Diamonds can become smudged and dirty throughout every wear even if you are careful about what you do when you wear your jewel. The natural oil in skin, soaps, lotions and other materials can cause a film to develop on a diamond. As a film develops, the jewelry will not sparkle naturally and will become a bit dull. Diamonds even collect dust when you’re not wearing them, so the time comes at one point or other that you will need to clean your jewel.

In order to keep the shine and natural brilliance that is associated with a beautifully cut diamond, you will need to clean it once or twice a year at least. Many people resort to taking their jewelry to a store where they can leave their piece for a professional cleaning. Some settings may require this depending on what type of metal and what type of dullness has occurred. For example, if your stone is set in silver, it may be best to have a professional clean it with a special silver cleaner that will provide a deep clean of the metal as well as the setting area.

Another method of cleaning is to soak your diamond in a solution of half ammonia and half water for 30 minutes. After soaking, gently brush the setting with a soft brush. Dry carefully with a soft cloth. If you don’t want to mix your own solutions, there are jewelry cleaning kits found at many department and jewelry stores that will provide you with maximum and safe cleaning ability. All the materials you need to clean your jewelry is included in the kit.

Then of course, there is one easy way to clean diamonds and settings that is used by jewelry professionals which may seen too easy but it really works well. Buy some Windex and simply spray on your ring or other jewelry. Use a soft, jewelry cloth to dry the setting and diamond. This is actually one method that professionals use to clean diamond jewelry depending on how dirty the settings actually are.

The diamonds on the market today were formed millions of years ago. Carbon exposed to heat and pressure deep beneath the earth’s surface are what created the dazzling diamond eternity bands you want as your wedding rings.

South Africa is a main supplier of diamonds. Mines are located in Zaire, Botswana, Namibia and Angola. Other locations include Australia and Russia. The oldest mines were in India, but that was about 4000 years ago. The modern suppliers were discovered and mining began in the 1800s.

Birthstone for April

Every month gets a gemstone and April is the lucky girl that gets the diamond. Most people love their own birthstone and wouldn’t admit it, but they are probably a little bit of envious of the April babies. Now if you are looking for a unique birthstone gift or something for yourself, these gems come in all kinds of fashion settings. Diamond flower earrings go with anything, and, if you really want something different, how about a diamond toe ring. Fresh, huh?

Couples celebrating their 60th wedding anniversary can commemorate the day with these dazzling gems. 60 years of marriage certainly deserves diamond eternity bands.

Magic and Lore

These shimmering stones are believed to enhance your sexual prowess, bestow power and increase vitality of the wearer. In the middle ages, they removed fear and made the wearer invincible. Your white gold diamond earrings are probably not going to make you invincible, but you can sure feel like it when you wear them. The gems are also supposed to bring luck and success. Of course, if you are wearing them, you probably are a success.

Care and Maintenance

The hardest mineral on the Mohs scale, these gems have a rank of 10. So, they really do last a lifetime. To clean, let them soak in jewelry cleaner, ammonia or soap. You can also drop them in the ultrasonic cleaner. They can pretty much take whatever you throw at them. Just because they are the strongest mineral doesn’t mean that they can’t chip or crack if you try hard enough.

So, don’t hide them in the jewelry box, saving them for a special occasion. These dazzling gems are meant to be worn and because of their durability, they can be worn every day. With all the choices in cut and types of settings, these shimmering stones can be worn as a fashion piece or you can wear diamond earrings on a special occasion. Whatever you do, wear them!