How To Clean Your Engagement Ring at Home

Not only is your engagement ring probably one of the most expensive pieces of jewelry you’ve ever owned, but it also holds a lot of sentimental value, so you’ll want to know how to take care of that precious bauble.

Most jewelry is relatively easy to maintain as long as you know what you’re doing—which is where we come in. Our guide will take the guesswork out of how to clean a diamond ring.

Each engagement ring is unique, with many different stones, metals, and settings. It’s important to know what care your ring requires before you begin the cleaning process. But regardless of the method used, the best way to clean a diamond ring thoroughly is to be gentle and patient during the cleaning process.

How Often to Clean Your Ring

Everyday habits can quickly take that brilliant sparkle off of your diamond ring. Shampoo, hairspray, hand lotions, hand soaps, and cooking oils can leave a cloudy sheen across your diamond and your band. Try to clean your ring weekly to keep it looking its best.

Tips From Your Jeweler

Bring your ring to a jeweler for a professional deep clean twice a year. If you have an active lifestyle or like to get your hands dirty, have your ring professionally cleaned more often.

How to Clean a Diamond Ring: All Metal Types (Platinum, Silver, White Gold, and Gold)

Use Soap and Water. The best way to clean a diamond ring, no matter your ring’s setting and/or metal type, is plain soap and water. To make the solution, get a small bowl and add hot water and essential dishwashing soap. Soak your ring for about 20 to 40 minutes, depending on how dirty it is. If you need to remove a substance such as hairspray, lotion, makeup, or perfume, use a very soft toothbrush to remove any residue.

Rinse the ring under warm running water and repeat if necessary. Using chlorine or other harsh chemicals, even some certified jewelry cleaners, can damage the engagement ring. It’s important to rinse your ring thoroughly after cleaning to remove any soap residue.

Use a non-abrasive and chemical-free solution. Do your research when purchasing a jewelry cleaner/polisher. If there are any chemicals in the solution, your diamond ring can become discolored or lose its durability. Sparkle Bright is a highly rated jewelry cleaner that can polish and restore rings of any metal type.

How to Clean a Diamond Ring: Silver and Gold

Use a Windex and hydrogen peroxide solution. Use a small bowl and prepare a 50/50 solution of Windex and hydrogen peroxide. Soak your diamond ring for about 10–15 minutes. The Windex will remove the day-to-day dirt build-up, and the hydrogen peroxide will kill any bacteria on the ring. After soaking your engagement ring in the solution, gently scrub your ring with a soft toothbrush to remove residue. Rinse with lukewarm water and dry.

Diamond Ring: Silver

Use Vinegar. Pour 1/2 cup white vinegar and two tablespoons of baking soda into a shallow bowl. Mix the solution so that the baking soda is completely dissolved. Soak your diamond ring in the solution for two to three hours. Then rinse your ring under cold water and dry thoroughly with a soft cloth.

Use Ketchup. Yes, you read that correctly. If you have a tarnished silver ring, ketchup could be your solution to getting the shine back. Dunk your band into a small bowl of ketchup for a few minutes. Use a soft toothbrush to work ketchup into the crevices, rinse the ring with lukewarm water, and dry. Be sure not to leave the ketchup on your band for more than a few minutes.

How to Clean a Diamond Ring: Solid Gold

Use Beer. If your solid gold ring is losing its luster, try pouring a little bit of beer onto a soft cloth and rubbing it gently over the band. Do not rub the beer on your gemstones or diamond, and be sure to avoid dark ale beer. After you’ve rubbed the beer onto the band, use a second cloth or towel to dry.

What to Avoid When Cleaning Your Ring

Avoid the use of harsh cleaning chemicals and scrubbing your ring. Chemicals like bleach, chlorine, and acetone can break down the metal in your band. Use only the softest of brushes on your diamond. Hard-bristled toothbrushes and scrub pads may scratch your diamond, marring its beautiful sparkle and lowering its values. Likewise, abrasive cleaners, like baking soda, powdered cleaners, or even toothpaste can damage your band. Gold bands, in particular, scratch very easily.

Take care when choosing specialized jewelry cleaners. Be sure to select a cleaner without chemicals or abrasive components. Even certain chemicals that won’t harm your ring could discolor your diamond.

Caring for Your Diamond Ring

To avoid damage to your ring or cause it to age prematurely, do not use thick lotions, and creams can result in residue build-up on your ring. This can make your ring look and feel dirty and cause it to become discolored—especially if your band is made of white gold or platinum.

Remember that your ring is a fragile object. You must handle it with care. Otherwise, it could chip the band or loosen the setting. Remember to take off your ring and put it in a safe place if you will engage in any intensive labor or activity.

Stay up-to-date on your maintenance appointments, especially If you have a warranty. When you have your ring professionally cleaned and maintained, your jeweler can prevent any stones from falling out and resolve any chip or crack issues.

Avoid wearing your ring while cooking. Food and other oils can get stuck in or discolor your ring. Depending on the setting of your stone, food may be almost impossible to remove from the ring.

If you’re ever questioning whether or not a solution or treatment is safe for cleaning your ring, contact us.

At Patronik, we are always available to expertly clean, polish, maintain, and repair your jewelry with state-of-the-art technology and the utmost care.

How To Clean Silver Jewelry

Do you have old silver jewelry that looks faded, old and tarnished? Here are 9 cleaning recipes to try at home so you can rejuvenate your old favorites.

Aluminum Foil and Baking Soda

Discovered by a University of Wisconsin study, this first tip is a good one. You can watch a video for detailed instructions. Here is the recipe:

1. Line the bowl with aluminum foil.
2. Fill the aluminum-lined bowl with boiling water and baking soda.
3. One tablespoon of baking soda per one cup of water.
4. Add the piece of silver to the water-baking soda solution, making sure it’s touching the aluminum foil to ensure the chemical reaction occurs.
5. Let it sit for 2 to 10 minutes.
6. Adjust the length depending on how tarnished the piece is.
7. Remove the piece(s) of silver from the solution and buff it with a soft, dry microfiber cloth.

Dish Soap and Water

Recipe:

1. Mix up a bit of dish soap with warm water and dip in a microfiber cloth.
2. Rub the piece of silver – whether it’s jewelry or silverware – with the soapy cloth.
3. Rinse it with cold water.
4. Dry with a soft, clean towel.
5. Buffing with a soft cloth specially made for silver.
6. Never put your silver in the dishwasher.

Laundry Detergent

Recipe:

1. Line the bowl with aluminum foil.
2. Fill the aluminum-lined bowl with boiling water and laundry detergent; you should use one tablespoon of powdered laundry detergent. Make sure the detergent has dissolved.
3. Add the piece of silver to the water-baking soda solution, making sure it’s touching the aluminum foil (this ensures the chemical reaction happens).
4. Let it sit from one to two minutes.
5. Remove the piece(s) of silver from the solution and let it air dry.

Silver Polish

There are lots of products in the market. Try to find a high-quality product that cleans, polishes, and protects your special jewelry and antique pieces straight out of the bottle. This method requires some effort. Always follow the manufacturer’s instructions carefully and don’t assume anything.

Corn Starch

Yes, corn starch! Here’s the recipe:

1. Combine 3-parts water and 1-part cornstarch to create a paste.
2. Using a damp cloth, apply the paste to the tarnished parts of the silver.
3. Let the paste dry, in its applied areas, on the silver.
4. Use a more abrasive cloth and rub off the dry area.

Hand Sanitizer

Since there’s so much of the stuff around, why not? Simply squeeze a few drops on a dry cloth and begin to polish the silver. Buff the silver after a gentle polish to help rub the tarnish away quicker.

Lemon-Lime Soda

Another strange one. But soda is known to remove tarnish and rusting pretty quickly. Just soak your piece in a bowl of lemon-lime soda for at least one hour.

Ammonia

Use ammonia to clean your flatware or other silver pieces to brighten its luster.

Recipe:

1. Combine 1 cup of warm water and 1/2 cup of clear ammonia in a bowl.
2. Soak your silver for 10 minutes.
3. Remove the silver from the homemade solution and gently dry it clean.

If you don’t have ammonia, window cleaner typically has ammonia in it. Spray the cleaning agent on a non-abrasive, dry cloth then use it to buff your sterling silver.

Vinegar

This is a nice quick fix:

Recipe:

1. Mix 1/2 cup of white vinegar with 2 tablespoons of baking soda in a bowl of lukewarm water.
2. Let the silver soak for two to three hours.
3. Rinse with cold water and let it air dry.

It’s time to bring those old pieces out of the closet and flaunt the shine!

March Birthstone: Aquamarine

March has two birthstones, Aquamarine and Bloodstone. Both are beautiful and mysterious. Many consider both to protect the wearer’s well-being.

Aquamarine is a type of Beryl, a rare silicate mineral found in igneous and metamorphic rocks worldwide. You can find Beryl in a variety of colors, each with a different name.

Beryl colors by name:

💚Emerald (green)

❤️Red Beryl (red)

💛Heliodor (yellow)

🧡Morganite (pink to orange)

💙Maxixe (dark blue)

💚Green Beryl (light green)

🤍Goshenite (colorless)

The aquamarine birthstone evokes the colors of the sea. From deep green-blue to light, slightly greenish blue hues, faceted aquamarines are often free from inclusions and as clear as water, symbolizing the purity of spirit and soul.

Aquamarine Meaning & History 

Aquamarine’s name derives from the Latin word for ‘seawater.’ Ancient mariners claimed the gem would calm waves and keep them safe. It also commemorates the 19th wedding anniversary and was also thought to bring happiness in marriage. Beryl gave the wearer protection against enemies in battle and court, according to legend! Beryl also was believed to make the wearer unconquerable and amiable.

The long history of aquamarine begins with ancient Greeks and Romans. They spoke of its beauty and attributed its existence to their gods.

Currently, aquamarine and diamond rings are trendy stones for symbolizing engagement.

The government of Brazil gave First Lady Eleanor Roosevelt a dark blue rectangular step cut aquamarine that weighed 1,298 carats (ct) in 1936. You can see the ring on display at the Franklin D. Roosevelt Presidential Library and Museum in Hyde Park, New York.

The Smithsonian displays the 10,363 ct (about 4.6 pounds) Dom Pedro Aquamarine, which may be the largest faceted aquamarine in the world. The high obelisk was the work of German lapidary Berndt Munsteiner utilizing the fantasy cut technique.

More recently, Prince Harry gave his mother’s aquamarine to Meghan Markle, continuing a tradition.

The most famous contemporary example is the parure worn by Queen Elizabeth II, which the Brazilian government gave for her coronation. Later she had other pieces designed to accompany it, including her famous tiara.

Care & Cleaning

Aquamarine is rated 7.5–8 on the Mohs scale of hardness (diamond = 10) and is durable and appropriate for everyday wear. Care is simple — use warm water, mild dish soap, and a toothbrush to scrub behind the birthstone where dirt collects. Ultrasonic cleaners and steam cleaning are usually safe options if there are no fractures or liquid inclusions in the gem.