DON’T TOUCH THAT DIAMOND!

Diamonds are an awe-inspiring gift from nature. Their beauty and sparkle and fascination always makes people want to touch them.

But as much as they make you want to lean in and grab them…

DON’T!

Why? Because diamonds were not meant to be touched!

Diamonds are made to be viewed and admired, but never picked up by our grubby little fingers. The basic reason for this is:

Fingerprints!

Nothing will dull up a diamond quicker than grease and grime from our very own fingers. Your hands may look clean, but as soon as you man-handle that diamond, the oils and dust from your fingers smear across the top of the diamond, leaving a cloudy film behind.

If you can, always wash your hands before viewing diamonds and especially loose diamonds. This way, you’ll actually be able to really see the diamond for all its worth. You’ll see the diamond in all it’s glory and not leave any incriminating prints or evidence behind.

This is why jewelers use tweezers when showing diamonds. They don’t want to touch the diamond, and they certainly don’t want the customer to touch the diamond either. Those loose diamonds are perfectly clean and if you’re going to microscope the stone, the last thing you want to see is a smudge across the top.

“Is this a used diamond?”

Sadly, I’ve actually shown a loose diamond before that had a fingerprint on it. It was supposed to be clean, but evidently it got touched before it was replaced back into the diamond envelope. GASP! The lady looking at the diamond under the scope saw the print and said “Is this a used diamond?” I looked at her oddly, I had no idea what she was talking about. Then she said “It has a dirty smudge on it.”

That was embarrassing.

It’s amazing how much an oily fingerprint effects the look of a diamond. It reduces the light flow into the stone. It makes a diamond sparkle less. It also makes a diamond look dull and dingy. Or as my customer called it… “USED!”

No one wants their diamond to look used. So I always advise:

Keep it perfectly clean

That means “no touching it!” If your diamond does get some dirt or dust on it, use your t-shirt and gently wipe it clean (stay away from fabrics that fray, because you can get things like sweaters caught underneath your prongs and snapping them off). A t-shirt or soft cloth works great. Wipe off any prints, grease, oils and dirt, and it’ll help your diamond sparkle more and look bigger and brighter at the same time (or get yourself a diamond dazzle stick!)

Ultrasonic cleaners:

I’d also advise you clean it in a ultrasonic cleaner once a week to remove any excess dirt or stubborn debris stuck on the bottom of the diamond. If it gets really dull and dirty from lotions, perfumes and soaps, you can always swing into your local jewelry store and have them professionally clean it. They’ll put it in a jewelry cleaner for a little while, then steam it off with their steam cleaner. It’ll make your diamond ring look brand new again.

But keep in mind, if you have the jeweler clean your ring, use some common sense… Grab your ring the right way. I know this sounds funny, but everybody always wants to reach out and grab their ring between their thumb and index finger. And, yes, you guessed it, the index finger gets planted right on the top of the diamond…

ARGH! Fingerprint city!

I know it makes it easier for the customer to slip the ring on their finger in this position, but all it does is fingerprint the diamond once again.

The customer had a perfectly clean ring for 2 full seconds before they dirtied it again. Bah! Nice going!

So don’t do it!

Grab your ring from the sides of the mounting to slip it on. That way your diamond will stay looking new forever and ever. And trust me, that lifetime of beauty and sparkle and brilliance and fire is just, well…

Untouchable!

Cheers! :)