Diamonds are the hardest natural material in the world. Hardness level 10 on the Mohs scale. They don't get scratched. They don't lose their shape. They don't age.
What they can lose is their sparkle. And that's almost always due to a single reason: grease.
Skin oil, hand cream, soap, perfume. These things build up in layers on the stone and on the setting. No drama. But over weeks, a stone that refracts light like no other becomes a stone that looks dull. This is not a material defect. This is a lack of care.
What really helps
You don't need an expensive cleaning kit. You need lukewarm water, a drop of mild dish soap, and a soft toothbrush. Soak the stone, brush gently, rinse thoroughly. Done. Once a month is enough if you wear the jewelry regularly.
What you don't need: ultrasonic devices, aggressive cleaners, chlorine, bleach. These won't harm the diamond, but they can attack the setting and alter the surface of the gold.
What diamonds can really withstand
Hardness level 10 means: no other material scratches a diamond. Except another diamond. This is important to know if you store several pieces together. Two diamonds touching each other in a drawer can damage each other. Not because they are soft, but because they are the only material hard enough.
What diamonds cannot withstand is a hard blow to the right spot. Along the cleavage plane of the crystal, a diamond can break. This rarely happens, but it does happen. No problem with everyday wear. For gardening, sports, or heavy manual labor: remove jewelry.
What most people do wrong
Storing jewelry in the bathroom. This is the most common mistake. Humidity and temperature fluctuations are not friends of real gold. A dry place, preferably in a box with individual compartments, is all you need. Individual compartments are necessary because diamonds scratch other diamonds. No shared compartment, no loose bag where the pieces touch each other.
And please: don't sleep with jewelry on. Not because the stone will be damaged, but because settings suffer under pressure. A prong that bends minimally is enough for a stone to no longer sit securely enough.
Pour toujours.
