Cubic Zirconia engagement rings are incredibly popular among people looking for a diamond substitute. The rings are just as beautiful as diamonds, but a lot more affordable.
However, you need to take care of them properly.
If you want it to remain sparkly and pretty, you have to clean them. Follow these tips to ensure your cubic zirconia engagement rings remain brilliant.
The following is a list of ways that you can maintain the beauty of your cubic zirconia jewelry.
What is a Cubic Zirconia?
As mentioned above, cubic zirconia (CZ) is a human-made diamond-like stone.
While a diamond is made from carbon, a CZ is made with high purity zirconium oxide powders.
The powder is then stabilized with magnesium and calcium. The mixture is heated to 5,000 degrees in a microwave through a process called “skull melt,” and cubic zirconia is born.
These days, when affordability, quality, and style all meet together, it is a win-win situation for any consumer.
This is no different than with cubic zirconia engagement rings.
In the past, the technology was not up to par with diamond cutting techniques and zirconia had been used primarily in costume jewelry. However, things have changed dramatically in the past few years.
More realistic cutting and crafting techniques have improved this gemstone significantly, and many are set in high-quality solid gold or platinum settings.
This makes them virtually indistinguishable from mined diamonds.
Because of the increased popularity of cubic zirconia engagement rings, more education on care and cleaning is coming out.
Even with the increased quality and technology, this gemstone still requires different care than with the hard and more durable mined counterpart, the diamond.
If not treated with care, cubic zirconia can scratch, chip or lose its luster over the years.
However, even with the potential need to replace your cubic zirconia stones every five years or so, the price still is so much less than a mined diamond. So, most people don’t mind that going into the purchase.
The peace of mind of not worrying about losing stones is worthwhile to most people.
Top ways to clean cubic zirconia engagement rings
People who purchase cubic zirconia engagement rings will want to know the best methods to keep them looking their best.
Gemstones that are soft and not so dense can become easily scratched, causing permanent damage. You can ensure this does not happen by treating the stone with care.
You cannot use all of the methods you use to clean diamonds on CZs. For instance, you cannot use high heat or abrasive cleaners while cleaning them. If you want, you can use a jewelry brush and regular jewelry cleaner to clean them, and it won’t damage the crystals.
Of course, you need to pick a technique that’s appropriate for the most delicate material in the setting as well as your personal preference.
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Jewelry cleaner polishing cloths
Soft cotton polishing cloths are one of the best ways to clean CZ settings. All you have to do is rub the setting lightly to get rid of the oils and dirt to bring back its shine and vivacity.
This method is fast, inexpensive and works great for the majority of other materials.
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Liquid soap and warm water
When you want to bring life back to you CZ jewelry, liquid soap and warm water can help you out. Using either a soft cloth or your fingers, lather soap onto the jewelry. Then rinse it thoroughly to get rid of any sign of it. Failure to remove the soap entirely means you’ll end up with a dull gem because of the filmy residue.
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Commercial cleaning solutions
Before you use any kind of commercial cleaning solution, you need to carefully and thoroughly read their labels. While they can do the same job as the soap and water technique, they’re not always good for certain gems and materials, possibly ruining the finish.
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Steam cleaners
In the last few years, steam cleaning has become a popular method. However, the steam can liquefy the pollutants hiding in a CZ ring’s crevices; it can ruin the softer gemstones because of its heat.
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Ultrasonic Cleaners
The majority of jewelers will use ultrasonic cleaners to clean jewelry pieces. They have a water reservoir that can hold the jewelry and bombard it with ultrasonic waves to loosen the trapped debris. The method is ideal for standard CZ pieces but can run the metals and softer gems. Therefore, you need to know that each material is in your jewelry before you settle on any cleaning method and, most especially, this method.
Be sure to inform the jewelry store about your stones before service and cleaning.
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Features
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Final Notes on Cleaning and Care of Cubic Zirconia Engagement Rings
Like diamonds, the precious gems, cubic zirconia gems need to be cleaned to maintain their original brilliance and luster.
Many variables in our surrounding can dull the shine of precious gems: body lotion, perfume, hairspray, sweat, and everyday wear.
All creams and soap film are some of the more difficult materials to remove. Just a little of any of these materials on your CZ stone will take away much of the visual brilliance of the stone.
So it is vital to keep your CZ clean to maintain its sparkling diamond look.
Follow our simple tips on cleaning cubic zirconia, and you can be confident your CZ jewelry will not only maintain its original brilliance and luster for years to come, but it will continue to sparkle radiantly every time you wear it.
When you want to preserve the quality of your cubic zirconia, you must take special care in its cleaning. Most importantly, you need to be especially mindful of how often you clean the gems.
If you’re not sure how to clean jewelry with a mixture of stones, have a professional do it for you. If you take care of your stones, they’ll keep their beauty for years to come.
Featured image: CC0, by Scott Webb, via Pexels
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