How to clean and care for diamond and gold jewellery

GIA, the Gemological Institute of America, says a diamond can be cleaned at home with lint-free cloths, commercial jewellery cleaning solutions and household detergents. Mild dish soap is the simplest of those, and this routine suits diamond rings, earrings, pendants and gold chains alike:

1. Fill a bowl, not the sink, with warm water and a few drops of mild dish soap. A bowl means a slipped ring cannot go down a drain, and a sink without drain protection is no place to clean jewellery.
2. Soak the piece for 15 to 30 minutes. GIA's own recipe for cleaning a gold ring uses the same 15 to 30 minutes.
3. Brush gently with a soft toothbrush. Work around the prongs, along the sides of the stone and underneath it, where dirt and oils collect.
4. Rinse in a second bowl of clean warm water, or under gentle running water with the drain closed.
5. Pat dry with a lint-free cloth. Avoid rubbing hard.

GIA's own home recipes add ammonia. This guide sticks to plain soap. Pieces with other gemstones, or with antique or delicate settings, need gentler handling, so ask a jeweller before using ammonia on them. Between washes, a wipe with a soft, lint-free cloth is enough. GIA also recommends periodic professional cleaning on top of what you do yourself.

Use warm water, not hot or cold. A diamond handles most chemicals well, but sudden, extreme temperature changes can cause thermal shock and fracture a stone. Do not drop a hot ring into ice water or the other way round.

Most damage comes from a short list of products and habits. The table sets out what to avoid and why, using GIA's guidance and, for silver, the Canadian Conservation Institute's.

The common thread is that a diamond is rarely what gives way. Diamond rates 10 on the Mohs scale, the top of the scale, and resists acids and most chemicals. The weak points are the metal that holds the stone and the prongs.

At home, no. GIA lists ultrasonic and steam cleaners among the methods to avoid domestically, because they can loosen gemstones in their settings. Jewellers examine each piece before using either machine, and that inspection is the safety step you cannot do yourself.

Some stones need extra care. Steam, acid or ultrasonic cleaning can damage the filling in fracture-filled diamonds, which is one of the diamond treatments. Pavé and halo pieces hold many small stones in thin metal, so there is more to loosen. A good rule is that an ultrasonic bath or a steam cleaner belongs in a jeweller's hands, after a look at every stone.

Soap and a soft brush already clear the dirt and oils that dull a stone, so steam adds risk for little gain at home.

Gold is soft in its pure form. Higher-karat gold such as 24K is the purest and softest, and mixing other metals into pure gold gives it durability and can change its colour. 18 carat is 75 per cent gold and 25 per cent other metals, and 14K gold and 18K gold are the common jewellery alloys. Read karat for how the scale works. Those other metals are what chlorine attacks, which is why the chlorine warning matters more for gold than for the diamond sitting in it.

Each metal ages differently. White gold is usually plated with rhodium for a whiter look and some scratch protection, and the plating wears. Platinum develops a patina, an antique-looking sheen, rather than tarnishing. Sterling silver does tarnish. Gold vs platinum compares them for rings; here is how each one is looked after.

White gold is usually plated with rhodium for a whiter look, a better shine and protection against scratching. The plating wears away over time, and as it does the ring may start to look warm in colour. Ask your jeweller whether they will replate the ring when needed. See rhodium plating for the short definition.

In practice that means a white gold ring does not stay exactly as it left the bench. Once the plating thins and the ring looks warmer, that is the cue to ask about a replate. White gold prongs should also be checked periodically, so you can ask whether both can be done in one visit. If you would rather avoid the upkeep, platinum has a bright white finish without plating, although some makers do plate it, and palladium does not tarnish. Platinum's patina is a different kind of change, and each metal asks for different habits.

Lab-grown diamonds do not. The physical properties of CVD lab-grown diamond fall well within the range for natural diamond in hardness, thermal conductivity and strength, so it is as hard and durable. A lab-grown diamond and a natural diamond can be washed, stored and inspected the same way. For help choosing between them, see lab-grown vs natural diamonds.

Moissanite is a different material, and GIA classes it as a diamond simulant. The GIA pages used for this guide give no care instructions for it, so follow the seller's advice for the particular stone and its setting.

This guide is about diamonds and gold. Softer stones such as pearls, opals and emeralds, and any stone that has been treated, may have limits of their own. Ask a jeweller before using a cleaning solution, a brush or any machine on a coloured stone.

Removing your ring before risky activities is a good way to protect the diamond. The usual risks are dishwashing, exercise, gardening, catching on clothing, accidental bangs and cold weather. The moments worth planning for are:

• Washing dishes and cleaning. Chemicals and drains are the two risks. Set the ring in a dish or in a small bag you zip shut.
• The pool or hot tub. Chlorine is a chemical to keep gold away from.
• Exercise and gardening. Both invite knocks and snags.
• Cold weather. Fingers shrink in the cold, so a ring that fits in the house can slide off outside.
• Anything with a risk of an accidental bang. A diamond is hard but not unbreakable. A diamond can break under enough impact, particularly along cleavage directions, and some inclusions near the girdle make chipping more likely.

A stone is not at risk only because it is a diamond. The metal around it, particularly the prongs, takes the day-to-day wear. A diamond can also damage the precious metals used for settings.

Keep each piece separate. Storing diamond-set pieces next to each other can cause chips, other damage and scratches. A second GIA article on wearing an engagement ring and wedding band recommends a soft pouch or a lined jewellery box with each piece kept separate to prevent scratches.

That has a consequence for stacked rings. A diamond can damage precious metals, so a diamond ring worn against a wedding band or an eternity band can mark the softer metal. If you stack, check the metal where the rings meet when you get the prongs inspected. How to stack rings covers the styling side.

Silver needs more thought. The Canadian Conservation Institute, whose note is written for museum collections, recommends wrapping silver in acid-free tissue and sealing it in polyethylene bags with activated charcoal or silica gel to absorb tarnishing gases and moisture. It also recommends clean cotton gloves for handling, since skin oils and salts can mark silver. Gold, platinum and palladium do not tarnish the way silver does (palladium does not tarnish, and platinum develops a patina instead), so they need separation and dryness.

GIA recommends having the prongs checked every six months for potential damage, or using a yearly wedding anniversary as a convenient reminder. Many insurers require regular check-ups, so ask your carrier what it needs. Six months suits a ring worn every day, and a yearly check is the longest interval GIA's guidance allows.

A jeweller will look at the prongs, the gap under the stone and the shank, and will tighten any loose prong, a routine task for a bench jeweller. See prong setting to understand what is being checked, and engagement ring settings for how solitaires, halos and bezels differ.

Between visits, watch for the stone moving when you gently push it, and for gaps between the diamond and the setting. If you see either, stop wearing the ring until it has been looked at. A pavé setting or halo setting has many small stones, so check the whole surface and not just the centre stone. A bezel setting holds the stone with a rim of metal instead of prongs, so inspect the rim for dents.

The same rules hold: soft soap, a soft brush, no chlorine, and separate storage. A few points are specific to pieces that move.

A Cuban link chain is made of interlocking links, and soap and a soft brush will clear the gaps between them. Rinse well so no soap stays between the links. Fasten the clasp before storing it so it does not tangle, and lay it flat. The Cuban link chain guide covers widths, lengths and clasps.

A tennis bracelet is a row of small stones, each held by its own setting, so it deserves the prong check described above. Check that the clasp and any safety catch close firmly every time you put it on. See the tennis bracelet guide for how they are built. Diamond earrings and pendants follow the ring routine, and posts and backs should be checked for wear along with the prongs.

Gold is a soft metal, so a band worn daily will pick up light scratches. Ask a jeweller about polishing rather than trying to avoid every mark. See the men's collection and the wedding band guide for metal choices that wear differently.

Cleaning at home covers dirt. It does not cover wear. Some jobs need a bench and the right tools:

• Tightening or replacing prongs. Tightening is a routine task for a bench jeweller; a badly worn prong may need rebuilding.
• Ultrasonic and steam cleaning, after the stones have been checked.
• Rhodium replating for white gold.
• Polishing out scratches in gold, or the patina on platinum.
• Resizing, which depends on the design of the ring. See the ring size guide.
• Appraisal for insurance. A jewellery appraisal records the piece so you can insure it.

When a piece is worn through, damaged or no longer fits your life, redesigning it can be better than repairing it. The custom jewellery design service and the design studio are where to start with Diamond Bros The showrooms page lists the locations if you would like to talk a piece through in person.

A routine you will actually follow beats a perfect one you skip, so the schedule below is short on purpose. Only the six-month prong check is a published recommendation (GIA's); the other intervals are practical suggestions, not rules. If you wear a piece daily, lean towards the shorter end of each range. If you wear it a few times a year, a wash before and after wearing and a yearly check are plenty. Whatever the rhythm, the order matters most: look at the setting first, wash second, and put the piece away dry and apart from others.