Diamonds may be the hardest substance on earth, but contrary to popular belief they are not indestructible. They can only be cut and polished by another diamond, a hard blow can cause them to chip. A knock on a cleavage plane, if one is still present after cutting will cause them to spit into two. So never wear your diamond jewelry when doing rough work.

 

Diamond Do’s:

 

Wear it as often as you like Diamonds love to be seen and thrive on attention. Diamonds go with everything, not just every other Gemstone. But with every outfit be it jeans and a t-shirt or a Chanel Suit.  They also adore handbags, scarfs and shoes.

 

 

So how can you keep your diamond looking its very best? Here are some tips on diamond care:

 

• Handle your diamond sparingly, as your fingers provide enough oil from your skin to alter the way your diamond looks.

 

• Clean your diamond regularly. A simple plan to keep your diamond jewelry always looking beautiful is to soak the diamond in an ammonia-based household cleaner (such as window cleaner) overnight, once or twice weekly. In the morning, remove the diamond from the cleaner and brush it with a soft, clean toothbrush to remove any leftover dirt. Take extra care to brush the back of the diamond as this will be the area that has collected the most oil and dirt. Rinse and dry with a soft cloth.

 

• Be aware that fragile settings and estate jewelry won't take kindly to being scrubbed with a toothbrush, so use a soft touch. Then, just rinse the diamond with water and wipe with a soft, lint-free cloth.

 

• Don't use harmful solutions. Chlorine or abrasives should never be used when cleaning diamonds, especially those set in jewelry. These erode some of the metals often used in diamond settings, and may loosen prongs, or even dissolve the metal completely.

 

Sometimes an ultrasonic cleaner is necessary to remove encrusted dirt on diamonds. By sending high frequency sound waves through a detergent solution, ultrasonic cleaners cause vibrating fluid to remove accumulated dirt and grime. However, they can also shake loose stones from their mounting, so this method shouldn't be used on fragile settings, and is best undertaken by a professional jeweler.

 

TIPS FOR GENERAL CARE

Even though you may wear your diamond engagement ring 24 hours a day, you should still give thought to its care.

 

• Don't wear it when you're doing rough work or going to the gym. Even though a diamond is durable, it can be chipped by a hard blow.

 

• Don't store your diamond jewelry next to other jewelry pieces as this can cause other items damage, a fabric-lined jewelry case with separate compartments is Ideal. 

 

• Don't let your diamond come in contact with chlorine bleach when you're doing household chores. It can damage and discolor the mounting.

 

• Regularly inspect your diamond jewelry to make sure the setting is secure.

 

• Do see your jeweler at least once a year and have him check your ring and other precious pieces for loose prongs and wear of mountings. He'll usually give them a professional "shine-up" too.

 

PUTTING DIAMONDS AWAY

 

• When you're not wearing diamonds and precious jewelry, they still require attention. Keep your precious pieces in a fabric-lined jewel case, or a box with compartments or dividers.

 

• lf you prefer to use ordinary boxes, wrap each piece individually in tissue paper

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• Don't jumble your diamond pieces in a drawer or jewelry case, because diamonds can scratch other jewelry-and can even scratch each other.

 

• Don't leave your ring on the rim of a sink when you remove it to wash your hands. It can easily slip down the drain.