What is the best way to clean diamond rings?

[KristinTech]

I bought this cleaner last month
https://m.costco.com/Sienna-TrioShine-3-in-1-Jewelry-Cleaner,-Ultrasonic-Bath,-Steam-Cleaner-and-UV-Light-Sanitizer.product.100370347.html

It was still in the box until last night! I had just bought a 1.8 oval stone from Blue Nile. I was happy with the stone for the first 3 days and then I started to notice the bow tie and it irked me, especially because I spent hours doing research on what to look for in an oval diamond. Man are they tricky!! Anyhoo, there is a point to this story i swear! Finally last night I couldn't take it anymore. I got out all of the paperwork and box to return the diamond but I thought I should clean the stone first before I send it back. I stuck it in this cleaner and WOW!! I could not believe my eyes!! The stone was more clean than when I first received it from Blue Nile! The stone does not have a prominent bow tie whatsoever! The above cleaner really does work! I can't take my eyes off of the stone now!

Ovals really are funny like that! They can be a little mesmerizing at times because of the different widths of the facets. Like they help your eyes travel down to the center/culet. I had a local jeweler look at my oval through his loupe a couple of years a go to check my setting. He said, “Wow, that’s actually a really nice oval.” Why thank you, sir! Enjoy yours! 1.8 must look pretty impressive on the finger!

 

[BlingBlingLova]

Ovals really are funny like that! They can be a little mesmerizing at times because of the different widths of the facets. Like they help your eyes travel down to the center/culet. I had a local jeweler look at my oval through his loupe a couple of years a go to check my setting. He said, “Wow, that’s actually a really nice oval.” Why thank you, sir! Enjoy yours! 1.8 must look pretty impressive on the finger!

Thank you Kristen! One word to describe oval for me: FEISTY! And I am a very FEISTY lady so that is why I am drawn to them .

 

[HappyNewLife]

Be a bit cautious about the Diamond Dazzle stick. It contains a polymer that can buildup on stones (especially on certain gemstones) and can be horrible to remove. Its fine for a quick use, but not all the time. I actually use this product's stick without the solution as I like that the bristles can get into small details and clean them with my normal cleaning solution (dawn+water+tiny bit ammonia) or my ultrasonic.

nooooooooooooooooooooooooo. I use it every day! EEEEEEEEK. OK, thanks so much. Will switch up the solution!

 

[Winks_Elf]

I swear by a combo of Lavish foam first, and then my ultrasonic for typical jewelry cleaning. For pieces that have gotten really dirty, or have soap buildup on them, I do the 50/50 solution of warm distilled water and white vinegar. I have well water that is on the acidic side, thus the distilled.

 

[kgizo]

I think cleaning it frequently is the key so I keep a pretty liquid soap dispenser filled with dawn and water on my countertop next to the hand soap. That way I clean it daily since the solution is handy.

 

[Starfacet]

I feel shamed now. I only clean my wedding set about once a month. Guess I'd better step up my game!

 

[Gussie]

Given that one of those steam cleaners is less than $100 why wouldn't people opt for that over ultrasonics or using toothbrushes, etc? It seems faster (and safer since there aren't any chemicals involved), no?

I bought a steam cleaner a while ago and have only used it once. It's big, bulky and a pain to get in and out to use it. I use a small ultrasonic a lot and haven't ever lost a melee. I really wish I hadn't bought the steam cleaner - just another small appliance taking up space in the cabinet.

 

[rockysalamander]

In case non-diamond wearer stumble on this thread...bear in mind that not all gemstones are equal. Most of these answers are for cleaning diamonds. Things like acids (vinegar, lemon), ultrasonic cleaners and the like require care before dumping in gems. If a ring is not mine, I inspect the prongs and use a cottonswab to be sure the diamonds are solid before going in my ultrasonic. Emeralds, turquoise, pearls, amber, malachite, tanzanite, coral and opal (and many other organic gems/stones) need special care and won't tolerate all methods of cleaning. I only use a tiny (tiny) bit of ammonia in my standard hot water+blue dawn for my untreated, unoiled inorganic gems (diamond, sapphire, ruby, spinel, aquamarine is most of what I have). Vinegar is fine for most things, but can cause damage to gold if the soak is long enough. Chlorine (pools, hot tubs, household cleaners) causes damage to gold over time. Baking soda....no. Just no. If you have a hand sanitizer habit, clean your ring with a gentle brush frequently (or take your rings off when using it). Rant over.