How to Clean Diamond and Moissanite Jewelry at Home

Short answer: Soak the piece in warm water with a few drops of mild dish soap for 20 minutes, brush gently with a soft toothbrush (especially under the stone), rinse in a bowl or a closed sink and pat dry with a lint-free cloth. The same routine works for lab grown diamonds, mined diamonds and moissanite. Avoid bleach, chlorine, toothpaste and hard brushes, and have the prongs checked by a jeweler once a year.

Diamond and moissanite jewelry loses its sparkle when lotion, soap and everyday dirt build up under the stone. The good news is that you can clean diamond and moissanite jewelry at home in about five minutes of hands-on time, with things you already have in the kitchen.

This guide covers the step-by-step method, what to avoid, how to care for each metal, how to handle rings, earrings, chains and pendants differently, when ultrasonic and steam cleaners make sense, and how to store your pieces so they stay bright between cleans.

What You Need

• A small bowl: big enough for the piece to lie flat without touching the sides too much.
• Warm water: comfortably warm to the touch, never boiling.
• Mild dish soap: a plain, gentle liquid soap without moisturisers, bleach or strong degreasers.
• A soft toothbrush: a baby toothbrush or an extra-soft adult brush that you keep only for jewelry.
• A lint-free cloth: microfibre or a soft cotton cloth. Paper towels can leave fibres caught in prongs.
• A strainer (optional): for rinsing earrings and small pieces safely.

Step-by-Step Cleaning

1. Soak: fill a small bowl with warm (not hot) water and a few drops of mild dish soap. Soak for 20 to 30 minutes so the soap can loosen oil and dried lotion.
2. Brush: use a soft baby toothbrush to clean under the stone and around the prongs, where dirt collects. Brush the back of the stone through the gallery, the open area beneath it, as well as the top.
3. Rinse: rinse under warm running water. Close the sink drain or use a strainer first, or rinse in a second bowl of clean water.
4. Dry: pat dry with a soft, lint-free cloth. Let the piece air dry for a few minutes on the cloth so water does not stay trapped under the stone.
5. Check: hold the piece up to the light. If you still see a film or grey patches under the stone, repeat the soak and brush once more.

Tip: Brush the underside of the stone first. Light enters a diamond or moissanite through the top and reflects off the facets underneath, so a dirty back facet dulls the sparkle more than a dirty top.

Shown: Snowflake Floral Cluster Round Lab Diamond Stud Earrings

Why Diamonds and Moissanite Get Dull

Neither stone loses its brilliance over time. What changes is the surface. Diamonds naturally attract oil and grease, so hand cream, skin oils and soap stick to the stone and form a thin film. Light then hits that film instead of the facets, and the stone looks flat or milky. Moissanite behaves the same way.

Lab grown diamonds are chemically, physically and optically the same as mined diamonds, so they need exactly the same care. Moissanite is a different material, but its care routine is identical. Any cloudiness you see on either stone is almost always a cleaning issue, not a change in the stone itself.

Common sources of build-up include:

• Hand cream and sunscreen: the biggest culprits. They are designed to cling to surfaces.
• Soap and shampoo: wearing a ring in the shower leaves a fine soap film.
• Cooking oils and dough: they pack into the gallery and around prongs.
• Makeup and hair products: these mainly affect earrings and necklaces.

What to Avoid

• Chlorine and bleach: remove jewelry before swimming pools, hot tubs and cleaning with bleach; chlorine can weaken gold alloys.
• Toothpaste and baking soda: they are abrasive and can scratch metal.
• Hard brushes and pins: they can loosen small pave stones.
• Ultrasonic cleaners on delicate pieces: they are generally fine for solid diamond and moissanite rings, but avoid them for pave, vintage or loose-stone pieces and for other gemstones.
• Boiling water and sudden temperature changes: they are unnecessary and can stress solder joints and older settings.
• Harsh household cleaners: glass cleaner, acetone and strong degreasers can dull plated finishes.

Safe and unsafe cleaning methods at a glance

Caring for Different Metals

Diamond and moissanite are both very hard, so the metal usually needs more thought than the stone.

• Yellow gold: soap-and-water cleaning keeps it bright. 10K and 14K gold contain more alloy metals and are a little harder than 18K, which is softer and shows scratches sooner.
• White gold: it is usually plated with rhodium for a bright white finish. The plating wears gradually, so white gold may need rhodium plating again every year or two.
• Rose gold: it gets its colour from copper in the alloy. Clean it the same way as yellow gold; its warm colour does not wash off.
• Sterling silver: use a silver polishing cloth to remove tarnish, and store pieces in an airtight bag.
• Gold-plated silver: clean gently with soap and water only, skip polishing cloths on plated areas, and dry the piece right away.

Cleaning Tips by Jewelry Type

Engagement rings and bands

Focus on the underside of the center stone and the gallery, the open area below it. This is where most dirt hides. On pave and eternity bands, brush along the band in one direction so you don't snag the tiny prongs. For a halo ring, brush gently around the halo and then underneath it, because dirt packs between the halo stones and the center stone.

Stud and drop earrings

Earrings pick up hair products, makeup and skin oils. Soak them with the backs removed, clean the posts too, and let everything dry fully before you put them away. If you wear stud earrings every day, a quick clean every week or two keeps them bright. Clean the backs as well, since they collect the most grime.

Tennis chains and bracelets

Chains and bracelets with many stones, like a lab grown tennis chain, collect dirt between the links. Soak them flat in the bowl, brush gently along the length, then lay them flat on a towel to dry. Don't hang a wet chain, since water can sit in the links and leave spots. Check the clasp while it is clean and dry.

Pendants and hip hop pieces

Large iced out pendants have hundreds of small stones set close together. A soft brush and a longer soak work well. Avoid pulling on the bail or jump ring while you clean, and dry the back of the pendant thoroughly, since closed backs can hold water.

Cleaning by Setting Style

The way a stone is held changes where dirt collects and how firmly you can brush. Use this as a guide when you clean:

• Prong settings: the open design lets dirt in from every side, but it also makes cleaning easy. Brush between the prongs and up into the space under the stone. Check that no prong is bent or catching on fabric.
• Bezel settings: a metal rim wraps the stone, so dirt builds up along the inner edge where metal meets stone. Brush around the rim in small circles and rinse well.
• Pave and micro pave: dozens of tiny stones are held by small beads of metal. Use the softest brush you have, move in one direction along the band, and never pick at the stones.
• Channel settings: stones sit in a groove between two metal walls. Dirt gathers along the walls, so brush lengthwise along the channel rather than across it.
• Halo settings: clean the halo, then tilt the ring and brush underneath it. The space between the halo and the center stone traps a surprising amount of lotion.

Pieces with many small stones, like pave bands, halo rings and eternity bands, benefit most from a longer soak, because the soap does the work and the brush only needs to lift what has loosened.

Signs Your Jewelry Needs a Jeweler

Home cleaning is the right time to inspect your pieces, because the stones and metal are clean and easy to see. Take your jewelry to a jeweler before wearing it again if you notice any of these:

• A prong that looks flat, thin or bent: prongs wear down slowly and can eventually release the stone.
• A stone that moves or rattles: even a small amount of movement means the setting needs tightening.
• Catching on clothing: a raised or bent prong often snags on knitwear and towels before you can see the problem.
• A gap in a pave row: a missing small stone suggests the neighbouring stones may also be loose.
• A weak clasp: on chains and bracelets, a clasp that opens too easily is the most common way pieces are lost.
• Yellowish tones on white gold: the rhodium plating has worn and can be refreshed.

Dealing with these early is simple and quick. Waiting until a stone falls out is far more costly.

Ultrasonic, Steam and Professional Cleaning

Home soaking handles everyday dirt. For a deeper clean, you have three other options.

Ultrasonic cleaners

These machines send vibrations through a water and cleaning solution to shake dirt loose. They work well on solid gold rings with prong- or bezel-set diamonds and moissanite. The same vibrations can loosen stones that are already slightly loose, so avoid them for pave, micro pave, vintage pieces, plated jewelry and anything set with softer gemstones.

Steam cleaners

Jewelers often finish a clean with a jet of steam, which blasts away remaining soap and dirt. Home steam cleaners exist, but they get very hot, so they are best left to professionals.

Professional cleaning and inspection

Once a year, take your everyday pieces to a jeweler. A professional clean reaches places a toothbrush cannot, and the jeweler can check prongs, clasps and settings for wear before a stone works loose.

Is Moissanite Cleaned Differently from Diamond?

No. The same warm water and mild soap routine works for both. Moissanite is 9.25 on the Mohs hardness scale and diamond is 10, so both handle gentle brushing easily and both resist everyday scratches far better than most gemstones. The care you take is really about the metal and the setting, not the stone.

Moissanite has a higher refractive index than diamond (about 2.65 compared with about 2.42), which gives it strong, colourful sparkle. A film of oil hides that sparkle on both stones equally, so regular cleaning matters just as much. To learn more about how the two stones compare, read our moissanite vs lab grown diamond vs diamond guide.

Storing Your Jewelry

• Separate pieces: keep each piece in its own soft pouch or a lined box section, because diamonds and moissanite can scratch other jewelry and metal.
• Silver: store sterling silver in a closed bag to slow tarnish.
• Chains: lay chains flat or hang them so they don't tangle and kink.
• Daily habits: take jewelry off before the gym, gardening or cleaning the house, and put it on after lotion, perfume and hairspray, not before.
• Travel: use a small padded case with separate slots rather than loose pieces in a bag.

How Often Should You Clean?

Clean everyday rings about once a week at home, and have prongs and settings checked by a jeweler once a year. Earrings and pendants worn daily do well with a clean every one to two weeks. Pieces worn only on special occasions need a clean after each wear, before they go back in storage. For more tips, see our Jewelry Care page.

Tip: Keep a soft cloth by the sink or on your dresser. A quick wipe of the stone each evening removes fresh hand cream before it builds up, and stretches the time between full cleans.

Shop at Ivevar

Looking for pieces that are easy to keep bright? Browse our lab grown diamond fine jewelry and moissanite fine jewelry, handcrafted in 10K, 14K or 18K gold. Many of our lab diamonds come with IGI certificates, and every order includes free worldwide shipping and 30-day easy returns (pierced earrings are returnable only if faulty).

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I wear my ring in the shower?

It will not harm the stone, but soap film dulls the sparkle, so it is better to take it off.

Why does my moissanite look cloudy?

A film of oil or soap is almost always the cause. A proper cleaning restores its sparkle.

Can I use glass cleaner or alcohol on my ring?

It is best not to. Harsh household cleaners can dull some metal finishes and plating. Mild dish soap and warm water are all you need.

Is it safe to clean gold-plated silver at home?

Yes, but be gentle. Use soap and water with a soft brush, skip polishing cloths on the plated areas, and dry the piece right away so the plating lasts longer.

Do lab grown diamonds need special cleaning?

No. Lab grown diamonds are real diamonds, so they need exactly the same care as mined diamonds: warm water, mild soap and a soft brush.

Can I swim with my diamond or moissanite jewelry?

It is best not to. Chlorine in pools and hot tubs can weaken gold alloys, cold water can make rings slip off, and sunscreen leaves a film on the stone.

How do I know if a stone is loose?

Hold the piece near your ear and tap it gently. A rattle, or a stone that moves when you press it lightly, means it needs a jeweler's check before you wear it again.

Will cleaning remove scratches from my ring?

No. Cleaning removes dirt, not scratches. Fine scratches on gold can be polished out by a jeweler during a professional clean.

Should I clean my jewelry before storing it?

Yes. A quick wipe or wash before storage stops oils and lotion from hardening under the stone, so the piece is ready to wear the next time you take it out.

Are jewelry cleaning dips safe for diamonds and moissanite?

Many dips are made for specific metals, and some are too strong for plated or silver pieces. Read the label carefully, or simply use warm water and mild dish soap, which is safe for every piece.

Author Bio

Aumsri Pradhan

Founder, Ivevar Luxury

Aumsri Pradhan leads Ivevar Luxury, a Surat-based brand that handcrafts lab grown diamond and moissanite jewelry in its own workshop, and shares practical buying guidance on the Ivevar blog. View author profile ›