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A dirty issue - how do your fancy cuts hold up when cleaning is overdue?

ceg said:
Rose cuts are the worst. They look great right after cleaning but seem to get grimy fast and really look bad when dirty.
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I've never seen a rose cut in person but I guess that makes sense because they have fewer facets so maybe there is less to distract the eye away from dirt?
 
david b said:
A dirty diamond will loose most of it's brilliance. The light rays are absorbed into the dirt and never reflect back. Not only that it looses the brilliance but also imperfections
become visible.
My advice: get yourself a home Ultrasonic cleaner for 100 bucks and do not wait more than 1 month between cleaning cycles, otherwise the dirt will not be removed with home US cleaner
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I have a good one, but because of the hard water in my area I end up using jewellery cleaner, then ultrasonic, then steam to get mine really clean. Its quite a lot of hassle, although I do get a kick when they are all gleaming like new and sparkling under my LED lighting :)
 
diamondhoarder said:
Mamabean, I saw your cushion halo ring, its gorgeous. Its a very brilliant type of cushion cut - I wonder if that's why it keeps its sparkle so well.
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Thank you @diamondhoarder! It has chunky facets like an OEC...I’ve looked at some cushions in person and they’re different...so not sure what’s going on..but considering it’s humble stats I’m very happy with it..
 
I wanted to have a step cut as an ering (or I should say an additional ering) until I got a carre cut eternity wedding band as my wedding present. I know it's worse since it's an eternity and therefore spins and touches my hand as soon as I put it on, but goodness the difference between it and my MRB after wearing them for five min it noticeable.
 
Jimmianne said:
Yes! It’s awful! The upside for me is that right after I clean mine I can’t believe how beautiful it is, like I sort of forget how amazing it is between cleanings. All the more entertaining LOL
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Exactly right.
 
I have already resigned myself to the fact that when my new ring (modified step cut) is finished, I will buy one of those travel toothbrushes that has it’s own little protective cover/case, and put a couple drops of dish soap on it weekly to keep it always at-the-ready in my purse for quick cleanings when I am not home. :lol:
 
the_mother_thing said:
I have already resigned myself to the fact that when my new ring (modified step cut) is finished, I will buy one of those travel toothbrushes that has it’s own little protective cover/case, and put a couple drops of dish soap on it weekly to keep it always at-the-ready in my purse for quick cleanings when I am not home. :lol:
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You're a genius @the_mother_thing! What a good idea lol!
 
Assuming well cut stones, I will say that larger faceted stones generally show more dirt than brilliant cuts. I have to clean my antique style cuts much more than my ideal cut rounds because they show more grime!
 
diamondseeker2006 said:
Assuming well cut stones, I will say that larger faceted stones generally show more dirt than brilliant cuts. I have to clean my antique style cuts much more than my ideal cut rounds because they show more grime!
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Diamondseeker, you have a beautiful AVR in your avatar. How does that one hold up? Do you also have an AVC?
 
diamondhoarder said:
Diamondseeker, you have a beautiful AVR in your avatar. How does that one hold up? Do you also have an AVC?
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Thanks! Oh, it shows dirt easily. I scrub it good with a toothbrush almost daily because I like it to look it's best!
 
Oh, rose cuts. They are the worst for this. I forgot about that. My rose cut rings hate dirt and grime.
 
Thanks everyone who replied to this post. Based on what everyone had to say (and on some of my own observations) it seems that step cuts (especially asschers?), rose cuts, antique cuts, and any fancy shape with fewer (and therefore larger) facets, along with shallow cuts of any fancy shape seem to show up dirt the most.

I would also assume that any cut which has significant light leakage would show up dirt quickly too, because the leaking facets could act as window to the dirt rather than a mirror reflecting back light. But I'm no expert on these things =)2

I'm wondering if this means that well proportioned step cuts with more pavilion steps, therefore a busier look with more scintillation to distract the eye would stay looking good for longer between cleans than a well proportioned step cut with fewer pavilion steps.

In fact, could there be a straightforward rule that says the greater the scintillation a diamond has (when combined with the right proportions for excellent light return), the better it will hold up between cleaning?

This post makes me sound like I'm too lazy to clean my jewellery, and that's not actually the case. :lol: In fact I do like to keep my sparklies as clean as possible, but I also like the idea of "lower maintenance" diamonds for future purchases so that I am not noticing every single speck of dust or fingerprint smear after a few hours of wear.
 
My rose cuts can get dirty but I always keep them clean. I have open bottom settings so they are easy to clean.
 
diamondhoarder said:
This post makes me sound like I'm too lazy to clean my jewellery, and that's not actually the case. :lol: In fact I do like to keep my sparklies as clean as possible, but I also like the idea of "lower maintenance" diamonds for future purchases so that I am not noticing every single speck of dust or fingerprint smear after a few hours of wear.
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Better yet...a low maintenance setting. It only takes me 1 min to clean my ring. :praise:

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Dancing Fire said:
Better yet...a low maintenance setting. It only takes me 1 min to clean my ring. :praise:

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I know your diamond is safe but it makes me think of standing on the edge of a cliff! I would knock that beautiful diamond out because I’m a klutz!
 
OP
Do you have 45 seconds to clean your ring?
If the answer is yes.....use Lavish Jewelry Cleaner.
You pump it on as a foam, let it sit for 30 seconds, brush it gently with soft brush provided, rinse under warm water, dry with cotton towel.......wala!
Good luck.
 
WillyDiamond said:
OP
Do you have 45 seconds to clean your ring?
If the answer is yes.....use Lavish Jewelry Cleaner.
You pump it on as a foam, let it sit for 30 seconds, brush it gently with soft brush provided, rinse under warm water, dry with cotton towel.......wala!
Good luck.
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WillyDiamond, I will give it a go if I can find some here in the UK.

On another note, I have also noticed that my smaller baguette cut diamonds hold up very well, in spite of being step cuts.
 
the_mother_thing said:
I have already resigned myself to the fact that when my new ring (modified step cut) is finished, I will buy one of those travel toothbrushes that has it’s own little protective cover/case, and put a couple drops of dish soap on it weekly to keep it always at-the-ready in my purse for quick cleanings when I am not home. :lol:
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I do the same and keep little alcohol pads on hand for when I don’t have a sink (I even clean it in my car when stick in traffic:rodent:). The ones I buy are about an inch by and inch so it is perfect size for cleaning my ring in a spiffy.
 
My experience with the AVR is that it still sparkles a lot even when it gets a bit dirty or greasy. I clean it every 10 days or so, I don't need to clean it as often as my MRBs or cushions which lose their sparkles quite quickly...
 
Rpb said:
My experience with the AVR is that it still sparkles a lot even when it gets a bit dirty or greasy. I clean it every 10 days or so, I don't need to clean it as often as my MRBs or cushions which lose their sparkles quite quickly...
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That's interesting - especially as AVRs have that larger facet look going on which some people identified as showiing dirt more easily. But then they are ideal cut so perhaps this is what accounts for your findings. On another thread Cut Nut (Garry Holloway) commented that "Leaky stones need more cleaning than stones with great ideal-scopes and ASETs." and no doubt your AVR has an amazing ASET?

What is other people's experience with AVRs and AVCs?
 
Mamabean said:
I bought an AV emerald cut unmentionable so I will see! David is making the setting now..;)2
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Oh my....an AV emerald is on my wish list. Please post pics when it's ready.
 
I use my microfiber eyeglass cleaning cloth to wipe off dirt and fingerprints in a pinch when I don't have any soap and water to clean my rings. Does a good job! I fiddle with my rings all the time so fingerprints are always a problem.
 
I can now comment on an emerald cut. I have a three stone emerald cut diamond ring that is a pain to keep clean. It’s cut well and is high clarity..vvs2 so it’s very clear and sparkly when clean. What I notice are water spots. If I wash my hands the bottom of the diamond has beads of water that dry into what look like specs. I now have to remove the ring every time I wash my hands..I never had to do that with any of my diamonds. When I do clean it I have to blow dry the bottom to get rid of water drops..I love this ring so it’s worth it…but what a pain in the keesta ! Any short cuts would be appreciated!
 
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I just edited to say we have hard water. I think that may be the problem. I washed my hands with distilled water and soap..I also rinsed it off with distilled water. It dried without spots..Well..I’m not going to be doing that..:rolleyes:
 
MamaBee said:
I just edited to say we have hard water. I think that may be the problem. I washed my hands with distilled water and soap..I also rinsed it off with distilled water. It dried without spots..Well..I’m not going to be doing that..:rolleyes:
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We have a water softener, it's great for not getting build up on my diamonds!! Since Covid we also started using liquid soap and that makes a world of difference as well.
 
Mreader said:
I really like this ultrasonic which is better than those $20 dinky ones:

I put some Blitz cleaner in it and it works great on my diamonds. I do agree that round stones tend to shine through dirt way better than other cuts.
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Wow..That ultrasonic looks like serious business! I may get that when my other one goes..My Magnasonic does a good job because I clean my jewelry every day. I wash my hands a lot. I think there’s no way to get around having to take the emerald cut ring off to wash my hands when I’m home. If I’m outside the house I’ll deal with water spots. I would be afraid to take it off. They should come up with a mini compressed air can so I could put it in my purse… I blow on it when I’m outside the house..:lol:
 
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