How to Increase a Diamond's Shine With Ammonia
If you clean your diamond jewelry pieces regularly, then you will probably find that warm soapy water is sufficient to keep them shining. However, if you let your diamond jewelry go without cleaning for multiple weeks or even months, you may need something a little stronger to get them sparkling at full volume again. If you do not have a strong jewelry cleaner and cleaning kit, then you can use a mixture of water and ammonia to brighten them up. The ammonia will clean away caked on grime that soap alone may not remove. If your jewels look a little rough, read on to learn how to increase a diamond's shine with ammonia. Does this Spark an idea?
Things You'll Need
- Tea strainer
- Ammonia
- Warm water
- Bowl
- Soft toothbrush, eyebrow or lip brush
- Lint -ree cloth
- Gloves
Instructions
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Create a half-and-half mixture of ammonia and water in the bowl. You do not need a lot of liquid unless your pieces of jewelry are very large. Make sure that there is enough cleaner to completely submerge the diamonds.
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Leave the jewelry in the ammonia for 30 minutes. Make sure that the diamonds are completely underwater. If you want, you can move them around occasionally by gently shaking the bowl to loosen the grime.
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Gently brush the jewelry with the soft toothbrush, eyebrow or lip brush. Focus on the areas around the prongs where dirt may hide and diminish a diamond's fire. Do not "saw" or scrub in a linear motion, but rather use a circular movement. If you have sensitive skin, you may need to wear gloves for this step as you will probably get the ammonia mixture on your hands.
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Rinse the jewelry off with warm water. You can do this without running the risk of losing your diamonds by placing the pieces in the tea strainer, then running warm water over them.
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Pat the jewelry dry with a lint-free cloth. This will prevent spotting. A cloth is generally better than a paper towel as the paper towel can shred and snag on the prongs of the settings.
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Tips & Warnings
Do not clean your jewelry with ammonia in an enclosed area, as the fumes can make you sick. Use a room ventilated by a fan or open a window.
- Photo Credit http://www.solarnavigator.net/films_movies_actors/actors_films_images/marilyn_monroe_diamonds_are_a_girls_best_friend.jpg, http://www.comparestoreprices.co.uk/images/sh/shavata-eyebrow-&-lash-grooming-brush-&-comb.jpg, http://www.diamond-jewelry-india.com/indian_diamond_jewelry/indian_diamond_jewelry/indian_diamond_jewelry-1.jpg
