How to Clean Diamond Earrings

Diamond earrings have to be cleaned often, to keep their brilliance and shine. They tend to pick up the dirt in the air, or in your hands when you handle them. Cleaning them is not difficult and can be done at any jewelers or at home.

STEP

1. In a small Tupperware dish, or small cereal bowl, fill 2 parts water and microwave on high for about one minute (almost to a boil).
2. Add 2 parts ammonia, or household glass cleaner to the heated water. This is your diamond cleaning solution.
3. Gently place the diamond into cleaning solution for approximately 1.5 minutes, or until water has cooled to the touch.
4. Carefully remove from the solution.Lift it by the post and not the diamond itself. For added cleaning, use a toothbrush to gently wipe away lotion, hair gel, or hair spray buildup on the lower side of the diamond.
5. After removing from cleaning solution, lay the earrings on a dry paper towel and let sit for at least five minutes. Diamonds are the hardest substance on earth and they will air dry just beautifully. The ammonia - or glass cleaner helps this process and yields a beautiful, "brand-new" look for your diamond stud earrings.

TIPS

• Never touch diamonds, diamond stud earrings, or gemstones with your fingers. Diamonds have a natural affinity for grease and oil, primarily due to their hardness. Although this cleaning process is very simple, consult with professionals on the subject of ongoing inspection of your diamond stud earrings.
• Use this same method to clean any diamonds you might own, whether they are rings or pendents.
• Buy special diamond solutions at any jewelery store and dip the diamonds into the solution Follow the directions on the bottle.

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Repair Silver Jewelry

When buying a piece of sterling silver jewelry, it is so beautiful and shines. In time, that necklace loses its luster, and eventually tarnishes and becomes black. You can however clean it and restore its luster.

STEP

1. Polish sterling silver by rubbing or buffing it regularly with a soft cotton cloth.
2. Consider using a chemically treated cloth that you can buy anyplace that Sterling silver jewelry is sold as it makes the job easier.
3. Understand that while sterling silver dips are fast and easy, many dips will remove the color from many gemstones that adorn the article. Also, if you leave the piece in too long, or fail to rinse it well, residues will remain when it dries. If you do use a dip, dip it in and out very fast and rinse it immediately in clean water followed by an immediate buffing to bring out the shine.
4. Repair a broken clasp by purchasing a replacement clasp. Clasps can be bought online or at a local craft supply store. Make sure you buy the same style and color as the broken one. If you have never been happy with that particular clasp, then buy an upgraded clasp that you would find easier to use.
5. Check the chain to notice how the links were put together. You will need to know this, so that you can assemble the chain after you repair it.
6. Place the chain on a ceramic soldering board and use tweezers to put the two ends back together and squeeze the links until they are closed. Using your tweezers fit the two ends of the chain back together. Then squeeze the links closed.

TIPS

• Put on any hair spray or perfume prior to putting on any jewelery.
• If the clasp is soldered on, you might need to bring it to the jewelers to repair.

1. when closing an open link or opening a closed link use two pairs of pliers and a twisting action

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