How to Clean Your Diamond Engagement Ring
Difficulty Level: Easy
Color Inspiration: Pink, silver, and white
INGREDIENTS FOR RING CLEANER RECIPE
• 1 cup hot water
• 1 tablespoon dish soap
• 1 tablespoon baking soda
• 1 tablespoon salt
• 1 bowl-sized piece of aluminum foil
PROJECT MATERIALS
• Your engagement or wedding ring (especially a lab-created diamond one from Clean Origin!)
• Glass bowl
• Whisk
• Soft-bristled toothbrush
• Patch of 100% cotton flannel
• Velvet ring box
WHY WE WENT ECO-FRIENDLY WITH THIS DIY
While you can substitute as you see fit, all the ingredients and materials you see in our tutorial are earth-loving! Inspired by Clean Origin’s dedication to eco-friendly lab grown diamonds all thanks to their professionally certified lab creation, we’ve sourced our own supplies accordingly. From eco-friendly bamboo toothbrushes to plant-based dish soap to recycled aluminum foil, it’s basically a perfect marriage.
INSTRUCTIONS
1. Line your glass bowl with aluminum foil.
Nerdy Science Fun Fact: Why aluminum foil? It’s actually a chemistry thing! While most commonly used for silver jewelry cleaning, the metal compound naturally reacts to the aluminum foil, the salt, and the baking soda once it touches. Without getting into wordy equations, those three react together to help get rid of tarnish. Most people also use this method with silverware and other tarnished serving pieces. Pretty cool, huh?
2. Place your measured out salt and baking soda in the foil-lined bowl.
3. In a separate glass bowl or glass measuring cup, heat up your water in the microwave for 3 minutes. If you don't use a microwave, heat up your water until near boiling in a saucepan on the stove.
4. Pour hot water and dish soap into your foil-lined bowl and stir until all ingredients are completely dissolved.
5. Drop your engagement ring into the bottom of the bowl and let it soak for 10 minutes.
Helpful Tip: The best part of a cleaning dip (versus a polish cloth) for your ring is that it safely and naturally gets into the all of the nooks and crannies of your sparklies no matter how intricately designed your ring is. The various setting options and custom designs you can create with Clean Origin is just one thing we super love about the company. And when it comes time to clean your lab-created diamond beauty, then you know it'll always look like new with some TLC over the decades to come!
6. Once your ring has soaked, use your soft-bristled toothbrush and gently scrub the ring for thorough cleaning. Rinse under cool water.
7. Use your flannel cloth to dry and polish.
8. Enjoy your fresh sparklies!
Wedding Ring Care Tips and Tricks
Now that you have the perfect cleaning recipe for your wedding or engagement ring, what else can you do to help protect and care for your ring?
Diamonds are rock solid, but still need protection. Lab-created diamonds from Clean Origin are tough cookies, but even then you’ll still want to limit the hits it might get from daily use. If you work a lot with your hands, it might be best to leave your diamond ring at home during work hours.
Have dedicated ring storage. Tuck your ring into a jewelry case, ring box, or other protected place when your fingers aren’t being adorned with your pretties. When you have a dedicated spot for your jewelry, the likelihood of its being lost decreases. Some people prefer not to sleep with their rings on and some prefer not to wear them while traveling, so have the peace of mind it’s snuggled safely in the location you put it.
Check your prongs, setting, and stone(s) regularly. Life happens, even to the highest quality of rings, so keeping an eye out for any differences that your ring may have over the years is important. Most all jewelers have a warranty of some sort, so know this before buying. Clean Origin actually has a lifetime manufacturer's warranty that stands behind its lab-grown diamonds, and even if a repair falls under non-manufacturer damage, they still are the go-to for making sure your ring will be in tiptop shape after their specialists perfect it once more.
If your ring is 14k white gold, have extra care. Over time and long wear, white gold will eventually show its yellow undertones. (Our editor-in-chief's engagement ring is now 12 years old, and the band definitely has some subtle golden hues!) As likely informed when you purchased your ring, a professional jeweler can have it rhodium-plated for a new fresh silvery look.
TUTORIAL CREDITS
Photography, Tutorial, and Styling: Chelsea LaVere | Ethically-Sourced Diamond Ring: Clean Origin | Velvet Ring Box: Your Heart's Content via Etsy
Many thanks to Clean Origin for partnering with Tidewater and Tulle for this DIY tutorial feature! And while the disclaimer is that we were compensated to write and design this, the words and our loyal love for the Clean Origin brand are all our own. Some of the above product links are affiliate-linked and purchasing through these links helps support our wonderful sponsors and Tidewater and Tulle! You can find our full affiliate disclosure policy here on Tidewater and Tulle.
