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Diamond Jewellery Care

You just dropped several large bills to get your beloved (or maybe yourself!) a diamond or diamonds that take your breath away. That kind of investment deserves some careful attention, and that's the subject of discussion. To make your diamonds last a lifetime, there are several areas, some obvious, some not; that you need to keep in mind. While diamonds may be the hardest compound on earth, they still need some loving care.

These are a few points to consider.

Diamonds are extremely hard and durable. Take care of your diamond by avoiding breaks and scratches and keep it clean. With good care, your diamond will have the same sparkle and beauty in ten, a hundred or a thousand years. Diamonds do not fade, tarnish or wear out like most materials. The secret to keeping a diamond’s sparkle is keeping it clean.

Diamonds are the hardest natural material. Only a diamond can scratch a diamond. Use great caution when wearing multiple diamond rings on the same finger. If the diamonds of one ring touch diamonds in another ring, both diamonds will likely end up scratched in a relatively short time. If you have a diamond wedding band next to your diamond engagement ring, be sure their design allows them to fit together so the diamonds do not touch.

The next most dangerous place for diamonds scratching each other is in the jewellery box. Do not throw your diamond rings, diamond earrings, and diamond bracelet together. Since diamonds will scratch diamonds, think of what they can do to other gemstones and precious metals. Keep your diamond jewellery in separate compartments or isolated by soft cloth to keep them from rubbing each other.

While diamonds are very durable, they can break or chip. You would not let someone hit your diamond with a steel hammer but your diamond ring faces the same type of danger every day. File cabinets, metal seat belt buckles, and car doors are just a few of the metal surfaces that can hit a diamond in the course of a normal day. Avoid sharp impacts with hard surfaces and you will avoid chips and cracks in your diamond.

Diamonds are natural grease attractors. Some diamond mines separate diamonds from the broken rocks by running the material over a conveyor belt covered with a layer of grease. Diamonds stick to the grease and the rocks slide off. At the end of the shift, they remove the grease and melt it away, leaving the diamonds.

Remember diamond’s attraction to grease when you touch a diamond with your finger. The oil from your fingertips will coat the diamond and reduce the sparkle. The same is true when your diamond ring touches the oil in your hair. Hand creams, lotions, hair spray, soap, and grease from food will create a film on your diamond that hides its beauty. When you put your hands in dishwater, the dirt and grease in the water will adhere to the diamond. Dust and powders also cling to diamonds.

Fortunately, diamonds are easy to clean. Put your diamond jewellery in a warm solution of mild liquid detergent and water. You can also use the containers of “Jewellery Cleaner” available at jewellery and department stores. These typically have a small basket the ring can sit in and a small, soft brush to clean the hard to reach places around the diamond. Swish the ring around in the solution, rinse it with warm water, and dry the ring with a lint-free cloth. While chemicals will probably not hurt your diamond, harsh chemicals like chlorine or bleach can weaken and discolour the metal in the jewellery. Keep in mind that swimming pools and hot tubs usually have high levels of chlorine and are not a safe place for jewellery.

There are many types of ultrasonic cleaners available to the public today. The piece of jewellery sits in a basket of water and detergent. The ultrasonic cleaner produces high-frequency turbulence that is an excellent way to clean the hard to get at part of jewellery. Not all gemstones are as durable as diamonds. Never put soft materials like emeralds, opals and pearls in an ultrasonic cleaner.

With a little common sense and regular cleaning, your diamonds will keep their sparkle and beauty for years of enjoyment.

A piece of diamond jewellery means many things to many people. Diamonds are a symbol of great affection. Please honour those who gave this gift to you by giving your diamonds careful and regular care and attention and you'll be rewarded with a lifetime of sparkle!

Joseph Sterling : London Jewellers