We Love Diamonds natural diamond jewellery is cherished by our customers for its timeless beauty, brilliance, and significance in personal milestones. For all our discerning clients who want luxury diamond jewellery at wholesale, way below market value then we’re the go-to choice for engagement rings, wedding bands and other special diamond jewellery pieces including diamond necklaces and pendants, diamond bracelets and bangles, diamond earrings and much more. However, to maintain their sparkle and durability, all our luxury diamond jewellery requires proper care, particularly when paired with the various solid precious metals that we use. Whether your diamonds are set in white gold, yellow gold, rose gold or platinum, our comprehensive and authoritative guide to caring for your diamond jewellery will help you protect your treasured items and arm you with the professional tips and step-by-step advice you need to maintain your diamond jewellery appropriately and ensure that it lasts for generations. In this blog guide we provide you with:
A general guide to caring for your actual diamonds, whatever their setting and design, to keep them safe, shiny and bright
Tips and advice on exactly how to clean and protect your diamond jewellery and how to not damage your items
Detailed information on how to look after different precious metals including white gold, yellow gold, rose gold and platinum
Additional step-by-step tips for your diamond jewellery care
Our famed saying of “without you, they’re just diamonds” definitely applies in this important area…
Our Diamond Jewellery Care Guide
Before we deep-dive into the specifics of caring for your luxury diamond jewellery based on the type of metal you have purchased with your diamonds, let's start with general diamond care tips:
Carefully & Regularly Examine Your Diamond Jewellery
Before cleaning any piece of We Love Diamonds jewellery, you should examine it carefully to make sure that any claws are still firm and that the diamonds integrity is in place i.e. that none of the stones are loose or moving in their setting, especially if worn regularly. Our expert, practical advice in this area includes:
Certain diamond settings require more attention than others and should therefore be inspected by you more regularly than other settings. This is to ensure that no metal has shifted or weakened and that the stones have not loosened. There are many different diamond settings (and we often mix settings on any given piece) but we'll just focus on the most popular settings that we know require special attention:
Channel set diamonds, like the 0.56 carat GVS1 channel set half eternity ring set on 18 carat white gold above (and available in our shop here) are where a series of our GIA graded natural diamonds are placed side-by-side in a metal channel or groove to secure them between two parallel precious metal walls without the use of prongs. This creates a sleek and continuous line of diamonds. We recommend that jewellery with this setting is examined regularly by you to ensure that no metal has shifted or weakened and loosened any of the stones.
Pavé set diamonds come from the French word for "paved". This reflects how the diamonds are characterised by a paved, luxurious surface of diamonds that are all closely set together to create a continuous sparkle like you can see in our beautiful 4.00 carat pavé diamond cuff earrings set on 18 carat white gold above and in our shop here. This is typically done using tiny beads of metal to hold them in place and allow for minimal visibility of the setting itself. While pavé settings are stunning and glamorous, they can be less durable compared to other settings due to the small stones being more exposed. Regular checks and maintenance are recommended therefore to ensure that your diamonds remain securely set at all times.
Prong set diamonds are a very popular setting, especially for engagement rings. In this setting, the diamond is held in place by metal prongs which extend up from the ring's band to secure the stone and allow for maximum light exposure. Prong settings typically use four or six prongs - like the 6 prong set, 3.88 carat marquise cut diamond engagement ring set on 18 carat white gold above and in our shop here. The integrity of prong set diamonds is rarely an issue and this is especially so with double prongs or V-shaped prongs which usually offer more coverage and support around the diamond as do pieces with six prongs instead of four. Regardless, we still recommend periodic checks to ensure the prongs remain intact because, over time, prongs can still wear down or become bent and this may jeopardise the security of the diamond.
Bezel settings are where our diamonds are fully or partially encircled by the rim of the precious metal to hold the stones securely in place. This offers maximum security compared to prongs although it may slightly reduce the visibility of the diamond. This setting offers a sleek and modern look and provides excellent protection for the diamond. You can see a beautiful example of a bezel set 2.00 carat round brilliant cut natural diamond crossover ring set on18 carat white gold above and here in our shop. While bezel set diamonds are relatively low-maintenance compared to many other settings, they still require some care to keep them looking their best and to ensure that the diamonds remain secure. Be cautious with this type of setting during sports or heavy tasks so as to prevent scratching or bending the bezel.
Halo set diamonds, like our exquisite 1.24 carat HVS1 pear cut diamond ring above set on solid platinum and available in our shop here, are typically where a single central diamond is surrounded by a circle of smaller diamonds to showcase and enhance the overall appearance and size of the centre stone and they are very popular for engagement rings. You should regularly inspect both the halo diamonds and the centre stone for any signs of looseness. The small diamonds in the halo can sometimes become loose, especially if the item is worn by you a lot. Always look closely for any damage or wear to the prongs or to the precious metal setting to make sure your incredible natural diamonds remain secure and intact.
If you take a look at our striking 2.00 carat GVS1 chandelier cluster set diamond ring on 18 carat white gold above and in our shop here, you'll see how a series of diamonds are grouped together to form the appearance of a larger stone and this setting allows for a lot of bold and dramatic creativity in terms of our diamond jewellery design and we often use this setting in our diamond earrings and diamond rings. Due to their intricate nature and because multiple stones are set closely together then we again recommend that you regularly examine the cluster for any loose diamonds and ensure that none have become dislodged.
We take all of these important areas such as the diamonds setting into account when we design and create our incredible natural diamond jewellery collection and we design our jewellery to last. Our craftmanship is so outstanding that our superb 5 year free warranty is practically unnecessary for 99.99% of our clients in terms of manufacturing defects etc. but, with general wear and tear, it remains very important that you essentially protect your diamond jewellery from yourself, especially if you're wearing your jewellery in a context where it could get damaged! If you have any questions or issues then please talk to us directly (or immediately take it to a professional jewellery workshop like ours for repair and do so without delay).
Clean Your Diamond Jewellery Regularly:
Diamonds attract oils and dirt and other contaminants during day-to-day wear and this can diminish their brilliance over time. To keep your diamonds shining, you should clean them regularly. Although there are plenty of precious metal cleaning solutions available to purchase online, We Love Diamonds strongly recommend that, outside of professional cleaning by an expert jeweller like us, you simply use a solution of warm water and a few drops of mild dish soap as you will find that this works wonders.
Soak your jewellery for between 15 and 45 minutes and then gently (and very carefully) scrub with a soft kids toothbrush
Pay special attention to the underside of the diamond and to any hard-to-reach cavities where the dirt will tend to accumulate
If your luxury diamond jewellery has claws as described above then please be careful to not catch any of the claws while you are cleaning and also be sure to not drop it down the plughole. Trust us - it happens a lot more often than you would think!
After soaking rinse with clean water and then pat dry with a lint-free cloth
Never use paper towels as they are more abrasive than you'd credit them for and they can scratch the precious metals on your diamond jewellery. You can also buff it with a jewellery cloth / polishing cloth which are easily available to buy on Amazon and elsewhere for a few pounds or less if you don’t have one
If your diamonds are really dirty then you can pre-soak them in a shot glass of vodka for a few hours. Yes vodka! Vodka is a distilled ethanol based spirit which helps loosen and dissolve any dirt that is stuck to the diamond. Once removed from the vodka, let your piece of jewellery air dry and then just clean normally using all of the simple steps above
Avoid Harsh Chemicals:
Diamonds are obviously exceptionally tough but harsh chemicals like bleach, chlorine or ammonia will damage the metal setting in particular. Always remove your diamond jewellery when you are using any cleaning products or swimming in chlorinated water.
Store Your Diamond Jewellery Safely:
We have a number of top tips in this area:
Always store your jewellery safely when you’re not wearing it
Not only should you consider obvious security factors but you should also consider specialist jewellery insurance. You can learn more about that in our blog here. Our free valuation certificates certainly help you in this area
Consider the obvious like keeping your jewellery away from high or low temperatures and moisture and definitely keep it away from radiators, windows and bathrooms
To prevent your natural diamonds from scratching your other jewellery or becoming damaged themselves, you should always store your diamond pieces separately and ideally do so in a fabric-lined box or soft pouch. All of our natural diamond jewellery is supplied to you in luxury packaging which includes high-end, fabric-lined jewellery boxes for each and every item and you should thus definitely use them
If you have any kind of jewellery storage organiser, you should only place one piece of your jewellery into each section of it
Diamond bracelets and diamond necklaces in particular can get kinked and damaged if they’re not stored correctly so you should always lie them flat and/or keep them mounted in one of our original diamond jewellery boxes. Keep any clasp fastened to help avoid getting the item tangled
Many people wrap their diamond jewellery in something like soft tissue paper for added protection and to avoid certain types of precious metal tarnishing when exposed to air
If in doubt always get your jewellery cleaned by a professional which is usually a quick exercise and will likely cost you very little. Do not ever use anything to clean your jewellery which contains bleach (it will damage the precious metal), do not use acetones and, contrary to some other so-called "experts", do not clean it with anything abrasive like toothpaste or bicarbonate soda as that will scratch the metal, the diamond or both.
As for lab-grown, synthetic diamonds, you may be shocked to learn how their artificial gemmological characteristics are commonly altered and manipulated which affects their care significantly. Ironically, their makers often add yet more fakeness to something that's already fake. These manufacturers, mostly using coal-powered mega factories in China and India, don't just regularly use falsification techniques like HTHP treatment, laser drilling, ion implantation, coating, annealing and/or chemical treatments to change their often yellowish colour grade but they often have glass or other materials added to them. You can guess the problems that represents yourself. This is all done by these manufacturers by them laser drilling into the lab diamond to remove and hide inclusions and artificially enhance poor clarity by introducing glass etc. into it. They also "fracture fill" and inject a glass-like substance ("clarity-enhancing resin") into the diamond to falsely improve its appearance. All these dodgy methods significantly affect the durability of these fake diamonds which is something that is just never an issue with a real, natural diamond since they are one of the toughest natural materials on Earth. Consequently, we'd recommend that you be extra careful handling them (imagine shattering one) but the fact is that lab diamonds literally have zero resale value in the first place so the time and cost of you caring for and cleaning them is probably more than what their intrinsic value is to begin with! Furthermore, the cost to artificially manufacture them (and, in turn, their sale value) dramatically plunges every day so you probably don’t need to worry too much about the cost of ever replacing an artificial diamond because you can buy another fake stone for a fraction of the original price down the line! Learn more about what we know to be the the Emperor's New Clothes in our blog here.
Now, let’s explore in detail how to care for your diamond jewellery based on the type of precious metal that it's set in...
Caring For Your Luxury Diamond Jewellery In Different Precious Metals
Firstly, unless you’re merely looking for cheap costume jewellery and you have no real worries about it ever being lost, broken or damaged then we firmly believe you should never purchase plated jewellery such as gold-plated or silver-plated jewellery. We Love Diamonds do not ever sell gold plated jewellery because, just like artificial, fake, lab-grown diamonds, it is absolutely worthless and it is therefore never a good value purchase. A gold-plated piece of jewellery usually has less than 0.05% of its overall weight comprised of actual gold which means that there is just 1 piece of gold for every 2,000 parts of other stuff! Conversely, 24 carat gold is pure gold and contains no other metals. Gold and silver-plating tarnishes incredibly easily, it wears off rapidly and it simple cannot stand up to wear, water or heat over time. It's false economy and it has no future return on value for you. Avoid.
Secondly, as much as we do really love silver as a precious metal, we do not sell any silver jewellery ourselves because it has very little value. As of today, silver costs around £26 per ounce which is a mere 85p per gram (and we can get it for a lot less ourselves). Diametrically, gold currently costs around £2,106 per ounce so that’s about £68 per gram. You can therefore clearly see the enormous gulf in their respective values!
Finally, did you know that over 95% of the precious metals we use in our diamond jewellery collection comes from existing jewellery that we purchase from consumers at our jewellery workshop? We intentionally do this because it cuts out the middle-man to help us keep prices way, way down for you plus it's clearly a lot more environmentally friendly as we are just re-using existing supply.
Anyway, let's take a look out how to care for the precious metals that we use in our luxury diamond jewellery.
1. White Gold
Although it is very hard wearing, the coating of white gold will, over time and with use, begin to wear and ultimately reveal a yellowy tone. You should then take the item to a professional jeweller like us who has a specialist jewellery workshop to re-coat your item. Our solid, UK Hallmarked white gold is a beautiful, modern and highly popular choice for all your diamond jewellery, particularly for engagement rings and wedding bands. It is typically alloyed with other metals such as palladium or silver and plated with rhodium (a member of the platinum family of precious metals).
This is done for extra brightness and durability and to give the gold it’s beautiful white sheen. White gold however does need a little bit more loving care than other precious metals...
Care Tips for White Gold:
Avoid Scratching:
Although highly durable, the rhodium plating on white gold can wear down over time and potentially reveal a natural yellowish tint. Be mindful of wearing white gold jewellery during activities that may cause scratches or dents
Re-Rhodium Plating:
Over time, rhodium coating fades and your white gold may then appear less shiny. To restore its original brilliance, you should have your white gold diamond jewellery re-plated by a professional jeweller every 1 to 2 years
Avoid Harsh Chemicals:
White gold is sensitive to chlorine and harsh cleaning agents which can damage the plating. Remove your white gold jewellery when swimming or cleaning
You can see all of our diamond jewellery collection that is currently available in white gold here.
2. Yellow Gold
Yellow gold is of course a classic metal choice and it's known for its warm hue. The gold’s purity is measured in carats, with 24 carat being pure gold. 24 carat gold is however hardly ever used by jewellers as it’s just not durable enough for most pieces of jewellery so it is therefore usually using 9 carat, 14 carat or 18 carat gold depending on the item and it is alloyed with other metals like copper or silver to enhance its durability.
While yellow and rose gold easily can be polished to look brand new, there is still specific advice you should follow:
Care Tips for Yellow Gold:
Polishing:
Yellow gold tends to scratch more easily than white gold or platinum. Regular polishing by a jeweller can help maintain its shine, but over-polishing can thin the metal. Limit polishing to once or twice a year at most
Avoid Abrasive Surfaces:
When wearing yellow gold jewellery please be very cautious around abrasive surfaces that can scratch the metal. When you scratch yellow gold, you will leave a little of it on the surface you have scratched it against
Gentle Cleaning:
Use the tips provided previously about how to clean your diamond jewellery regularly
You can see all of our diamond jewellery collection that is currently available in yellow gold here.
3. Rose Gold
Although rose gold doesn’t usually feature massively in our own collection most seasons, rose gold has definitely gained increased popularity of late due to its romantic, vintage appeal and its unique pink hue. That hue is created by alloying gold with copper and sometimes also a very small amount of silver. Rose gold may not be ideal for people with metal allergies due to the high copper content. Rose gold is more durable than yellow and white gold due to the strength that is provided by the copper and this makes it more resistant to scratches and dents.
Care Tips for Rose Gold:
Avoid Prolonged Exposure to Moisture:
The copper present in rose gold can tarnish over time, particularly when exposed to moisture. Always dry your rose gold jewellery thoroughly after cleaning or upon exposure to water
Be Mindful of Skin Sensitivity:
Copper can sometimes cause reactions in people with sensitive skin. If you notice irritation you can consider coating the jewellery with a clear layer of lacquer or visiting a professional jeweller for further advice
Polishing:
Rose gold can still be prone to scratches. Regular cleaning and occasional professional polishing will help maintain its beauty
You can see all of our diamond jewellery collection that is currently available in rose gold here.
4. Platinum
Platinum is significantly less malleable than gold which makes it a lot more resistant to bending or shifting out of shape. A big plus with platinum is that when it is scratched or dented the metal doesn't wear away and is simply displaced. This results in its patina which is a hallmark of platinum's unique character.
On the other hand, when white gold is scratched then some of the metal is actually lost (although white gold is harder to scratch so there is always a trade-off).
For us, the density and natural rigidity of platinum makes it the optimal choice for robustly securing gemstones because it tends to retain its form better than gold over long periods of time. Don’t get us wrong though - white gold is still a highly reliable and very durable option for holding diamonds securely so we’re merely comparing two outstanding choices as expert jewellery designers and jewellery makers. Both metals are excellent and long-lasting choices for setting diamonds. As well as being the most durable, platinum is also the most hypoallergenic of all the precious metals. It is resistant to tarnishing and it doesn’t require rhodium plating like white gold does which makes it a fantastic option for everyday wear. We think that if you have a choice between the two (white gold and platinum) then it is often worth spending that little extra on it.
Care Tips for Platinum:
Minimize Scratches:
Platinum is dense and durable but it can still get scratched. Over time, it develops a patina as mentioned which is a slightly dull finish. A lot of people actually prefer their platinum like this because it delivers a vintage look. If you want to maintain a high polish though, you should take it to a professional jeweller for repolishing
Clean Regularly:
Again, please refer to all the tips provided above about how you should clean your luxury diamond jewellery. Platinum’s natural shine can be easily maintained with regular cleaning and polishing
Resizing:
Platinum is a lot more difficult to resize than other metals due to its hardness. Be sure therefore to only ever work with a skilled, expert jewellery maker like We Love Diamonds if resizing or repairs are ever needed. As you will know, we always offer a free ring re-sizing service when you purchase any diamond ring from us.
You can see all of our diamond jewellery collection that is currently available in platinum here.
Additional Tips for We Love Diamonds Jewellery Care
Remove Jewellery During Physical Activity:
Whether working out, cleaning, gardening or doing heavy lifting, it’s always a good idea to remove your luxury diamond jewellery to prevent scratching the metal or damaging the setting
Be Cautious With Lotions & Perfumes:
Oils from skin, lotions and perfumes can accumulate on diamonds and precious metals which can dull their appearance. Apply lotions and perfumes before putting on your diamond jewellery to minimise any contact with these products
Get Insurance:
Natural diamond jewellery, especially ours, is highly valuable both sentimentally and financially. It’s always wise to insure your pieces against theft, loss, and damage and, again, you can learn more about that in our blog here
Diamond Jewellery Care: Conclusion
Caring for our luxury, natural diamond jewellery requires attention to both the diamonds themselves and also to the precious metals in which they are set. Whether your jewellery features white gold, yellow gold, rose gold or platinum, following our care tips will help preserve their beauty and longevity. By maintaining a regular cleaning routine, avoiding exposure to harsh chemicals and getting professional inspections then you can ensure that your diamond jewellery remains a cherished part of your collection for many, many decades to come.
If you have any more questions about looking after your diamond jewellery then do feel free to get in touch with our expert, friendly team for advice. You’ll also find a lot of useful guides in our resources section in the navigation bar of our website.
Without you, they’re just diamonds.
Comments