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Humble collection/Questions about clarity

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DearBuddha

Brilliant_Rock
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So I thought I would take a picture of my very small (but loved) collection; you know, the rings I tend to rotate between, my wedding set, a family heirloom, a bracelet with lots of sentimental value, and a pendant that maybe isn''t very high quality, but still sees a lot of action
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First up, the goods from left to right:

-Earrings: approx. 2ctw of emeralds, and a center round brilliant diamond (around .10ctw each) in a white gold bezel setting. The earrings are 24k yellow gold, and were a gift (along with a matching ring) from my grandfather to my grandmother. She recently passed these down to me, and though I''m not a fan of yellow gold, I''ve always loved these earrings.

-Tennis Bracelet: A gift from my grandfather when I was around 13. French cut diamonds (sorry, I don''t know the carat weight) set in 14kt white gold. Back before I knew anything about jewelry, this bracelet used to kick in in a box 24/7; I think I went years without even removing it from the box! Aside from my wedding set, this piece probably means the most to me, as I was very close to my grandfather and was my first piece of fine jewelry.

-Aquamarine ring: A very cheapie piece that I bought for myself about a year back. The center stone is a half-carat aquamarine, and it has two small (about .20) rb diamonds (which are a very bad cut, actually, but they sparkle enough for me, so meh). It''s set in 14kt white gold. I got a matching ring for my mother in yellow gold, as our birthdays are only one day apart.

-Wedding band: a platinum 2mm band with our wedding date engraved on the inside. I love this ring, but it wasn''t my first choice (it was a diamond ring or a European honeymoon, so I chose Paris instead!) My DH has already promised me an upgrade for our first anniversary (most likely a channel set band with french cuts or princesses). I wasn''t planning on his being so generous, and I''m both very lucky and excited!

-Engagement ring: A blue asscher cut diamond, .96 VVS1 (although these pictures make the center stone look very included-stupid old cameras!)
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On each side is a .25 trillion cut diamond with debatable clarity (more on that later). The basket and band are platinum, with the width ranging from 1mm to 3mm (1mm by the basket, 3mm for the band). The inside is inscribed with our initials. My husband designed this ring; he learned all about diamonds just for me!
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-Aquamarine ring #2: This is from a "Maul" store, but I love it irregardless. The aquamarine is 1ctw, and an emerald cut. It''s a very pale blue (in fact, it looks almost greyish most of the time, unless in direct sunlight). The band is 18kt white gold, and there are six very, very, VERY small diamonds set in the band. It was a gift from my mother when I graduated from college.

-Pendant: A small diamond journey pendant from my grandmother. It didn''t come with any documentation (I''m not even sure where she purchased it), but I can tell quite easily that it isn''t high quality. The diamonds are small, but even with the naked eye, there are visible inclusions. It does have a bit of sparkle, though, which surprises me given how included and small the stones are. It''s 18kt white gold with a (not pictured) white gold chain. It''s a sweet little gift from my grandmother, who lives quite modestly since my grandfather passed away; but she knows I love the sparkles, so she gives me a little nudge whenever she can.

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DearBuddha

Brilliant_Rock
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This is my wedding set (the center stone is really not as included as it looks here, people, I swear!)

However, I am concerned about the clarity of my side stones. I can''t find the paper work for my ring anywhere, but I think I remember the stones were as listed as H color, VS1. When I first got the ring, it had a lot of fire and vibrance, but lately, I''ve been noticing that my sidestones seem a bit dull and lifeless.

I clean them often (my DH even bought me an ultrasonic cleaner because I''m so obsessed with cleaning my rings!). However, I just don''t feel like I''m really getting deep down the sides of the individual stones to clean away the dirt and daily grime. I have a small brush and liquid solution as well, but I can''t seem to get the stones as bright and shiny as my jeweler did. I''m beginning to obsess over purported cloudy/dull spots, and even now my husband is starting to wonder if he picked a dud of a side stone (and I feel bad that he thinks the dull spots are his fault!).

Does anyone have any suggestions for cleaning my rings? I''m open to everything, but I''m really loathe to take it in to a jeweler every few months for a steam cleaning.

wedding rings.jpg
 

DearBuddha

Brilliant_Rock
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A nifty mirror shot; it looks like an optical illusion!

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DearBuddha

Brilliant_Rock
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This is what I mean: the stone on the left looks dull and lifeless. It''s a not a case of the lighting, either, because this is how it almost always looks
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I don''t know what else I can do to shine it up, but it''s really driving me nuts.

cloudy ring.jpg
 

DearBuddha

Brilliant_Rock
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Should I take it to another jeweler and see if the clarity of the stone is less than what the paper lists it? I''m honestly at a loss; I don''t want to fall out of love with my ring, but this is really gnawing at me at this point.

cloudy ring 2.jpg
 

upgrade

Brilliant_Rock
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I have no advice on cleaning the stones, but I just wanted to say that I LOVE your centre stone! I love asschers and that is my absolute favourite colour. I would love something like that in a halo someday for a RHR...
 

Clairitek

Ideal_Rock
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What a beautiful blue diamond! I adore your engagement ring.

I also quite like your aqua ring and emerald cluster studs! Thanks for sharing.
 

Maisie

Super_Ideal_Rock
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If the diamonds were nice and sparkly when you first got the ring then its unlikely they are duds. Do you wear your ring 24/7? If there is stuff building up and making your diamonds dull, you need to work out what could be causing it.
 

LD

Super_Ideal_Rock
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I agree with Maisie that if the diamonds were lively and sparkly when you got them then I doubt there''s much wrong. I find that while an ultrasonic is ok, there''s no substitute for a toothbrush and washing up liquid. A gentle toothbrush will get to the bits that an ultrasonic can''t. When you''ve rinsed in luke warm water, dry with a lint free cloth. Have a go and see what you think. It''s a gorgeous ring so please don''t try to stress too much because I''d wear it even if it had the muckiest side diamonds ever!
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musey

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You have a lovely collection!

I agree with the above posters that it''s likely not the clarity that is bothering you... because if it were, you would have noticed it right away. I used to use an ultrasonic all the time, and still do occasionally (I find that it''s most useful for cleaning very tight spaces that a toothbrush can''t get to, like the little bezels in my wedding band), but really the best for removing grime (in my opinion) is a good jewelery cleaner (I personally prefer gemcare) and a very soft children''s toothbrush.
 

AmberGretchen

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I think your collection is lovely - thank you so much for sharing it with us
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Diamond*Dana

Ideal_Rock
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You have a gorgeous collection...I love your Aqua three stone
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tyty333

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I love your collection! I dont have any colored stones...and I''m thinkin I need some
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coatimundi_org

Ideal_Rock
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Lovely collection!

Ah the trillion side stones--I can totally relate with the cleaning issue. My oval 3 stone has kite shaped side stones--similar to trillions. I took my ring to Single Stone to have the prongs worked on, and I commented to Ari that the kites always look dirty while the oval stays clean. He said that trillions and kites are hard to keep clean, because of the pavilion facets.

I use a child''s natural bristle toothbrush and liquid soap, and I scrub. It''s the only thing that works for me. When I wash my hands, I take my ring off, because soap residue wants to stick to the kites.

HTH!
 

Tuckins1

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Thanks for sharing your beautiful collection!
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Burk

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Lovely collection. I, too, use a small toothbrush to clean my rings.
 

DearBuddha

Brilliant_Rock
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Apr 24, 2008
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Thanks a bunch, guys, both for the sweet compliments and the very helpful advice! My collection is very small (and hopefully I''ll add to it even more), but it''s nice to share, and I know I love looking at everyone'' collection postings.

I''m going to give the toothbrush suggestion a go and see if that helps. Hopefully it''ll help to get rid of the cloudiness in my stone. Thanks again!
 

arjunajane

Ideal_Rock
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How about buying a steam cleaner for home DearB?

I adore your asscher btw! So different in a lovely way - and the rest of your pretty collection
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Deelight

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What I do is get a small cup fill it with boiling hot water, dishwashing soap and some ammonia and soak it for about ½ - 1hr and then gently with a clean soft toothbrush scrub the ring, dry it off with a paper towel and then blow-dry it :), repeat every 2-3 days and sparkly ring :D.


ETA: I love your ring it is beautiful
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gemgirl

Ideal_Rock
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DB, all of our jewelry collections started as humble collections. You''ve got to start somewhere. Having said that....... I don''t think your collection is so humble! LOL! You''ve got some beautiful pieces there! It will grow, especially if yu continue to hang out at Pricescope
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Try using a baby''s toothbrush and any dishwashing liquid with a degreaser- like Dawn or Ajax. Your jewels will be sparkling in no time.
 

luv2sparkle

Ideal_Rock
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I love your collection too! Ditto cleaning with a tooth brush, and maybe a solution you can drop them in overnight, like gemcare. Then they will be sparkly every day for you.
 

rhbgirl24

Ideal_Rock
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Feb 6, 2009
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I love your E-ring... its gorgeous!

I had the same problem. Wanted it as sparkly as my jeweler could make it. so I bough a steam jewelry cleaner. Now you can get smaller professional ones that are more appropriate for home use for under $150....

may be an option for you too. I love it!
 

MMT

Ideal_Rock
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I love your collection, thanks for sharing. For cleaning I''m addicted to my ultrasonic, I love it
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