Cleaning and maintaining diamond jewellery is important; even a small coating of soap, hand-cream or dust on the back of your diamond can diminish the sparkle immensely. Also, diamonds have a magnetic affinity for grease. (In fact, without this, we mightn't be able to mine for diamonds - grease is often used in mining to extract diamonds from mud. The downside of this is that if you even touch a diamond, you can see your fingerprint left behind). So keeping it clean will enhance the sparkle and keep it looking wonderful.

The first choice is always to take the diamond back to the jewellery shop - they have equipment specially for cleaning jewellery. They will also be able to check the condition of the ring, make sure that the claws are in good condition, and that there are no problems.

However, if this is not an option, then the following is the best way to clean your jewellery at home;

• Put some warm soapy water into a bowl/basin (do not use the sink, as accidents happen!)
• Using a soft toothbrush, brush gently at the back of the stone, trying to remove all the dust. It is possible to damage the claws when doing this, so be very gentle. If in doubt, go to your jeweller!
• Rinse with warm water.

Now check that the diamond is totally clean - look at it from above. A clean diamond will sparkle evenly all over. However, sometimes there are more stubborn particles that will not be removed so easily! This will be obvious if there are brushmarks visible. These are the sections that we not quite removed. The best thing to do is repeat the same procedure.

Other methods, such as using alcohol or gin, will not work as effectively. It is best to start off gently; I have seen people who have brushed too hard and knocked out stones!

Only a jeweller can really clean platinum, as a polishing motor is needed. But it can be improved at home quite easily. To clean the platinum, use a soft cloth with some mild metal cleaner - Silvo works very well. Apply with a cotton bud, then rub off with the cloth. The metal will be shinier. If it's still scuffed, bring it to a jeweller.

To clean gold, follow the same procedure as for platinum. Gold shines much easier than platinum, cleaning at home should be adequate. Remember to clean the metal before the diamond, as otherwise silver polish will get onto the stone.

With other gemstones, it is best to ask for professional advice; some, such as emeralds and opals, must never be cleaned with any products, even soapy water.

More information on cleaningjewellery can be found here: How to Clean your Diamonds

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