Cleaning Your Jewelry At Home

Before resuming with my Selling Your Jewelry Posts, I wanted to talk about something very important.

Over the years I’ve heard horror stories from clients on how they gave their jewelry to fine jewelry stores for cleaning, and when they got the cleaned jewels back they never really looked the same. The reason is likely because the stones were switched for lesser quality stones.  It happens ALL.  THE.  TIME.  So many stories.  Not every fine jewelry store does this, but I heard of even very fine, very “reputable” stores doing this.   This is my opinion and hearsay, but I have an easy, quick way to avoid this.  Clean your jewelry at home!

This is what I do at my own house and for my clients.

— Place your jewels to be cleaned on a towel in the kitchen or bathroom next to the sink.

— Plug the drain.

— Get a bowl and add ammonia and liquid soap, just a squirt or two.

— Mix the cleaning solution, then place the jewels in it.

— If your jewelry consists of solely metal and diamonds, let them sit for a few minutes.

— With a soft tooth brush start brushing the top sides and under belly of the jewels.

— Rinse with warm water and again lay on a towel.

— Use a blow dryer to dry the jewels.

The result are AMAZING.  Everything will look better than new.

For color stones, I don’t let them sit as long in the same solution.  For pearls, I use ivory soap and warm water. Let the pearls dry naturally — no blow dryer, as the heat can damage them. Take your time, as the drill holes need to dry as well as the string.

It’s that easy.

Moral of today’s story — NEVER TAKE YOUR JEWELS SOMEWHERE TO BE CLEANED.

Diamonds Type IIa and Golconda Diamonds

I get excited about this subject — Golconda and/or Type IIa diamonds. Most people and diamond dealers think that diamonds are diamonds, and that they are all the same. So not true! There is a diamond region in India called Golconda. The Golconda region was at the time the only source of diamonds from the 4th century BC until 1700 AD. The white diamonds that came from that region were some of the most beautiful diamonds in history. The diamonds are described as watery, limpid, whiter than white, Ice white. I could go on and on. Natural Color diamonds also came from that region. When you look into a Golconda diamond either white (or colorless ), pink, or blue, the look is like no other diamond. Ice clear. Stunning! You can see what I mean in the images above. Nowadays, Type IIa diamonds come from many other parts of the world and are rare. Just know that the diamond crystal from the Golconda region is chemically different from any other Type iia diamond crystal. This makes their stone extremely rare! Who doesn’t LOVE a Golconda Type IIa diamond?

Introducing The Diamond Expert

I  have been in the Diamond business for 36 years.

I LOVE what I do !  I find the best  diamond for my clients at the best price possible!

Since I started my business I have been obsessed with everything to do with diamonds — the Cut, Color, and Clarity.

One thing to know —  not all diamonds are the same, as most people think.

The diamond crystal is not the same. Diamonds come from all over the world and they all are made up of the same material, but they may have been created under different circumstances.   Think of it this way — a chocolate cake  is a chocolate cake, but all will look different and taste different, depending on who makes it.

Also, most people think that diamonds are indestructible which they are NOT!  You can chip, crack, break and even bruise a diamond. I know ! Who ever heard of bruising a diamond???? I bruise my leg as we all have done.  And so can you bruise a diamond.

These are just a few of the things I’d love to share with you.  With my blog, “The Diamond Expert,” I will try to walk everyone through the amazing and complex world of diamonds and share the rarity and wonderful qualities of each crystal.

On to the world of DIAMONDS and Blogging!

Gerald David Bauman, The Diamond Expert.