How to Take Care of Your Lab-grown Diamond 

Congratulations from us all at Stefano Navi! We are delighted that you have chosen your dream engagement ring or other diamond jewelry from us. 

Whether your jewelry is a lab-created diamond, a natural diamond, or a diamond simulant like cubic zirconia (CZ) or moissanite-  your jewelry represents an important investment which will have strong sentimental value over the years, so you will want to make sure it stays shiny and sparkling for a long time to come. Taking care of it will increase its lifespan and preserve its beauty, so it makes sense to understand how to best look after it. 

Let us help you with some important maintenance do’s and don’ts.

DO:

👍 Handle your diamond as little as possible. The oil from your fingers can gradually build up to form a residue that makes it look dull. 

👍 Have your diamond jewelry cleaned four times a year. Dirt, dust, and residue can build up in and around the stones and prongs, blocking the light interactions which will give it a dull and lifeless look. 

If you cannot send it to us for a professional cleaning, you can try cleaning your diamond on your own. Place it in lukewarm water mixed with a drop of dish detergent. Let it soak for 10 minutes, then brush with a soft brush in an around the stone(s) and setting to loosen up the dirt. You can use a soft toothbrush or makeup brush for this. Rinse with clean running water, making sure you cover the drain first. Pat dry, carefully, with a soft, lint-free cloth, making sure no fibers attach to the prongs. You can also dry your lab diamond with a hairdryer. 

👍 Have the setting checked regularly. Diamonds are one of the hardest substances known to man, even when lab-created, but in a ring setting they are not invincible. Lab grown diamonds can become loose and fall out from their settings, which is heart-breaking! The prongs in your setting need to be evaluated to make sure they are secure, to avoid the loss of any stones.  

👍 Remember that precious metal also requires maintenance. Platinum and yellow gold need polishing every couple of years, and white gold needs to be dipped every few years to replace the rhodium plating and help it maintain color and shine. 

👍 Store your diamond in a safe place, especially when travelling. The best storage solution is a soft, fabric-lined jewel box which has dividers, so your rings will not rub against other jewelry. 

👍 Keep ring dishes around the house, so you have a safe place to leave your ring when you take it off while doing household chores. 

👍 Insure your diamond for its full replacement value, in case you lose it. You can never replace the sentimental value your jewelry might have, but at least you can be refunded its replacement value. You will need to get a professional appraisal for this. 

DON’T:

👎 Take your ring or other jewelry off in a public restroom or other public place where it can get lost, or worse still, slip down a drain!

👎 Treat your ring with bleach or chlorine-based harsh chemicals. These can harm the finish of your ring and can actually penetrate the surface of gemstones like emeralds which are more porous than diamonds.

 👎 Wear your lab-created diamond for vigorous sports or other outside activities where you have to use your hands a lot, like gardening, which may cause undue wear and tear.  If you have a ring with a delicate micro-pavé stones, remember that they tend to pop out more easily during hard exercise, so be careful if you are playing tennis or golf, particularly if it involves wearing sports gloves. It is not worth the risk of damage or loss of stones. 

👎 Wear your ring while swimming or while you are on the beach. Sunscreen can clog up around your ring setting and make your diamond look dull. If you are swimming in cold water, remember that your fingers shrink in cold temperatures, so you risk losing your ring in the water – and searching for a ring in the ocean is almost impossible! Salt water can also be corrosive to some metals, including gold. Another point to be aware of - sand is not only corrosive, but it can work its way in between the diamond and its setting, potentially loosening the stone(s).

 Your lab-grown diamond is an important purchase – and one you will want to protect and maintain for as long as you own it.  With a little common-sense care, it will continue to give you the joy and love with which you first bought it, for many happy years to come.