As you are likely aware, diamond studs are one of the most common forms of high end earrings. This is because they are of an unaffected and simple design, with minimal extraneous craftsmanship. You see the aim of the diamond stud earring design is to showcase the stone itself, not any of the precious metal parts of the piece. As a result, the entire beauty of the earrings depends mainly upon the quality of the diamonds themselves. This can create a magnificent effect, especially when the diamonds are of brilliant cut and clarity. As a result of this, diamond stud earrings are very popular with those who own expensive jewelry, because they see it as an elegantly minimalist way to display valuable gemstones in a setting that attracts the eye to the diamonds themselves, and not the metalwork.
Staggering beauty does come at a price, however. The maintenance can require some effort, mainly because the brilliance of the stones can be affected by outside agents such as tiny amounts of oil from the skin, or from cosmetic items like shampoo, conditioner or makeup. The residue from these oils can build up a microscopic layer that will nonetheless affect the shine of the diamond. With some jewelry (such as rings and bracelets), this does not matter as much, because the design is only minimally dependent on the stone, but since the diamond stud relies almost entirely on the stone to create a visual impression they must be carefully maintained. This involves a semi-regular regime of cleaning the diamonds.
Keeping Your Diamonds Shining Like New
There are plenty of jewelers that offer diamond cleaning as a service, but they can sometimes charge extravagant fees. What most people don’t realize is that the job is quite simple, and can easily be done at home with a minimal purchase of equipment. The most commonly suggested method of cleaning diamonds at home is to create a solution of hot water and very mild dish-cleaning liquid, and to clean the diamond with a fine-hair brush (such as a badger-hair shaving brush). This should be enough for most earrings; however, round diamond stud earrings and princess cut diamond stud earrings should be cleaned professionally at least once every 2-3 years. Professional jewelers use a device that uses ultrasonic emitters to heat the stone, allowing it to be cleaned more easily. They will also polish the stone if asked to, which can vastly improve the visual quality of rough stud earrings.
Let’s be honest, if you have some diamond jewelry you want to keep it looking sparkling new, there are now ultrasonic jewellery cleaners on the market today priced as low as $45.00, it’s a pretty small price to keep all your gold jewellery and diamonds shining like new. They’re easy to use and you’ll notice a big difference after cleaning your items. Here’s a tip to keep in mind, make sure your stones are fitting snugly before putting them into the cleaner, sometimes if the items are a little loose and there is a large amount of debris to be cleaned off the stones they can come loose in the machine, if this happens don’t panick, just make sure you don’t pour the solution down the drain before verifying all your stones are accounted for.
Conclusion
Diamond stud earrings can also be damaged, and so it is important to take preventative steps to ensure that they do not get damaged. Thankfully, due to their positioning on the body, diamond stud earrings are a lot less likely to be damaged by everyday activity than diamond rings; however, they should always be stored carefully.
There is one other caveat when it comes to maintenance – they should never be worn around chlorinated environments. As diamond stud earrings usually contain minimal metalwork, the designs frequently rely on a crown (or “prongs”) made of some sort of metal, usually an alloy. Chlorine can have a destabilizing and corrosive effect upon these metals, leading to decay and misshaping. As a result, the seating of the diamond can be affected, causing it to move or perhaps even fall off.
Regardless of the potential problems, diamond studs are a popular design for a reason – because they showcase the raw beauty of the diamond itself, without any metalwork to hide or detract from the stone. In light of this fact, the minor hassles of maintenance are well worth it.