How to Care for Your Diamond Jewellery: A Complete Guide
Diamond is the hardest natural substance on earth, but that does not mean your jewellery requires no care. Hardness measures resistance to scratching — not resistance to impact, chemical exposure, or the slow accumulation of oils and residue that dims even the most brilliant diamond over time. Caring well for your diamond jewellery is simple and takes very little time, but the difference it makes is significant.
This guide covers everything: daily habits, at-home cleaning, what to avoid, storage, and professional maintenance.
Why Diamond Jewellery Gets Dull
Diamond is lipophilic — it attracts oils. Hand cream, sunscreen, cooking, and ordinary skin contact all deposit a film of grease on the stone's surface. This film does not damage the diamond, but it significantly reduces the amount of light that can enter and exit the stone, making a brilliant diamond look flat and dull.
This build-up is inevitable with daily wear. The solution is regular cleaning — which restores the diamond to its original brilliance completely and quickly.
At-Home Cleaning: The Right Method
The most effective at-home cleaning method requires nothing more than dish soap and warm water.
Mix a small amount of mild dish soap into a bowl of warm (not hot) water. Place the ring in the bowl and soak for five to ten minutes — this loosens the film of oil and residue. Then take a soft toothbrush — a baby toothbrush or a dedicated jewellery brush is ideal — and gently scrub the stone and the setting, paying particular attention to the underside of the stone and any areas where metal meets gemstone, where build-up concentrates most heavily. Rinse thoroughly under warm running water (hold the ring securely — not over an open drain). Pat dry with a lint-free cloth.
This process takes under five minutes and should be done at least once a week for a ring worn daily. Many clients do it every few days. The difference in brilliance between a cleaned and an uncleaned diamond is immediately obvious.
What to Avoid
Harsh Chemicals
Bleach, chlorine, and acetone can damage the alloys in gold and platinum settings, weakening them over time and affecting the metal's appearance. Remove your ring before using cleaning products, swimming in chlorinated water, or using nail polish remover. Toothpaste and baking soda are mildly abrasive and should not be used on jewellery — despite persistent myths to the contrary, they can scratch the metal surface over time.
Ultrasonic Cleaners at Home
Consumer ultrasonic cleaners vibrate at high frequency and can effectively clean some jewellery. The risk is that the vibration can loosen small stones in pavé settings or prongs that are already slightly worn. If your ring has a plain solitaire setting in good condition, an ultrasonic cleaner is generally safe. If it has pavé diamonds or any setting you are not certain is in perfect condition, have it checked by your jeweller before using an ultrasonic at home.
Physical Impact
Diamond is hard but not indestructible. A sharp impact at the right angle — particularly on the corner or point of a fancy-shape diamond — can chip the stone. Remove your ring for contact sports, heavy manual work, and any activity involving significant impact risk. This applies equally to natural and lab-grown diamonds.
Daily Habits That Help
Put your ring on after applying hand cream, sunscreen, perfume, and hairspray — not before. These products coat the stone immediately and accumulate faster when applied over the ring. Remove your ring before washing dishes, gardening, and working out. Store it in a consistent place when it is off your finger so it is never at risk of being lost.
In Singapore's climate, it is also worth knowing that heat and humidity do not affect diamonds or precious metals directly, but fingers swell slightly in heat, which is relevant for comfort and for removing rings when needed.
Storage
Store individual pieces of jewellery separately — diamonds can scratch other gemstones and softer metals. A jewellery box with separate compartments, or individual soft pouches, prevents contact between pieces. Do not store jewellery in a bathroom where humidity and product exposure are high.
Professional Maintenance: What to Do and When
Annual Prong Check
Prong tips wear down with daily use — a worn prong tip no longer holds the diamond securely, and prong failure is the most common cause of stone loss in engagement rings. A professional prong check takes a few minutes and catches this before it becomes a problem. We recommend an annual check as a minimum for any ring worn daily.
At Diamond Ateliers, we provide complimentary annual maintenance checks and professional cleaning for every ring we have made.
Professional Cleaning
A professional clean with an ultrasonic machine and steam achieves a level of cleanliness that is difficult to replicate at home, particularly for build-up in complex settings. Annual professional cleaning alongside the prong check is the most efficient use of a single appointment.
Replating White Gold
White gold rings are rhodium-plated to maintain their white colour. This plating wears off gradually with daily wear — typically within two to three years. When the yellow of the base gold alloy begins to show through, the ring should be replated. This is a routine service that restores the ring's colour completely. Platinum rings do not require replating.
Resizing
Fingers change size over time. If your ring no longer fits comfortably, resizing is a routine service for most ring styles. Most resizes are completed within a week.
Talk to Us
If your ring needs a professional clean, a prong check, or any maintenance, we are happy to help — whether we made the piece or not.
Visit us at 176 Orchard Rd, #03-05 The Centrepoint, Singapore 238843. Walk-ins are welcome for assessments; repairs and services are by arrangement.