How to Clean an Irradiated Diamond

Irradiated diamonds need special care.

Usually, diamond treatments are cosmetic and intended to mask or remove flaws, brighten facets and even make the diamond appear larger or have a deeper color in the case of fancy colored diamonds. When the treatments involve heat, the treated diamonds are called irradiated diamonds. These diamonds are virtually indistinguishable from natural diamonds, and sometimes even jewelers have trouble making a distinction. However, the heat treatments can cause your diamond to respond differently to chemicals used to clean jewelry, so you must be very careful to determine if and how you can clean your stone if you own an irradiated diamond.

Things You'll Need

• Soft lint-free cloth
• Soft brush

Instructions

1. Clean your irradiated diamond with a mild soap detergent or jeweler-approved cleaner. Generally you can clean a diamond effectively with a mild soap and water mixture of 5 parts water and 1 part soap. Other people prefer to simply use warm water to avoid running any risks. Before using drugstore brands of jewelry cleaner, check with your jeweler.

2. Consider an ultrasonic cleaner. These electric cleaners are popular in jewelry stores and remove dirt from diamonds with tiny, sound-generated bubbles. They can be a good solution for cleaning an irradiated diamond because they do not require any kind of physical contact with the stone.

3. Avoid bleach, turpentine, ammonia and acetone. These chemicals are common in household cleaners, and some people even use them to clean their diamonds. While no one should expose their diamond--natural or otherwise--to bleach, some of these other chemicals may be fine for natural stones but can diminish the sparkle of an irradiated stone permanently. If you have a colored diamond, it has almost certainly been treated at some time, so never expose a colored diamond to any household cleaners for any reason.

4. Use gentle circles rather than a sawing motion when you scrub. Rubbing the soft brush over the diamond with a light, circling motion will help remove dirt gently from around the prongs of the setting without endangering the coating on your diamond with repetitive scraping motions. Even a soft brush will wear away at the surface of your stone over time, so do not use too much pressure.

5. Dry the jewelry with a lint-free cloth. Never use a scratchy cloth on jewelry, as even if the cloth does not harm the diamond it will probably damage the setting. A soft, lint-free cloth is best for drying jewelry when you are done cleaning it.

6. Avoid toothpaste or any other abrasive cleaner. Irradiated stones are often coated with a special covering that makes them appear to absorb light from around them and almost glow. This chemical coating will wear away over time, making your diamond appear to sparkle less than it used to. Some people use toothpaste on natural diamonds because they think it helps work off caked grime. However, using abrasive cleaners on a treated diamond will just scrape off the coating that makes it appear so brilliant.

7. Clean no more than once a month at home. If you have a treated stone, it is best to take it into a jeweler to have it cleaned in a special machine rather than to persistently attack it at home. Most jewelers will clean your jewelry for free in hopes that you will see something you like as you wait. If you alternate cleaning the stone every two weeks at home and every two weeks at a store, your diamond should stay shiny enough for even the toughest critic.

8. Take the diamond to your jeweler for regular inspections. If you are concerned that your diamond may be losing its sparkle, take it to the jeweler. They may be able to re-treat the stone or even recommend a different method of cleaning your stone that will prolong the life of your jewels.

Tips & Warnings

• If you have an irradiated diamond that needs repair, notify your jeweler before repair since high heat used in mending can cloud or muddy an irradiated stone.