Keep Diamonds Clean

[redroze]

I tried the rubbing alcohol rinse and it worked wOnders! The dazzle stik is in its way to me soon.

Those darn water spots always bug me. Any tips on where to get it professionally cleaned for those of us who bought online from afar?

 

[Gypsy]

Any jeweler should be willing to do it for you redroze. Tiffany only does their own stuff, and Cartier too. But regular stores will be happy to clean it for you. I get mine cleaned whenever I go to a jewelry store.

 

[Dancing Fire]

That said, Isoporpyl Alcohol is what I use. I keep it in this handy frosted glass pump bottle from a company called Menda.

I use a bottle identical to that one for my Isopropyl.

Mine looks like this:

http://www.amazon.com/Swan-Isopropyl-Alcohol-99%25-Pint/dp/B001B5JT8C/ref=sr_1_1?s=hpc&ie=UTF8&qid=1399685114&sr=1-1&keywords=rubbing+alcohol

I just bought a bottle of 91% Isopropyl Alcohol are there any difference b/t the 91% and the 99%? ..

 

[arkieb1]

OMG, I've never tried to clean my jewellery with Isopropyl alcohol before, does yours smell for anyone that has it? Makeup artists use the stuff for cleaning makeup brushes, and they sell it here to them mixed with lavender oil and food colouring to make it smell better and look pretty.

The joke is we have a drum of it (think large metal barrel) of the stuff down in the shed. It is used in the Aircraft industry in the windscreen wipers in planes to de-ice and to clean aircraft windscreens.... I'm going to raid the barrel!!!!

John - "Whenever I speak to consumers about cut-quality and optics I always mention rule #1 is to keep the diamond clean. Garry Holloway observes that shallow diamonds stand up to grease better than deep diamonds because their PA-CA combos withstand the critical angle change caused by detritus better. I'm sure he's right, but I say keep them all clean."

Hi John, that is fascinating, real proof that deeper diamonds seem to be grease magnets. I've noticed that old cuts in particular look dreadful much faster than many modern cuts, I thought that it was a combination of the gunk interfering with the big facet pattern, but the depth now you are mentioning it obviously adds to the speed that they look blah as well....

 

[WillyDiamond]

Varaet cleaner:
http://www.veraet.com/collections/wrist-clean
10% discount coupon: WRISTCLEAN
enjoy

 

[Sunstorm]

Great thread, I love it! Where I live I see 90 some odd % of women wearing extremely dirty jewelry that look old but in a bad way with diamonds that look terrible quality. I never understand why people do not understand the importance of diamonds being kept clean; light performance greatly depends on that and if affects clarity in a very bad way too; even a VS diamond will easily look close to I when dirty, in fact you cannot even grade the clarity of a dirty diamond. I have gotten so bad that I did not let my husband hold my hand.) He thought that was really crazy but he was always touching my diamond.

I do not like alcohol, my jeweler always uses it but I have found that alcohol wiping will not get into many areas and may also leave a rainbow colored residue. I prefer simple Joy and hot water and a toothbrush; works wonders. Most ultrasonics are worthless in my opinion but some really heavy duty ones are very good.

The biggest problem I have is with drying spotless, air spray is a great idea as I often still get dust left over. I hate clothes; I have such problems with them, I had good ones but even though I handwashed them on my own as described here they are still very linty and no longer work. What is the problem? I bet that part of the problem was using it on colored stones that had Anderson on them and so on. I probably need to get new clothes and wash them as described. I will probably try the clothes referred to here. The ones I last got at ADTF from a vendor leave my diamonds full of lint even though they are new, then why are they selling them for diamonds?

Sorry for ranting, I guess I am a clean freak when it comes to diamonds and jewelry. Now here comes the hard part, cleaning my Art Deco diamond watch, next to impossible. At first attempt several diamonds fell out now that was with a dry toothbrush, ok, after we removed the watchwork with my jeweler it was relatively easy but in the case of this watch you cannot just do it at home on a daily basis and of course there is intricate metalwork involved as well as over 100 diamonds, I could try alcohol and a qtip but a qtip will surely leave lint and still not get into certain areas.

 

[Sunstorm]

BTW, at HRD they told me they boil them in ammonia, hmm sounded a bit harsh but I have heard interesting ideas to say the least; at another lab they told me to microwave them in soapy water and leave overnight but I hope no one will attempt to microwave jewelry. I have never even tried it with lose stones. Anyone things the microwave option could actually be a good one? I have stuck to toothbrush, dishsoap and water.

 

[MarionC]

Varaet cleaner:
http://www.veraet.com/collections/wrist-clean
10% discount coupon: WRISTCLEAN
enjoy

thanks Willy.
this stuff is great!

 

[artdecolover71]

Where do you get canned air? Is it called ultra duster? Help!

 

[secretagentlaura]

I think it's just the compressed air in the can that you can buy for cleaning computer components, sold where you can buy computer stuff.

 

[kenny]

Where do you get canned air? Is it called ultra duster? Help!

Costco carries canned air at a VERY low price, though you do have to buy six cans.
6 cans last me maybe a year.

You can easily pay 2 3 or 4 times Costco's price if buying one can at a computer or stationary store like Office Depot or Staples.

I don't pay attention to the brand name, assuming they are all the same.

 

[artdecolover71]

Thanks ! I love costco!
Trying to focus on new cleaning supplies while waiting to receive my ring lol.

 

[Sunstorm]

This canned air is a great idea, I blow on my diamonds but it does not work as it needs much more pressure. Although we have no Costco in Europe unfortunately and I loved it while living in the US, I can still get a can to try at a computer store. Thanks for the tip! This will work much better as a finishing touch than any cloth as all carry some lint unfortunately.

 

[Dancing Fire]

Does rubbing alcohol leave a film on the diamond?

Any cleaning fluid will, when it is contaminated with gunk from your diamond and left to evaporate, even pure distilled water will.

That's why I used canned air to blow away the dirty fluid.

That said, Isoporpyl Alcohol is what I use.
I keep it in this handy frosted glass pump bottle from a company called Menda.

Pushing down the spring-loaded metal top with your brush brings up a bit of alcohol.
Then flip the cover down to reduce evaporation.

Some women use these for nail polish remover.
Glass and ceramic ones are available here in many colors and attractive patters: http://www.mendabeauty.com/Search/Glass

Kenny..
Then use a little brush to brush the diamond with alcohol? and why would you needed to use canned air since alcohol will evaporate so quickly?...

 

[kenny]

Kenny..
Then use a little brush to brush the diamond with alcohol? and why would you needed to use canned air since alcohol will evaporate so quickly?...

Rate of evaporation is not relevant.
I blow away the liquid because it is contaminated with the gunk from the diamond.
Spray it onto a window and you may see the proof, if there was enough gunk.

Left to evaporate, fast or slowly, the gunk suspended in any cleaning fluid would leave a film on the diamond.
Drying with a towel would only pick up the liquid on the table and any part of the girdle not near prongs.
The towel is not likely to touch the pavilion with most settings.
This means liquid remains clinging to where the prongs grip the girdle and all over the pavilion, which you would see with a loupe.
When the fluid has finally evaporated you may see a film in these places.
Perhaps this is 'good enough' for many people.

Also, I brush the diamond vigorously so much of the gunky alcohol gets splattered into the sink.
Then I reload the brush with fresh clean alcohol and repeat.
I repeat this 3 or 4 times depending on how dirty the diamond was.
Granted, the final alcohol won't have much gunk suspended in it, but I blow it away anyway because I'm OCD.

I didn't make this technique up.
It came from NASA.
I learned it long ago working in aerospace manufacturing.
They had to get soldered electronic parts scrupulously clean of sticky stubborn flux.
They also used ultrasonic cleaners when the bristles of the brush could not reach into tiny crevices, voids, cracks, etc.
One of my tasks was training assemblers on soldering and cleaning and I had to inspect their work for proper cleaning using a $14,000 Zeiss Stereo Microscope.

For one diamond in a tension setting a normal tooth bush can reach everything so I don't use an ultrasonic cleaner.
Sometimes I'll use our GemOro Steam cleaner for my SO's rock ... he lets it get pretty gross.
In that I use Reverse Osmosis water so the tiny nozzle does not eventually get clogged up by tap water mineral deposits.
If you don't have an RO unit, I'd use distilled water.

 

[Dancing Fire]

[quote="kenny|1401169329|

For one diamond in a tension setting a normal tooth bush can reach everything so I don't use an US.
Sometimes I'll use our GemOro Steam cleaner for my SO's rock ... he lets it get pretty gross.
In that I use Reverse Osmosis water so the tiny nozzle does not eventually get clogged up by tap water mineral deposits.
If you don't have an RO unit, I'd use distilled water.[/quote]


I thought your SO's ACA was also on a tension setting?

 

[kenny]

My SO and I both have Octavias in the same Boonerings Sidegrooves tension settings.
I also have an ACA round in a platinum Gelin Abaci tension setting.

Actually the very thing that lets extra light into the Sidegrooves setting also makes it a bit harder to clean than the Gelin Abaci setting with the solid sides.

DF, since I believe you are considering a setting like one of mine I thought I'd post pics illustrating why the sidegroove setting is a tad harder to clean than a tension setting with a solid side.
Overall I still I strongly prefer the Sidegroove setting for the Octavia.

In the first pic you can see both settings are fully open and equally easy to clean with a toothbrush.
Round is on the bottom; Octavia is on top.



But in the side view below notice how the Sidegroove setting on the right requires a bit more fussing over to get clean compared to the typical tension setting with solid sides.
I can't apply as much scrubbing force to this side of the Octavia compared to the pavilion.
Instead of a strong back and forth motion you can only jab the brush in there.
Still, in the Sidegroove setting a diamond is a zillion times easier and quicker to get squeaky clean than in a prong setting.

 

[motownmama]

CRAZY cool pictures - Kenny!!!

 

[Lorelei]

CRAZY cool pictures - Kenny!!!

Most definitely and the Octavia is so swoon worthy....

 

[kenny]

Thanks.

 

[pbr]

Quick question,

Is it possible to do permanent damage to a diamond by not taking care of it?
Lets say you never clean a diamond for 4 or 5 years but then you clean it really good.
Will it look brand new or will it have taken irreversible damage?
Also how is easy is it to scar a diamond?
I guess thats two questions but yeah...

 

[orangesocks]

I also highly recommend cleaning them daily -- I'm a medical humanities professor/writer, and I'm always using my hands -- especially as I have a step cut. I second using a product that contains alcohol, and I'm a major fan of lens cleaning wipes such as those linked below.

http://www.walgreens.com/store/c/walgreens-lens-cleaning-wipes/ID=prod6191604-product

 

[kenny]

Quick question,

Is it possible to do permanent damage to a diamond by not taking care of it?
Lets say you never clean a diamond for 4 or 5 years but then you clean it really good.
Will it look brand new or will it have taken irreversible damage?
Also how is easy is it to scar a diamond?
I guess thats two questions but yeah...

Diamonds don't corrode or break down.
The only thing that can scratch them is another diamond.

So, no, letting a diamond stay dirty for years won't hurt it.

 

[Texas Leaguer]

I didn't make this technique up.
It came from NASA.
I learned it long ago working in aerospace manufacturing.
They had to get soldered electronic parts scrupulously clean of sticky stubborn flux.
They also used ultrasonic cleaners when the bristles of the brush could not reach into tiny crevices, voids, cracks, etc.
One of my tasks was training assemblers on soldering and cleaning and I had to inspect their work for proper cleaning using a $14,000 Zeiss Stereo Microscope.

My former advice was that fine jewelry should be taken to the jeweler for a professional cleaning at least once a year. Now I am going to advise everyone to send it to Kenny.

 

[kenny]

I didn't make this technique up.
It came from NASA.
I learned it long ago working in aerospace manufacturing.
They had to get soldered electronic parts scrupulously clean of sticky stubborn flux.
They also used ultrasonic cleaners when the bristles of the brush could not reach into tiny crevices, voids, cracks, etc.
One of my tasks was training assemblers on soldering and cleaning and I had to inspect their work for proper cleaning using a $14,000 Zeiss Stereo Microscope.

My former advice was that fine jewelry should be taken to the jeweler for a professional cleaning at least once a year. Now I am going to advise everyone to send it to Kenny.

Hehehe.
I'll tell em to all get tensions settings.

 

[Dancing Fire]

Thanks for the pics Kenny..

 

[Sunstorm]

Kenny may not mind getting daily gifts of diamonds.)

 

[Andelain]

Kenny may not mind getting daily gifts of diamonds.)

But will we ever see our diamonds again?

Except in Kenny's pics, that is.....

 

[Lorelei]

Kenny may not mind getting daily gifts of diamonds.)

But will we ever see our diamonds again?

Except in Kenny's pics, that is.....

 

[TC1987]

There's a commercial Formula 409 degreaser (very concentrated) that works great, too. It's so good that it makes burned-on coffee come right off the coffee pot, lol. Just a quick soak or possibly a soak plus a light scrubbing with a soft brush does wonders. It brightens the metal plus it takes the grease off the stones. Rinse well with clean water. If I have acetone, I end with an acetone rinse to chase away the water and prevent spots. But not everyone has a squirt bottle of acetone sitting on their sink.

Interesting thread. Thanks for the tips, everyone.

eta: Isopropanol -- I suspect that whatever they use to denature it is what leaves the oily film behind. If you could get pure ethanol, it should rinse pretty clean. But they denature with MEK and some other solvents that I could see being a bit oily.