How to Clean a Lab-Grown Diamond Ring Safely at Home

How to Clean a Lab-Grown Diamond Ring Safely at Home

Hand cream, cooking oil and the sunscreen you have just put on your child can all end up on your engagement ring. If it looks less sparkly than usual, a build-up of everyday residue may be the reason.

For a diamond ring in good condition, warm water, mild washing-up liquid and a soft brush are usually enough for a home clean. The important part is checking what else is in the ring and treating its setting gently.

Does a lab-grown diamond need different cleaning?

Lab-grown diamonds have essentially the same chemical and physical properties¹ as natural diamonds. Their origin does not call for a special cleaning product. What matters is the whole ring: its metal, any other gemstones and the condition of the settings that hold them.

Check the ring before reaching for a brush

Look beyond the centre stone when checking your ring. Lily Arkwright’s lab grown diamond rings include the Grace solitaire and Lively, which has small diamonds along its shoulders and beneath the centre stone. Designs like Lively have smaller settings to check too, not just the large diamond you notice first.

Check before cleaning. Loose stone, bent claw or a setting that catches on clothing.Pearls or other delicate gemstones in the ring.If any apply, stop and ask a jeweller before soaking or brushing. Do not try to tighten anything yourself.

How to clean your diamond ring, step by step

The National Association of Jewellers recommends warm water, a little washing-up liquid and a soft toothbrush for diamond cleaning². Follow any specific instructions your jeweller has given you.

Choose a clear space away from the sink, with a small bowl and a soft cloth underneath. Keep everything out of children’s reach. Choose a time when you can keep track of the ring throughout soaking, brushing and rinsing.

1. Soak gently. Add a few drops of mild washing-up liquid to warm water and let the ring soak to loosen residue. For a gold ring set only with diamonds, the NAJ’s gold-jewellery guidance suggests ten minutes. Avoid hot or boiling water.
2. Brush lightly. Use a new, soft toothbrush kept just for jewellery. Clean the accessible underside of the stone as well as the top, without pushing bristles into tight gaps or pulling at claws.
3. Rinse thoroughly. Use a second bowl of clean water to remove the soap. If you rinse at a sink, close the plug first.
4. Dry carefully. Pat with a soft, lint-free cloth and let any remaining moisture dry before putting the ring away. Avoid rubbing the setting with a towel that could catch.

Skip toothpaste and harsh cleaning shortcuts

A diamond may be hard, but the metal holding it is still vulnerable. Toothpaste and abrasive cleaners can scratch metals, while chlorine bleach can damage some alloys used in jewellery. Neither belongs in your ring-cleaning routine.

An ultrasonic cleaner is not an automatic upgrade either. GIA explains that ultrasonic cleaning³ can loosen stones and is unsuitable for some treated diamonds. Ask your jeweller whether your particular ring is suitable before using one at home.

How often should you clean a lab-grown diamond ring?

Clean as needed. For frequently worn diamond jewellery, GIA suggests cleaning once or twice a week can help control everyday build-up. Keep your brush and cloth together so you can do it without hunting for supplies, and follow any care instructions specific to your ring.

Take it off before applying hand cream or helping with sunscreen, then put it back on once your hands are clean and dry. Remove it for cooking, washing up and household cleaning too.

Choose one regular storage place: a soft-lined ring box in a drawer children cannot reach is more dependable than whichever windowsill is nearest. Keep the ring separate from other jewellery. If you are interrupted, put it in that box rather than wrapping it in a tissue that could be thrown away.

When should a jeweller clean your ring?

Book a professional check if dirt remains trapped after gentle cleaning, the ring still looks unusually dull, or you notice a change in the setting. Scrubbing harder will not repair a worn claw. Ask the jeweller how often your design should be inspected, especially if it has lots of small stones.

Once it is clean, take a moment to look underneath and around the setting so you know what it normally looks like. That makes it easier to notice a change next time, without having to become an expert in jewellery.

References:

• ¹ https://www.gia.edu/gia-news-research/difference-between-natural-laboratory-grown-diamonds
• ² https://www.naj.co.uk/advice/caring-for-jewellery
• ³ https://www.gia.edu/gia-news-research-secrets-keep-diamond-sparkling

Guest Article.