Your jewellery is truly a memory secured with intense emotions and love. Some purchased precious ornaments hold the sparkle of your proposal, while others carry the warmth of a gift from a special one, or it exudes simply the joy of everyday life. From your cherished gold engagement rings to the delicate daily wear earrings you never take off, each piece deserves to be cared for, so that it shines as brightly as the day you first got it.
But let’s be real. Over time, your stunning diamonds in the jewellery may lose their scintillation. Why? The daily attack of lotions, soaps, body oils, and even simple dust cling to the gold metal and the facets of diamonds, dulling their brilliance. These happenings not only stop your diamond finger ring from catching the light, but it also leads to trapping bacteria that accelerate gold tarnish.
That’s why cleaning them is essential! It gives hygiene and longevity to what you love and wear. It is a famous saying: Clean jewellery only shines, but well-maintained jewellery lasts for a lifetime.
Gemlay Jewels believes that caring for your pieces is just as important as choosing them. Hence, in this comprehensive guide, we’ll walk you through two essential approaches for the jewellery care: preventive zero-cleaning care and the actual cleaning methods, covering both safe home cleaning and essential professional cleaning.
Section 1: Zero-Cleaning Tips (The Art of Preventive Care)
The best way to maintain your precious, lovable diamond earrings or rings is by slowing down the process of them being dirty, in the first place. This reduces the toil to regularly cleaning them, or getting them professionally cleaned.
Making Good Habits a Lifestyle
Your precious gold and diamond ring goes through a lot. Most of the filth comes from common daily activities. Apply these easy habits to protect the spark of your diamonds and gold:
No two jewellery pieces should touch each other while storing: As you must have read in your school books that Diamond is one of the hardest substances on earth. Thereby, it can scratch other pieces easily. So, store them individually in the soft cloth pouches or lined compartment jewellery box. This protects other fine jewellery from any accidental abrasion.
- Remove jewellery while performing household chores: Household cleaners like floor cleaners and even the harsh nature of sweat affect both diamonds jewellery and the 22kt Gold Jewellery. This is truly noticed in your everyday-wearable pieces, like a diamond-on-gold wedding band or a neck gold pendant.
- Wipe down after each use: After wearing your daily wear earrings or your diamond finger ring, give them a quick 30-second gentle wipe with a soft before putting it back in pouches. This aids in removing the sticking skin oils and residue immediately.
- Avoid perfumes/lotions and cosmetics after wearing jewellery: Apply all your beauty products, let them settle down, and then put on your jewellery. These products have chemicals that leave a film on the diamond which drastically reduces its shine.
- Protect from moisture: High humidity can speed up gold discoloration. It can be prominently seen in 18Kt and 14Kt diamond jewellery ornaments. Placing small packets of silica gel (the kind that comes with shoes or in dog food bags) inside your jewellery box/pouch helps to absorb excessive moisture.
Section 2: Professional Cleaning Methods
Inculcating preventive habits is an awesome approach to maintain your diamond jewellery. Despite the proactive approach, some intricate designs of earrings or exotic pendants require professional attention. For instance, if you have a diamond store purchase with a complex setting, only a professional should handle the deep clean.
This is where Gemlay Jewels’ expert services come as saviour. Our technicians know exactly how to treat each and every jewellery piece. We assure that from a delicate diamond in rose gold to a hearty engagement wedding band; all kinds of jewellery can be cleaned satisfactorily by us.
2.1 Ultrasonic Cleaning
One of the most efficient professional jewellery cleaning techniques we offer at Gemlay Jewels.
- How it works: The process starts by submerging the jewellery in a dedicated liquid. Then using an electronic machine, sound waves (ultra-sonic) are passed into the special solution to act on jewellery grime. Eventually, one can see that waves created microscopic bubbles that pushed the dirt and grime out. The filth is eradicated from even the hardest-to-reach gaps of your ornament.
- Best for durable men gold rings, diamond rings, strong gold chains and sturdy stud earrings. It is highly effective for reviving the outlook of a diamond jewellery piece.
- Can it be harmful? Yes! This is because the waves are hazardous for these gems. It can loosen the stones and damage soft gems. Example: Pearls jewellery and necklaces with opals and sapphires.
2.2 Jewellery Vapor Cleaning
An expert uses a high-pressure vapour/steaming gun to fire on the dirt and filth trapped in gaps of jewellery. The heat and pressure remove the grime effectively. It is usually done after performing ultrasonic treatment.
- Best for: Ensures to have a blinding shine for diamond jewellery. Gen-Z online buyers who want to maintain that ‘new’ look usually ask Gemlay to perform this method of cleaning. It’s excellent for sterilizing and reaching tiny gaps.
- Caution: It uses extreme heat and pressure. At our gold store, it is done by a trained professional to prevent damage, especially to heat-sensitive enhancements like pearls.
2.3 Professional Polishing
Polishing is a process of restoration. It can’t be said as a cleaning technique.
- How it works: A jeweller uses specialised tools and compounds to gently remove a layer of metal. The process performs removal of fine scratches and gold tarnish that have built up over time. Consequently, restoring the original lustre of your gold engagement ring or a platinum diamond band ring.
- Use Rarely: This is because polishing physically removes a tiny layer of metal. Hence, we recommend doing it sparingly. Maybe in a few years to avoid thinning of metal from your precious pieces.
Dos & Don’ts of Professional Care
| Dos | Don’t |
| Do take your fine diamond on gold pieces to a skilled jeweller for inspection at least once a year. | Don’t perform professional polishing or ultrasonic cleaning at home without proper training. |
| Do share all details about your jewellery, like if it contains delicate stones which are sensitive to harsh chemical processes, with the jeweller. | Don’t assume that every piece of jewellery can be steam-cleaned. |
| Do utilise Gemlay Jewels’ expert advisory services to check your prongs for stability. | Don’t wait until a stone is visibly loose to get professional help. It can easily fall off. |
Section 3: Home Cleaning Methods (Step-by-step)
Using non-toxic, simple methods you already have provisions at your home to maintain the day-to-day shine of your diamond earrings for daily use and other best diamond jewellery.
The Gold & Diamond Safe Method: Soap & Warm Water
This is a gentle and most effective method for the majority of your durable pieces, such as gold rings, diamond rings, your engagement ring in gold, and most daily wear earrings.
- Preparation: Fill a glass bowl with warm (not hot) water and add a few drops of mild dishwashing liquid (the plain one, not lotion type).
- Submerge: Soak your gold and diamond pieces for 20 to 40 min in the magic solution. Wala! This softens and loosens the accumulated grime, ready to get cleaned.
- Brush: Gently scrub the piece using a soft bristled toothbrush (a dedicated, clean one – you should keep a separate one for jewellery only). Focus on the back of the diamond, where the light enters and dirt collects.
- Wash: Rinse thoroughly using clean and running water. Another Important Tip: Plug the drain first so your diamond finger ring doesn’t slide into the sewage!
- Dry: Pat dry with a lint-free cloth or a microfiber towel (easily available at gold jewellery shops). You can also let it air dry completely.
Quick Tips for Specific Pieces
| Piece Type | Cleaning Focus |
| Diamond Rings (Engagement, Wedding) | Focus on the backside, where the ring touches skin. That’s where most of the dirt accumulates. |
| Earrings (Daily Wear Earrings) | Pay attention to the poles of studs and the backings (screws). It is the part where accumulation wax and product residue occur. |
| Chains, Pendants, Mangalsutras | Soak longer (up to an hour) to let the soap penetrate the fine linking-gaps. A small squeeze bottle (like the one you get for making rangoli) can help rinse complex pendant jewellery. |
| Nose Pins | Use a needle dipped in the soapy water to clean tiny, intricate areas. Be careful that you don’t loosen up the prongs. |
| Bracelets & Bangles | Ensure all hinges of the bracelet are properly rinsed and dried. Even a slight moisture can get trapped and cause metal decolouration. |
| Gold Coins (24kt) | Old gold coins and fine gold (like 24 karat gold) should only be cleaned with the mild soap and water method. Please, never scrub it as pure gold is very soft and gold rates are very high these days. |
These are less used but turns out to be effective home cleaning methods
- Toothpaste as a cleaner: Use a tiny drop (equivalent to a pea) of plain white toothpaste to remove the oxidised film on the metal. We recommend it only on solid gold with caution. It should be avoided on diamonds and is never suitable for soft stones and pearls.
- Baking Soda + Vinegar Wash: Looking for an effective method to remove stubborn oxidisation on plain gold? Here it is! First make a paste of baking soda and water to perform the cleaning ritual. Apply it on your jewellery. Then follow up with a quick vinegar rinse. Lastly, wash with water. The process of follow up and rinsing must not be delayed.
- Ammonia Solution (CAUTION): A highly effective cleaner for pure gold and durable diamonds only. Simply, mix one part household ammonia with three parts of water. Soak for no more than 10–15 minutes, then rinse very thoroughly (VERY thoroughly).
- Bio enzyme: A natural way to clean solid gold and durable diamond earrings and rings. Dilute one part orange or any citrus homemade bio enzyme in five parts of water. It is time to give a bath to the jewellery in it for 10-15 minutes. After that, using a soft toothbrush clean the pieces and wash them thoroughly with clean water. The acidity of bio enzymes works like magic here.
What NOT to Clean at Home?
Some gems and materials are simply too fragile or porous for even home chemicals:
- Pearls and other stones: Emeralds and pearls are either soft or porous. Surely, chemical cleaners or abrasive scrubbing damage the surface of these delicate natural gems. It results in either cracks in them, or leaves a cloudy appearance.
- Meenakari or Enamel Jewellery: The enamel easily gets dissolved by harsh chemicals.
- Antique Jewellery: Age affects even jewellery! Old settings are fragile and weak. That is why always consult with a professional, like those at the Gemlay Jewels jewellery shop, before attempting any cleaning.
Section 4: Quick Comparison Table
| Method | Best For | Avoid For | Difficulty | Safety |
| Soap & Warm Water | Diamond rings, gold jewellery shop purchases, robust gold and diamonds. | Porous or glued stones. | ✅Easy | Very High |
| Ultrasonic | High-end best diamond jewellery, intricate settings. | Pearls earrings, opal studded necklaces and also emeralds, antique gold. | ⚠️Low | High |
| Jewellery Vapour Cleaning | Maximizing diamond sparkle and shine. | Heat-sensitive gems, fragile settings. | ✅Low | High |
| Baking Soda Paste | Removing stubborn gold tarnish on plain engagement wedding bands. | Diamonds. Also, all soft or porous stones. | ⚠️Medium | Medium |
Section 5: Why Choose Gemlay Jewels for Your Jewellery Care
The journey of selecting a perfect piece for yourself, or someone special is an act of pure affection and care. This journey is made smooth while riding on a wagon of trust. Gemlay jewels is that wagon!
At Gemlay Jewels, we don’t just sell; we care. For that, we offer a comprehensive support system that goes beyond the point of purchase.
The Gemlay Jewels Promise of Quality and Care
- Authentic, Hallmarked Gold: All our products are BIS hallmarked gold. It duly ensures the purity and value of your investment.
- IGI/SGL Certified Gems: We use IGI/SGL-certified diamonds and other gems for manufacturing jewellery. Hence, guaranteed assurance!
- Expert Cleaning Support: Our technicians are the experts in gold cleaner methods and can revitalize your pieces with the utmost care. Ultrasonic Cleaning & Polishing are our skills.
- Care Guarantee & Luxury Experience: When you buy jewellery online or visit our diamond store, you gain a trusted partner for life. Moreover, Our JSP (10+1 month) scheme offers an easy buying experience with a heavy discount.
It is very understandable that you will always look for jewellery that is not just not good in looks but even a good investment. Additionally, you would be happy to buy from a trusted jeweller who offers a maintenance facility. We assure that Gemlay Jewels is your trusted online and offline jewellery store where you have an amazing sparkling experience.
Why are you still waiting? Visit Gemlay Jewels today!