold was really just yellow gold with plating on it, but is it white to begin with?
No pics handy (hopefully someone will have some?), but white gold is more or less ''white'' depending on what alloys the gold is mixed with...... I have one white gold that the rhodium has worn off on and it is a somewhat greyish white, which I like just fine and won''t replate. Another needs to be replated, as it has a yellowish tint to the white gold.
 

Skippy123

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Date: 4/19/2009 1:06:41 PM
Author: Demon
Ammonia not being suitable for white gold is because of the rhodium plating, right? I mean, there''s nothing in the makeup of white gold that the ammonia will hurt, it''s just the plating? So it would be fine on an unplated/plating worn off, ring?
I use Mr. Clean now and it works great for white gold.
 

fabienne

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Does Mr. Clean have ammonia in it? And what formula of Mr. Clean are you using? I have Mr. Clean at home and at work but they are both the ones with Febreze in it. Does anyone use this formulation?

Ellen...thanks so much for sharing that information about how you clean your diamonds....I will try the brushed dipped in ammonia soon. I bought a jug of ammonia before I knew it wasn't good for WG....I guess I need to find some other uses for that ammonia.
 

Ellen

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Date: 4/19/2009 1:06:41 PM
Author: Demon
Ammonia not being suitable for white gold is because of the rhodium plating, right? I mean, there''s nothing in the makeup of white gold that the ammonia will hurt, it''s just the plating? So it would be fine on an unplated/plating worn off, ring?
No, it is not good for the gold either.
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fabienne, no, Mr. Clean doesn''t have ammonia in it. I have been using the citrus orange kind, they don''t seem to make a "normal" kind anymore, or at least I can''t find one around here. But I''ve been using it for months with no problem. I doubt the febreeze would hurt, that''s just scent stuff.

As for the ammonia, it''s good to clean with. i.e. floors, cabinets, walls, garbage/trash cans. Just follow the directions.
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And you''re welcome!
 

Demon

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Date: 4/19/2009 4:47:32 PM
Author: Ellen


Date: 4/19/2009 1:06:41 PM
Author: Demon
Ammonia not being suitable for white gold is because of the rhodium plating, right? I mean, there's nothing in the makeup of white gold that the ammonia will hurt, it's just the plating? So it would be fine on an unplated/plating worn off, ring?
No, it is not good for the gold either.
39.gif




fabienne, no, Mr. Clean doesn't have ammonia in it. I have been using the citrus orange kind, they don't seem to make a 'normal' kind anymore, or at least I can't find one around here. But I've been using it for months with no problem. I doubt the febreeze would hurt, that's just scent stuff.

As for the ammonia, it's good to clean with. i.e. floors, cabinets, walls, garbage/trash cans. Just follow the directions.
28.gif


And you're welcome!
Thanks! I guess what I'm trying to figure out, is ammonia bad for all gold, or is it that there's something in the white gold that it's bad for?
 

beau13

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I''ve got a steamer similar to the one the jeweler uses. It makes a world of difference!! Steaming a diamond over a pot of boiling water just isn''t the same!
You need the high pressure of the steamer to really remove the build up on the diamond. I also use Mr.Clean (orange) every day, but then steam it once every 10 days or so!
 

Lynn B

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I have an US but I rarely use it because my rings are pave and I''m afraid of losing a melee stone. HOWEVER, I have just recently found a trick that makes me feel quite smug!!!
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I use our electric toothbrush on just the head of my e-ring and it works GREAT! (YES, I have a head dedicated soley for the ring!
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) It''s actually downright amazing how much cleaner that gets my ring than scrubbing it (manually) with the baby toothbrush I was using.
 

EHR2009

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Beau13--how much does one of those steamers set you back? Do you have a good brand to recommend? Thanks for the tips!
 

LaraOnline

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I''m scared to use a toothbrush because I broke a prong off a ring once...
 

beach

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I use a Jewel Jet steam cleaner and it works just as well as the one at the jeweler IMO. They cost around 100 but I have seen them for less on ebay.
 

Venice

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Date: 4/19/2009 9:30:21 PM
Author: Lynn B
I have an US but I rarely use it because my rings are pave and I''m afraid of losing a melee stone. HOWEVER, I have just recently found a trick that makes me feel quite smug!!!
16.gif


I use our electric toothbrush on just the head of my e-ring and it works GREAT! (YES, I have a head dedicated soley for the ring!
9.gif
) It''s actually downright amazing how much cleaner that gets my ring than scrubbing it (manually) with the baby toothbrush I was using.
I use the same method with fantastic results! I have an extra brush head that I keep inside the charger unit that I use just for my rings. I use it after I use the SI ultrasonic and after I just soak it for a while in the jar cleaner. I dip the brush in whatever solution that was used and scrub gently around the prongs and diamond(s), rinse and dry with a clean lint-free cloth. It really makes a huge difference in my rings!

Happy cleaning!
 

CravingDiamonds

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Almost all of my rings are white gold, what solution would you recommend that is best for white gold then?
 

Dancing Fire

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i wonder about this no ammonia on WG, truth or myth?
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been using ammonia on my wife's 14K wg ring for many yrs now and still looks white to me except on the bottom part of the ring where it just starting to turn slight yellow which is normal after all these yrs.
 

Ellen

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Date: 4/19/2009 7:27:42 PM
Author: Demon


Date: 4/19/2009 4:47:32 PM
Author: Ellen




Date: 4/19/2009 1:06:41 PM
Author: Demon
Ammonia not being suitable for white gold is because of the rhodium plating, right? I mean, there's nothing in the makeup of white gold that the ammonia will hurt, it's just the plating? So it would be fine on an unplated/plating worn off, ring?
No, it is not good for the gold either.
39.gif




fabienne, no, Mr. Clean doesn't have ammonia in it. I have been using the citrus orange kind, they don't seem to make a 'normal' kind anymore, or at least I can't find one around here. But I've been using it for months with no problem. I doubt the febreeze would hurt, that's just scent stuff.

As for the ammonia, it's good to clean with. i.e. floors, cabinets, walls, garbage/trash cans. Just follow the directions.
28.gif


And you're welcome!
Thanks! I guess what I'm trying to figure out, is ammonia bad for all gold, or is it that there's something in the white gold that it's bad for?
I honestly only recall hearing about WG. And this was from experts here on the board.

I just went and searched the question: Is it safe to clean white gold jewelry with ammonia? I couldn't find a link that says it's bad (they basically all recommended it), so I honestly don't know why we've heard that here and nowhere else. I could definitely see some (links) saying it's ok because there are many jewelers that don't know a lot, but all of them (that I clicked)? Who knows!


DF, is your wifes jewlery Rhodium plated? If so, do you not ever get it replated?
 

reader

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https://www.pricescope.com/forum/hangout/final-word-on-wg-and-ammonia-t67468.html

Is what I have found so far.


My question is this: If your steamer leaves a mineral deposit on your stones, what is the best way to remove that? Also, how to clean the mineral deposits from the steamer?
 

vespergirl

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Clean with jewelry cleaner & toothbrush, then ultrasonic, then Jewel Jet (steam cleaner). I love my Jewel Jet - I always get compliments on my ring after I steam clean it.
 

Demon

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Date: 4/20/2009 7:34:41 AM
Author: Ellen

Date: 4/19/2009 7:27:42 PM
Author: Demon



Date: 4/19/2009 4:47:32 PM
Author: Ellen





Date: 4/19/2009 1:06:41 PM
Author: Demon
Ammonia not being suitable for white gold is because of the rhodium plating, right? I mean, there''s nothing in the makeup of white gold that the ammonia will hurt, it''s just the plating? So it would be fine on an unplated/plating worn off, ring?
No, it is not good for the gold either.
39.gif




fabienne, no, Mr. Clean doesn''t have ammonia in it. I have been using the citrus orange kind, they don''t seem to make a ''normal'' kind anymore, or at least I can''t find one around here. But I''ve been using it for months with no problem. I doubt the febreeze would hurt, that''s just scent stuff.

As for the ammonia, it''s good to clean with. i.e. floors, cabinets, walls, garbage/trash cans. Just follow the directions.
28.gif


And you''re welcome!
Thanks! I guess what I''m trying to figure out, is ammonia bad for all gold, or is it that there''s something in the white gold that it''s bad for?
I honestly only recall hearing about WG. And this was from experts here on the board.

I just went and searched the question: Is it safe to clean white gold jewelry with ammonia? I couldn''t find a link that says it''s bad (they basically all recommended it), so I honestly don''t know why we''ve heard that here and nowhere else. I could definitely see some (links) saying it''s ok because there are many jewelers that don''t know a lot, but all of them (that I clicked)? Who knows!


DF, is your wifes jewlery Rhodium plated? If so, do you not ever get it replated?
It''s maddening! I guess I''ll continue as I''m doing, which is not soaking my rings in ammonia or using it in the ultrasonic, but just a quick scrub followed by a good rinse. It''d be nice to have a difinitive answer though!
 
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