Why is my diamond dull?
12th April 2016
The clean person with a soapy diamond
This ring above was a remake of an engagement ring purchased elsewhere that I did a few years ago. I took this photo when the ring was dropped back to me for cleaning prior to the wedding. This customer does a very good job of keeping her rings clean but her diamond is still cloudy. You will see this very clearly later.
There are a number of reasons why your gems might be dull but lets look at the most common one that I encounter at the one month checkup after I have made a ring. Almost every ring is the same after just a month of wear.
Rings do not have windscreen wipers
To state the obvious and to also get your attention, rings do not clean themselves and especially if you are a clean person every time you wash your hands some of that soap will stick to the back of the gem.
You can minimise this by making sure you flush the back and side of your rings with clean water.
WARNING: Do not take your rings off to do this when you wash your hands. You may drop them with soapy/slippery fingers. Leave them on and just tilt your hand and let the water run in the back and sides.
A bit more than soap.
Most people I find think something on the surface of their gem is what is making it cloudy. The truth is that life will carry away most things from the top surface of a gem but the same cannot be said for the back of the gem or inside of a ring.
It does not matter how clean a person you are if you cook, prepare food and or wash dishes with rings on. More than likely something from that process will be left on the back of your gem or inside a crevice in your ring. The same applies for bathing and a whole lot of other activities.
if you would like to see what comes out of most rings then please read the second half of this article.
Article: Rashes and Repairs
Is my diamond really that cloudy?
To save you having to scroll back to the top of the page the second photo in the gallery is before the back of the diamonds were cleaned so you can compare.
When people look at purchasing a gem from me they are usually searching for something a little or a lot better than jewellery chain standards. They often spend hours of deliberation over colour and clarity in the gem of their choice. It seems such a shame for those gems to often look so dull.
How do I keep my gems clean?
Avoid activities like cooking and bathing with your gems on. If you really must wear them during these activities then flushing the back and sides afterwards with clean water as I described before is a good first step.
After that periodically have your rings cleaned and checked by the person who made them. I only offer this service for rings I have made but I do it for free. All you need to do is book it in.