Important Tips to Keep Your Rings Clean and Sparkling

There is nothing that makes us cringe more than when a client walks in with their once beautiful engagement ring that has lost its luster and no longer shines.  The reason for this is dirt and the solution is just as easy.  Diamonds love dust, fingerprints, dirt and water and by nature have properties that make them sticky and prone to attracting surface grime. These rare gems can get dirty rather quickly and if not cared for properly can have a very negative impact on your once special ring.  When a diamond ring is contaminated it loses it sparkle/brilliance because it becomes clouded with debris and light that was freely traveling in and out of the diamond to create its sparkle, is now inhibited.  After a while without cleaning, your center diamond can appear as if it is low quality because of dirt buildup.  Keep in mind this does not actually change the quality of the stone; the cut, color and clarity is inherent in the diamond and any surface buildup just changes the appearance temporarily. Most of the dirt builds up on the surface of the stone, but more detrimental and unbeknownst to the wearer, is on the underside of the ring. Here are a few tips to keeping you rings shining like the first day you go it:

-Do not shower with your ring, apply lotions, or wash hands frequently. Creams and soaps will create a film on your diamond and hard water can also leave water spots on the diamond from frequent washing. This also goes for applying makeup with your fingers while your ring is on, cooking, etc... since all of these activities can cause

-Do not engage in physical activities like going to the gym with your ring on.  Not only will it get

-Touch the ring as minimally as possible. Our hands have natural oils in them and carry dirt that diamonds are attracted to. When you touch the ring often it will leave a build up on the surface.  If you do need to take it on and off hold it gently from the band area as to not leave any fingerprints on top of the center-stone.

Since it is very difficult to keep your ring clean at all times, cleaning at home is very simple! Here are some ways to clean your ring and make it look brand new at home:

-Jewelry cleaning solution is easy to obtain online. It does not have to be a fancy brand. Let the ring soak in the solution for about 2-3 minutes. Leaving it in longer can hurt the metal and may eat away at it with frequent use. After letting it soak, Gently brush the underside of the ring with a very soft brush or toothbrush. Make sure it clean well beneath the stone because there is a lot of build up there. Carefully brush the top of the ring along with the sides as well. Pat it dry with a microfiber cloth and you are good to go! If you have a coffee maker that creates steam you can also leave the ring near the steam to loosen the dirt further.

-If you don't have jewelery cleaner and are in a pinch, just boil some water and add a bit of liquid dish soap. Let your ring sit in the solution for a few moments and brush as described above.  Scrub gently as you do not want to jar any stones loose in the process

At Lauren B we know how important it is for our client's ring to sparkle and look clean at all times. This is why with every purchase we do offer complimentary cleanings so feel free to stop by at any time!