Cleaning Diamond Jewelry: Simple Home Remedies

It doesn't take much to make your diamond rings dull. Body oils, soil, lotions and cooking grease can get deep into crevices and quickly take all the shimmer away.

Commercial products for cleaning diamond jewelry are available and range from just a few dollars to ultrasonic and steam system cleaning machines that cost upwards of $100.

You can clean your bling

Before you spend money on cleaning products, check out these easy to use methods to make diamonds and gold shine like new. All the things you need are probably right under your fingertips.

• Ammonia - A quarter cup of household ammonia in a cup of water will act as a gentle cleaning solution. Let your jewelry soak for about 20 minutes then allow it to soak in another bowl with a little hot water and dish detergent. After a quick soak, use a soft toothbrush to wash between the crevices. Rinse well in a third hot water bath and allow to air dry. An ammonia-based window cleaner will have the same effect. Simply place your jewelry in a small bowl and add enough cleaner to cover.
• Toothpaste - A little bit of toothpaste-not the gel type-and a soft toothbrush does an amazingly good job on jewelry. Keep the toothbrush moist as you scrub, and rinse well in a bowl of hot water. Use the toothbrush and hot water to make sure you remove all the paste, and dry your jewelry with a soft cloth.
• Aluminum foil - Even if you flunked chemistry, you can still use an aluminum foil technique to clean your jewelry with an ion exchange process. Simply line a small bowl with aluminum foil and fill with hot water. Mix about a tablespoon of bleach-free powdered laundry detergent and let it soak for a minute or two. Rinse well in hot water and allow to air dry.
• Vinegar - Soak your gems overnight in a half cup of white vinegar mixed with a couple of tablespoons of baking soda. Rinse well under cool water and dry well.
• Denture tablets - A foaming denture tablet in a cup of water makes an excellent jewelry cleaner. Simply allow the tablet to do its thing, and rinse well.

Before you shine, keep this in mind

• Anytime you scrub a ring or other jewelry, make sure that you inspect the prongs to make sure that the stones are set firmly. Sometimes scrubbing can loosen the prongs.
• Using hot water to rinse will help your jewelry dry faster.
• Even though diamonds are hard, they sometimes have coatings to make them shine. Scrubbing too hard or using harsh chemicals can remove that coating.
• It's important to always use bowls to soak and rinse your jewelry. You don't want your precious items to go down the drain.
• Most of these home-cleaning techniques can be harmful to pearls and opaque stones such as opal or turquoise. Use methods recommended for these types of gemstones.
• If your diamond ring also features other types of gemstones, use a cleaning method recommended for the softer stones.
• To protect yourself from hot water and chemicals, always wear rubber gloves when cleaning jewelry.