Through your everyday activities, your engagement ring can get smudged and soiled.
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If you take them off when you do housecleaning and shower, they can collect dust. Soaps, lotions, and our natural skin oils, can cause film and grime which can dull the brilliance of your diamond engagement ring .
In order to keep your diamond looking sparkly and new you should clean it regularly. Regular cleaning will insure that the maximum amount of light can refract the stones fiery brilliance. To clean your diamond, you can use a small brush - an eyebrow brush is perfect. You don't really need any special chemicals, just make a bowl of sudsy water with soap or mild detergent and put your engagement ring in the water to soak. After a few minutes (or longer if it is really caked with dirt and grime) take the soft bristled brush and scrub the diamond in the suds.
Rinse the engagement ring thoroughly to remove all the soapy suds. Don't simply hold it in your fingers under the water or you might find yourself taking the drain apart to search for your ring! You can put the ring in a small strainer and run the water through that to make sure all the soap gets washed off. Finally, take a lint free jewelers cloth and pat the ring dry.
If your diamonds are really dirty, you may need something a bit stronger than soap and water. In this case, try a mixture of half water and half ammonia. Let the diamond ring soak for 30 minutes. Then gently brush them with a soft brush. Rinse and dry as recommended above.
You can also buy jewelry cleaning kits in almost any department store. These kits have everything you need - the solution and brush and are quite convenient as you can store them away and use them over and over again. Read the label to see if the kit is OK to use on your diamond engagement ring.
If you really want a super clean diamond you can try an ultrasonic cleaning machine. These machines use high-frequency to generate a cleaning motion. Every machine is not the same though, so read the instructions before using.
Caring for your engagement ring is not just about cleaning, there is a certain amount of maintenance you should provide. Be sure to take your diamond ring to a jeweler once a year. Have them check the mountings and prongs and make any needed repairs. This can prevent your diamond from coming out of its setting and getting lost.
When you are not wearing your engagement ring or if stones have become loose you should be stored it in a a fabric lined jewel case, or jewelers box where it can be kept separate from your other jewelry. Ideally, every piece should have its own compartment. This will keep the diamonds in your engagement ring from getting scratched as well as keep your diamond from scratching your other jewelry.
To take best care of your diamond engagement ring, remove it when doing physical work. Although diamonds are a very hard stone, they can be chipped and scratched easily. Also don't let your diamond to come into contact with bleach household cleansers which can damage the settings and mountings. These cleaners can even change the color of your setting or the diamond itself!
Your engagement ring is one of your proudest possessions and it is is essential to keep it brilliant and sparkling. The preferred cleaning method is up to you but between cleanings try not to touch the diamond with your fingers. This will help maintain its dazzling shine and brilliance for longer periods between cleanings.
