Cleaning Underneath Diamond Ring

[ice empress]

Well, to be genital on the stone, I just use almost boiling hot water I zapped on the micro with Dawn (the best for cutting grease) Let it sit there for about 15 minutes, then use a soft tooth brush. No offense to ultrasonic users but I feel sometimes you just got to scrub. It like trying to wash a car with power spray, it dose get most of the dirt off, looks clean but rub you had over the paint surface and you will still feel some dirt.

For tight areas, they make a very tiny brush for gums you can get at the major chain drug stores. It works great for getting into small places. I will post a link below. The total size of that brush is the size of a toothpick.

Anyway, after rinsing off all the soap I give it a quick rinse in rubbing alcohol. It dries fast, and no spots. Oh, and no paper for me, I use the free cloth you usually get with an iPhone or glasses, but don't mix with other uses, otherwise the grease from the phone will end up on the stone.

I swear by the rubbing alcohol. That thing sparkles like crazy and looks totally clean even under a loupe.

http://www.gumbrand.com/products/gu...-wide/872rn/?gclid=CObQk8jgursCFRHZQgodxDkAfg

u may want to correct the typo in the first sentence, which I suspect was caused by auto-correct?...

 

[creepin]

Wink,
That is a good reminder. I had forgotten that not everyone has platinum or 22k YG settings. This caution does not apply to non-ammonia based jewellery cleaner though, correct?

And not every one has your incredible avatar for a gem either! I always admire it every time I see one of your posts.

You are correct, if your cleaner does not have an agent like ammonia in it that causes tarnish, then it should be safe to use as a soaking agent. I loved the GemCare Products for just that reason.

Wink

Hi all -

I know I am resurrecting an old thread and probably the 100 question per week on cleaning. However, I had read good reviews about the GemCare products. Wink I have read your recommendations in post from a a few years back, but I see "loved". I also emailed them with no response.

Therefore, does anyone know if or where to get the GemCare solution? I was hoping for this as it is amonia free and seemed to be the "safest" pre-made solution. Maybe this product is no longer offered!?

Thank you all!

 

[Michelez]

I found some here:

https://betterthandiamond.com/care/gemcare.php

 

[WinkHPD]

I keep hoping that it will be resurrected, but there were problems first with the health of one of the principles and then with supply of appropriate containers. I fear that not enough money was made to make it worth the time to overcome the issues, especially when coupled with the health issues.

As much as I used to tout it, I sold only a dozen or two cleaning kits a year. I once ordered a gross of toothbrushes to deliver with each kit and after many years of selling the Gem Care products I still have a couple of dozen of them available, only I long ago ran out of the cleaner.

For some time after I ran out it was still available on their Amazon store, but it is now a blank page that says they had a 4.5 rating during the time they were open.

Wink

 

[ame]

LOL I love autocorrect.

Please PLEASE no more hydrogen peroxide near her ring. Ever. Also, avoid ammonia. Really warm water with dish soap and some mr clean with a nice soak will do wonders. But putting on lotion/hand sanitizer with it on should be eliminated. It frustrates me beyond worlds when other people don't take the care with their rings that we wish they would, so I feel your pain!

My favorite cleaner is the Sparkle Sparkle-- but the nventa.com website is being redone so you have to call them for an order. Buy it based on the metal of the ring.

 

[Lookinagain]

My favorite cleaner is the Sparkle Sparkle-- but the nventa.com website is being redone so you have to call them for an order. Buy it based on the metal of the ring.

Just an FYI that you can also buy it through HSN.

 

[artdecolover71]

so WINK! What are we supposed to use? Help!

 

[cflutist]

For me, cleaning my e-ring is as simple as using a toothbrush and liquid dishwashing soap from the dispenser at the kitchen sink, scrubbing the pavilion then rinsing my ring under tap water. I do not need to even take my ring off to do this which is one reason why I picked a mounting where the pavilion and culet are visible and accessible. My soon to be new Vatche ring is also designed this way.

Diamonds have an affinity for grease which then attracts all sorts of dust and dirt. They used grease belts in mining operations long ago.

So with this in mind, I also use bath gel or shampoo when traveling to clean my ring. It is whatever that is supplied in the hotel room or in the cruise ship cabin. Works just as well as dishwashing liquid at home.

Does anyone know if micropave is safe in an ultrasonic cleaner (that I use to clean my tennis bracelets)?

Thank you in advance.

 

[creepin]

Hi all

Thank you for the replies. It is a bummer to hear about the GemCare.

GemCare sounded pretty safe for white gold which is my priamary concern with soap (maybe I shouldn't be) the soap on Platinum doesn't worry me too much though.

 

[WinkHPD]

so WINK! What are we supposed to use? Help!

My old stand by before I found the Gem Care products was a few drops of liquid detergent or ammonia in warm water. Soak no more than five minutes and rinse well immediately. Brushing the back of the stone if possible with a soft bristle toothbrush in the liquid or in the warm water rinse helps get the "cookie dough" off of the diamond too. (Do NOT soak overnight, the ammonia will attack any silver in your gold alloy and you may end up with a horrible black piece of jewelry that will require professional cleaning. You might get away with it, but you will rue doing it on the day that you do not!)

When you think it is clean, turn the water temp up and repeat the brushing and rinse as this may help dissolve the the Klingons. (In spite of the feel good Star Trek movies, we will never be at peace with the Klingons.)

Then get out the can of compressed air that you were sold to blow dust off your computer screen and keys. Its real secretly intended use was to make an affordable jewelry product, i.e. a steam cleaner without the steam. It will blow the remaining moisture off of your jewelry and no one will know you did not spend $200 for a good home steamer.

To address CFlutist's question below. It is generally not a good idea to ultrasonic clean a micropave ring if you are not set up to replace/reset any diamonds that come loose in doing so. You may get away with it for months even years, but when you finally loosen a stone by torquing your ring lifting those barbells at the gym or those nasty pots and pans in the kitchen, you will have an empty space where the diamond should be.

Most jewelers will clean such rings in the ultrasonic with a small mesh basket beneath the item that is hung on a bent wire over the basket in the ultrasonic. (Dirty little secret: these are often made from bent coat hangers. Shhh!) That way if a stone comes out we know exactly where it is, in the basket. Then it can be given to the bench to be reset. Common sense and courtesy demands that you show the client the ring and the diamond first if they are still in house, as it will take time to properly set the stone. If they are not in house you still need to notify the client before resetting the diamond.

The advantage to having a jeweler clean and check your jewelry is that they can identify and tighten loose stones in the ring. This will normally NOT be a free service if they are doing anything more than polishing and steaming off your ring.

Sorry, short answer: No, you should not put your micropave rings in an ultrasonic.

Wink

 

[OoohShiny]

The other half's ring has its own toothbrush in the toothbrush pot