Are your favourite and most treasured pair of diamond earrings looking dull and lifeless? Did you know that you can clean your earrings at home and bring back that lustre, sparkle, and shine that your earrings once sported? Even if your diamond jewellery is looking good, they need to be taken care of every now and then.
This article shares some of the best DIY tips, tricks, and hacks to polish your precious stones and keep them looking as good as new for many years.
Things You Need to Clean and Spruce Up Your Diamond Earrings
Experts from Khwaahish Diamond Jewellery, the favourite destination for diamond earrings in Chennai, say that to polish your jewellery, you will need some tools and cleaning items.
Here’s a list of things required to get the job done.
Cleaning Brushes
Choose a soft-bristled brush, such as an unused children’s toothbrush, makeup brush or a cleaning brush to gently remove any accumulated dirt from the diamond earrings.
Soft Cloth
Always have a few pieces of good quality micro-fibre cloth to gently pat, polish, and dry your jewellery after an intense treatment. Micro-fibre cloths can maintain the integrity of the shine and cut and deliver the best results.
Dark-coloured mantles
Use a tray or mantle covered with a soft, lint-free cloth in contrasting colours of blue, red, or green to keep your diamond earrings in place while you clean it.
Glass bowls
Glass or ceramic bowls are ideally suited for holding delicate jewellery like diamond earrings and their back screws. Never attempt to wash expensive jewellery in sinks and basins as they are highly likely to slip from your fingers and end up in the drainage.
Professional Cleaning Kit
Investing in a professional diamond jewellery cleaning kit can save you plenty of time, money, and effort in the long run. However, you must ensure that the chemicals and submersive liquids that come with it are not abrasive enough to damage the precious stones or the metal on your diamond earrings.
Table
Always work on a sturdy table preferably fitted with a table light and never work near drainage openings and dark places. Use the dark-coloured mantle to keep your jewellery and to ensure that the smaller pieces do not go missing in the process.
Here’s a list of cleaning agents that will help revive the shine and sparkle in your diamond earrings.
Baking Soda
Baking soda is a common ingredient-cum-cleaning agent found in all households. However, given its abrasive nature, baking soda must be combined with water and used as a paste or a solution. You can immerse your diamond earrings into this solution and gently clean the grime and dirt with a soft brush.
Read Also: Diamond Earring Designs That Never Go Out of Style
Hydrogen Peroxide
In addition to removing germs and bacteria in depth, hydrogen peroxide can be used to cleanse diamond earrings on the surface. The chemical can be poured into a small container and used as dipping agent.
Vinegar
Vinegar, like baking soda, is another common household ingredient that also serves as an effective cleaning agent. Dilute a bit of the vinegar in water and use it to clean your diamond earrings.
Soap
High-quality dishwashing soaps that do not contain corrosive or harsh chemicals can be used to clean diamond earrings. Make a solution with warm water and a bit of dishwashing soap and soak the jewellery in it for a few minutes. Use a brush to clean the dirt and wash with clean water.
Step-By Step Process to Remove Dirt & Grime From Diamond Earrings
Step 1: Gear up for the process
Select a well-lit place and prepare all the necessary tools and cleaning agents you are going to work with. Count the number of diamond earrings you will be cleaning as a precautionary measure to ensure that nothing goes missing.
Step 2: Prepare the soaking solution
Add enough water in a wide-mouthed glass or ceramic bowl and a few drops of the cleaning agent of your choice. Kindly ensure that the cleaning agent is devoid of harmful dyes and fragrances that can damage your precious stones. Also, make sure the bowl is placed on a flat surface to prevent any spillage.
Step 3: Soak the earrings
Mix the solution, soak the earrings, and move them around freely in the bowl. Leave the jewellery in the soaking liquid for not more than thirty minutes. The accumulated dirt and grime on the surface of the stones and those that are embedded in the metal will life off and settle on the bottom of the liquid.
Step 4: Brush and clean
Use your soft-bristled brush to gently clean any stubborn dirt particles lodged between the intricate designs. Run the brush over the stones to remove grime and oil residues, if any.
Step 5: Rinse and dry
Rinse the diamond earrings in clear warm water before gently wiping them with a fresh micro-fibre cloth to ensure that no scents or chemicals are transferred on to the jewellery. Ensure your earrings are completely dry before returning them to the storage box.
Although the process is relatively simple, there are some do’s and dont’s to follow to make sure your jewellery is well-protected at all times.
The Do’s & Dont’s of Diamond Jewellery Maintenance and Cleaning
Do’s
- Do remove your diamond earrings when applying make up products, skin care products, perfumes, lotions, and hairspray.
- Do store your diamond earrings in a box meant for the purpose like a soft cloth pouch or a cloth-lined box.
- Store diamond jewellery in a separate compartment if you use a single box to store the rest of your jewellery collection.
- Read the instructions on the cleaning product to ensure it is suitable for cleaning expensive jewellery.
- Use only fragrance and dye-free solutions to clean precious stones and metals like gold, white gold, and platinum.
- Entrust the diamond earrings only to professional jewellers like Khwaahish Diamond Jewellery, Chennai, and have them polished at least twice a year.
- Do check for any loose stones before soaking the jewellery in the cleaning liquid.
- Use only a micro-fibre cloth to clean and dry the delicate jewellery.
Dont’s
- Never go to bed wearing your diamond earrings, because they are likely to be damaged. Besides, putting pressure on metals can loosen the prongs, bend the earring posts, and screws.
- Avoid using ultrasonic jewellery cleaners that clean your jewellery through vibration. The vibrating mechanism can loosen the prongs holding the stones in place, which increases the risk of losing these stones.
- Never use harsh chemicals or strong exfoliants like glass and window cleaners that contain bleach.
- Never use steel wool or rough cloth to remove dirt from the stones or metals encasing them.
- Avoid putting on or taking off your diamond earrings near a sink or any such place with a drainage outlet.
Conclusion
Diamond earrings require extra care. So keep it in mind when you buy or inherit a pair. Come and look at the extensive diamond jewellery collection at Khwaahish Diamond Jewellery, the best diamond jewellers in Chennai.
