How to Clean a Diamond Ring at Home

If you wear your diamond ring on a day-to-day basis, you’ll soon find dust build up in areas that are often hard to reach without specialist equipment. There are many old wives’ tales regarding the best way to make a diamond sparkle, and how to clean rings in particular. Solitaire diamonds are often worn as engagement rings and are therefore worn every day – with these, it’s important to clean your diamond properly to keep it in the best condition. Here's our full guide on how to clean a diamond ring safely and thoroughly at home. 

Although you might find it beneficial to clean the front of the ring — as this is where most people look at — you must in fact take it upon yourself to clean the backend. The setting of the ring is the part which is closest to the skin, and therefore will inevitably be the part of the ring which collects the dirt and any ephemera – additionally, if you allow dirt to build up here, it can also cause skin irritations on your finger.

Solutions

You might be surprised to know that the best piece of equipment for brushing up your diamond ring is actually a soft toothbrush; one preferably for younger children. The bristles will allow you to clean effectively around all facets and types of settings, while not being abrasive or harmful in any way.
However, you must stay away from bleach solutions as this can cause corrosion. They are used for other surfaces and are a big no-no for jewellery. These solutions can damage the diamond and the metal setting, and this damage would be irreversible.

Alternatively, you could opt for using a clear grain-based alcohol — think vodka or gin. The science behind this theory is that the high level of ethanol is a natural solvent will chemically remove any stray dirt that is on the surface of the diamond or is trapped inside the setting of the ring.
For cleaning diamonds and any other metal areas of the ring, baking soda could do the trick when mixed with water. As with all cleaning, it is best to rinse thoroughly with warm water to remove any residue.

Take the simpler cleaning measures by using soap and water. Any kind of regular household soap, such as washing up liquid or hand soap is perfect for the job. As with any type of cleaning, leaving the jewellery to soak is preferable, as this loosens any solidified particles in hard to reach areas.
Although you can clean your diamond ring yourself, it may be beneficial to go to a jeweller to make sure the job is done correctly. An ultrasonic system is a specialised tank which is filled with liquid – which the jewellery is submersed in – and which then produces high frequency sound waves, which can disturb and remove the tiniest dirt particles from normally unreachable parts of the jewellery.
AC Silver, antique silver specialists offer a free of charge service to help customers maintain the condition of their jewellery.