How to clean diamonds

Key steps 

1. Check all the components of your jewellery first, to make sure they won’t be harmed by your chosen method.

2. Soak the piece in soapy water, vodka or bleach-free window cleaner.

3. Rub the diamonds gently with a soft-bristled toothbrush.

4. Rinse and air-dry.

Diamonds are famed for their sparkle, but without cleaning they can get dull and dusty. Luckily, there are some easy ways to get them bright and gleaming again! Here’s how to clean diamonds at home.

Some shops offer cleaning solutions specifically designed for certain types of gemstone and/or metal. A gold and diamond dip, for example, is a safe bet if you’re wondering how to clean diamonds set in gold jewellery.

How to clean diamonds: before you start

When you’re thinking about how to make diamonds sparkle, there are a few things to bear in mind:

• If the diamonds seem loose, it’s probably best to take the ring to a jeweller. They can clean it professionally and fix the settings for you.

• Work gently when you’re cleaning diamond jewellery. Diamonds are scratch-resistant, fortunately, but they can still be chipped or worked out of their settings.

• The tips in this article are specifically geared towards how to clean diamonds. They won’t necessarily apply to other gemstones and may cause damage to them. For example, softer stones may end up scratched if you try to clean them with a toothbrush.

• Don’t use bleach or anything else that contains chlorine to clean your diamonds.

• If you’re cleaning diamond jewellery, you should consider what the jewellery is made of. Getting the diamonds sparkling will be a hollow victory if you damage the ring in the process. Look up information on all the materials in the piece you’re cleaning: start off with our articles on how to clean gold and how to clean silver.

• If you’re washing or rinsing diamonds in a sink, make sure the plug is in place. You really don’t want to watch your diamond come loose from its fitting and sail merrily down the plughole.

How to clean a diamond ring at home (or other jewellery)

Wondering how to clean a diamond ring? We’d recommend the method below, which should also work if, for example, you’re wondering how to clean diamond earrings.

1. If the metal allows it, you can clean a diamond ring in soapy water.

2. Squeeze a small amount of washing-up liquid or shampoo into a glass. 

3. Add warm water; not lukewarm or boiling, but the lower end of hot. Mix it a bit if there aren’t any suds appearing.

4. Leave the ring to soak for half an hour.

5. Brush the diamonds gently with a soft toothbrush.

6. Rinse the ring in warm or cool (rather than cold) water.

7. Let the ring air-dry.

If your diamonds are clogged up with a lot of dirt, you could soak the ring in window cleaner or vodka for a few hours, then rinse. Again, check in advance that this won’t disagree with the rest of the ring. Pearls and certain other stones may be damaged by window cleaner or alcohol.

How to polish diamonds using vodka

If your diamonds are just looking a tiny bit dull and you don’t think your jewellery needs a full clean, you could just rub the diamonds gently with a soft cloth dipped in window cleaner or vodka, rather than taking the time to soak them. Again, be careful about getting these substances in contact with other stones.

Sometimes, a little attention is all you need to restore the sparkle to your jewellery. Now that you know how to clean diamonds, you should be able to get those stones looking beautiful again.