Diamonds are said to be timeless, and it is not hard to see why. Diamonds are the hardest naturally-occurring material on the planet. As such, if this gemstone is that durable, can one wear their diamond earrings every day?
You can wear your diamond earrings every day. However, you should remove them when sleeping, showering, or at the gym. Those activities can cause your diamonds to lose their brilliance. You should clean your diamond earrings regularly to help them retain their luster for longer.
Are you concerned that wearing your diamond earrings every day will make them wear out faster? Read on for a detailed answer.
Does Wearing Diamond Earrings Daily Ruin Them?
The slogan “Diamonds are forever” has seen diamonds becoming arguably the most popular gemstone on the planet. The saying is a testament to the toughness of diamonds, suggesting that this gemstone is seemingly unbreakable. As a result, numerous people buy diamond jewelry for each other in a bid to testify their undying love for their partners.
With that in mind, it wouldn’t be unreasonable to assume that you should be able to wear diamond earrings daily without any ruin coming to them.
Not so fast. While you can, indeed, wear diamond earrings every day, you need to keep three things in mind:
- Diamonds are brittle.
- Diamonds can lose their brilliance.
- How to pull it off
Did I just say that diamonds are brittle? “But diamonds are the hardest substance on the planet.” “After all, diamonds can cut through just about any material.” “So, how can they possibly be brittle?” Let me explain.
Why Diamonds Are Brittle Despite Being Renowned for Their Hardness
It is true. Diamond is the hardest naturally occurring material on earth. However, hardness and toughness (tenacity) are not the same things in the gemstone world.
Diamond Hardness Explained
When talking about a material’s hardness, one is usually referring to its inherent resistance to scratching. And it is not always as apparent as you would assume. For example, most glass windows that are constantly exposed to dust eventually develop scratches. Dust particles can also do the same to your car’s finish or table’s polish.
However, would you consider dust particles tougher than glass? Probably not. Then how are dust particles able to cut and leave scratches on glass and wood? That’s because dust particles contain quartz, a mineral that is harder than glass, according to the Mohs scale.
The Mohs scale ranks minerals based on their ability to resist scratches or cuts from other materials. The more scratch-resistant a substance is, the harder it is.
The Mohs scale considers diamonds the toughest mineral on earth since they cannot be scratched by any other naturally occurring material other than diamonds.
As you can imagine, a gemstone’s hardness plays a significant role in its overall wearability. Since diamonds can resist scratching from other materials, it means you should be able to wear your diamond earrings every day without them showing signs of wear and tear.
Diamond Brittleness Explained
While your diamond earrings can withstand regular abuse from frequent handling or the elements, they don’t do so well when they are exposed to sudden force. That is because, as mentioned, diamonds are brittle.
So, how can a hard substance be brittle? This might sound like an oxymoron, but diamonds are brittle due to their hardness. Bear with me; I’ll explain.
The toughness or tenacity of a substance is defined as its ability to withstand tremendous amounts of force before falling apart or breaking.
For example, a diamond can cut steel. It can also make scratches on steel. However, steel can neither cut nor scratch diamonds. Therefore, diamond is considered harder than steel. That said, a hammer can easily crush a piece of diamond.
As such, a substance can be hard without being tough and vice-versa.
In the case of diamonds, these gemstones attribute their hardness to the unique configuration of their carbon atoms. Carbon atoms come together in cube-like structures, forming covalent bonds with each other, resulting in diamonds.
The covalent bonds in diamond are one of the strongest of any material, explaining why diamond is difficult to scratch or cut. However, the cube-like structures are arranged linearly, meaning they form inherent fault lines that fall apart easily when the material is subjected to sudden force or impact.
Consequently, diamonds can chip rather easily when they fall or get hit. As such, if you plan to wear your diamond earrings daily, you have to be extremely careful not to drop them accidentally.
And even if you handle your diamond earrings with care, wearing them daily can make them lose their luster or brilliance. Let’s take a look at how that happens.
How Diamond Earrings Lose Their Shine
One thing that comes with wearing the same earrings daily is repeated exposure to a wide array of substances, both human and natural. They include sweat, water, dirt, bathroom products, etc.
Diamonds are a magnet for such substances. As such, the dirt, sweat, and oil will build up over the diamond’s shiny surface, causing the gemstone to lose some of its brilliance. That means your diamond earrings won’t be radiating as brightly as you would wish them to when they get hit by light.
Fortunately, there’s an easy workaround to this issue: cleaning your diamond earrings properly and regularly.
One of the perks of a diamond’s hardness is how it prevents anything from penetrating the stone’s surface. As such, any shine-blocking grime is easily removable from the diamond earring’s surface if it is cleaned correctly.
So, what is the proper way to clean diamond earrings?
How To Clean Diamond Earrings
If you plan to wear your diamond earrings every day, then you should be prepared to clean them often, so they don’t lose their shine. I recommend cleaning your diamond earrings at least once per month. However, since environments can differ, the rule of thumb is to clean diamond earrings when you notice they have started getting dull.
Talking of dull diamonds, if your earrings remain dull despite constant cleaning, there’s a chance you were duped and that what you have is cubic zirconia. Cubic zirconia (CZ) is a cheaper alternative to natural diamonds. However, CZ is not as hard as an actual diamond. Consequently, it degrades pretty fast, meaning it won’t retain its brilliant shine for long, even with constant cleaning.
That is why it is critical that you only get your diamond pieces from reputable sources. As such, do thorough research on diamond retailers before buying from them to avoid getting duped.
That said, there are numerous techniques you can use to clean your diamond earrings at home. Let’s take a look at some of them.
Using Dish Soap and Warm Water To Clean Diamond Earrings
Using regular dish soap and warm water is the safest way to clean your diamond earrings. That’s because standard dish soap does not contain harsh chemicals that can harm your gemstones.
Therefore, do not use detergents containing bleach. Here’s how to use dish soap to clean your diamond studs:
- Pour a pinch of dish soap into a bowl containing a cup of warm water
- Stir the water until it turns into a bubbly solution
- Soak your diamond earrings for about five minutes
- Take them out and use a soft toothbrush to brush the earrings gently
- Put the earrings back into the solution and soak them for two minutes
- Remove them and pour the solution
- Fill the bowl with clear water and rinse the earrings thoroughly
- Dry the earrings using a lint-free cloth
Using Club Soda To Clean Diamond Earrings
You’d be surprised at the seemingly unending useful things you can do with club soda. But did you know you can use this fizzy drink to clean and make your diamond earrings brighter?
Club soda is excellent at removing stubborn grime from jewelry. It also adds to their luster. Soak your diamond earrings in a glass of club soda and leave them there overnight. Remove them in the morning, rinse them with clear water, and then dry them with a lint-free cloth.
Using Vodka To Clean Diamond Earrings
You can make use of the alcohol in vodka to help you clean your diamond earrings. Simply pour a shot of vodka into a glass, and then soak your earrings for two minutes. Remove them, rinse them thoroughly, and then dry them gently.
How To Care for Your Diamond Earrings
Considering you paid a pretty penny for your diamond studs, it is critical to ensure that they are well taken care of so they can serve you well for a long time.
Here are some tips to consider.
Take Your Diamond Earrings for Professional Cleaning Every Year
Even with the most diligent at-home cleaning, gemstones still require regular professional maintenance to remain in good condition. Professionals use mineral-specific technology to clean gemstones, allowing them to not only clean your diamond earrings effectively but also in the safest way possible.
Insure Your Diamond Earrings
You cannot go through all this hassle to take good care of your diamond studs and not have a plan in place in case they go missing.
Therefore, check with your insurance provider to see whether they can cover your diamond earrings. If they can’t, ask them for recommendations for reputable jewelry insurers. That way, you’ll avoid falling into the traps of unscrupulous individuals posing as jewelry insurers.
Don’t Store Your Diamond Earrings Next to Each Other
Storing your earrings correctly goes a long way in ensuring their longevity. That’s because proper storage protects diamond earrings from avoidable mishaps such as getting lost and falls that result in chipping.
That’s why you should have a proper jewelry box for storing your diamond earrings. However, remember not to place the earrings next to each other. As mentioned, diamonds can cut any material on earth, including other diamonds.
Therefore, by storing diamond earrings next to each other, you will be putting them in a position where they can scratch each other, impacting their aesthetic appeal and overall value.
Don’t Wear Your Diamond Earrings to Sleep
Sure, diamonds can’t be harmed by soft materials such as pillow covers. However, wearing your diamond earrings to sleep means you will be exposing them to more risk of falling off and losing them, not to mention nighttime sweating.
Don’t Remove Your Diamond Earrings Over a Sink
We are all guilty of taking off our jewelry in the bathroom. While you can take off your earrings in the bathroom, make sure you do not do it over the sink, as you can easily drop them in the sink and down the drain.
Put Your Diamond Earrings on Last
As mentioned earlier, beauty products can leave a film on your diamonds, taking away some of their shine. Moreover, they can make your earrings oily, thus making them dirt magnets.
Therefore, prevent that from happening by wearing the earrings last.
Style Tip for Wearing Diamond Earrings Every Day
Diamonds are quick to grab anyone’s attention. As such, if you plan to wear a specific pair of diamond earrings daily, you might want to choose one with smaller diamonds. That’s because smaller diamonds are inconspicuous enough to go under the radar, but also shiny enough to look elegant when hit with light at the right angle.
Final Thoughts
Diamond earrings are everyone’s best friend. So much so that some of us might consider wearing them every day.
You can wear diamond earrings daily. However, you will need to be prepared for the extra work that comes with keeping them in good condition. That’s because wearing a specific pair of earrings regularly means exposing them to dirt, oil, and other products more frequently.
Consequently, you’ll need to clean your earrings more often, in addition to taking them for professional maintenance routinely.
However, remember to remove your diamond earrings when bathing, exercising, or sleeping. That’s because those activities can increase the risk of losing or damaging the earrings.
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