When a diamond ring is first purchased, the beauty and brilliance is enough to radiate throughout an entire room. After a while, that beauty and elegance begins to fade because the ring gets dirty. Simply put, life gets in the way and takes the diamond ring with it. Daily things such as dirt, grime, lotion, or hair product have a way of getting on a diamond ring and leaving a sort of murky film. If you have ever experienced this, then you know that having a dirty ring is simply no fun. There are certain strategies for cleaning a diamond ring that will help prolong its beauty.

The most important thing to remember when cleaning a diamond is that you want to use extreme care. Diamonds are the hardest gem on earth, but they are often coated with softer material that can be damaged by some cleaning agents. Since you can never really be sure about what things were applied to the ring before its setting, it’s extremely important to be as careful as possible when cleaning and caring for the diamond ring.

For simple cleaning, some household cleaning products will be necessary. It’s a good idea to soak a dirty ring in a mixture of warm water and liquid dish detergent or something similar to that. While under the water, the ring should begin to see some of its customary shine return as you softly scrub the ring with a soft brush. Be careful which brush you choose, though, as a brush with rough bristles can scratch and damage the ring’s exterior.

When cleaning a diamond ring over a sink, remember to put the plug in the bottom of the sink. We have all seen the movies where unsuspecting folks lose their diamond ring down the sink and the plumbers have to come retrieve it. Unless you want this to be you, make sure to close down the sink. When water and soap mix, things can get a little bit messy and the ring could easily slip out of your hands.

Other than cleaning, there are ways to keep a diamond ring in good shape. Most of these things are obvious, but their importance can never be overstated. Depending on what shape diamond is in the ring, it’s important not to get near any very hard surfaces. Diamond shapes like the princess cut are often known to get chipped if the ragged sides hit a very hard surface. It can be extremely costly to fix a chipped diamond, so making sure this doesn’t happen is of the utmost importance.

If your diamond ring has many small stones, it’s always a good idea to take the ring to your local jeweler periodically to have the prongs and setting checked. Over time, the setting will naturally become weaker and it’s smart to strengthen this setting before a loose stone becomes a lost stone. While it might cost a little bit to have this done every few months, it will save you money in the long run as stones will stay in place.