Diamond & Jewelry News, Advice and Prices for Consumers
Diamond & Jewelry News, Advice and Prices for Consumers
June 21, 2010
Could someone once and for all explain which method is better to clean my diamond jewelry with?! I don't entirely understand what each of the methods entails, but both have been recommended to me over and over again to clean my diamond jewelry,
June 29, 2010
I own an ultrasonic cleaner and I use it all the time with my diamonds and I didn't notice any harmful side effects. Maybe I'm just not aware of the damages but as far as I know using the ultrasonic cleaner proved to be just fine with me. As a happy customer I can recommend you of ultrasonic cleaning, nonetheless I never used an ionic cleaner so I don't really know how it compares.
June 29, 2010
I would most definitely recommend ionic cleaners over ultrasonic ones, for one simple reason. Ionic cleaners rely on using electrical charges to suck away dirt, whereas ultrasonic cleaners are based on cleaning by means of vibrations. Although the latter method cleans the dirt gathered on jewelry very effectively, there is a risk of a side-effect due to the vibrations: these delicate vibrations could actually loosen the rims holding your diamond in place and damage stones by enhancing their cracks. As opposed to that, ionic cleaners use a special cleaning solution that is coupled with the safe electrolysis process that takes place inside the unit. The cleaning solution contains only specific chemicals that act as degreasers and catalysts for conductivity – so it isn't even in the slightest harmful for the gemstones it intends to clean. Let me also emphasize that this solution doesn't dissolve oils it's not supposed to, such as the resin used to fill in certain cracks in emeralds. Overall, there's a distinct advantage in favor of the ionic cleaners over ultrasonic ones.
June 24, 2010
As an owner of both an ultrasonic cleaner and ionic clearer, I think my opinion will be very relevant for you. I use these two devices differently, depending on the type of jewelry I want to clean. For example: if I need to clean a ring that I use very often, then due to the amount of gunk and oils that it picks up I would rather go with a more intensive cleaning device, so I would go for my ultrasonic one. If on the other hand I just wish to brighten up a necklace chain let's say, I would use the ionic cleaning device to give it that extra shine. Sometimes, I even combine between the two and I feel like the ionic device acts as a supplement for the ultrasonic one. Meaning, I would first put the piece of jewelry in the ultrasonic device in order to give it a good extensive clean and only afterwards I would place it in the ionic one, to give it that good finish. If I was given the choice to only pick one of the two cleaning devices, I would personally most probably go with the ultrasonic one, as I feel it is a much more effective and valuable cleaner. However, having said that if you're looking for a device that would just brighten up your jewelry, the ionic cleaner is very good at doing so. I guess your final decision will have to rely on what your cleaning needs are. Hope I was able to help.
