It is often said that diamonds are a woman's best friend. Gift this precious stone to a woman and her reaction will say it all. Diamonds are rated on 4 Cs - cut, carat, colour and clarity. However, cleanliness can be easily considered as the fifth 'C' in this rating. When you buy this stone from a shop, you will get a well-polished one. After that, the onus of maintaining its lustre lies on you.

Expensive as they are, diamonds need to be maintained well in order to retain their lustre. And, here lies the importance of cleaning your gemstone periodically. Cleaning a diamond does not demand expertise; but, you ought to be careful as the settings of your ornament can sometimes obstruct the process.

The surface of this gemstone takes well to hydrophobic materials, oils and grease, and therefore, it is difficult to get them off. If not cleaned on time, these materials can reduce the shine in your diamond. Coloured dye or smudges can also be harmful for your gem.

Most jewellers provide sudsy ammonia cleaning kits to the buyers of diamonds. You can either do it yourself, or get it done from a professional cleaner. Many of them use steam cleaners and ultrasonic cleaners for this task.

Then, there are a number of easy, home-based cleaning methods that can be used on diamonds. Immerse the stone in solutions made of ammonia or ethyl alcohol. You can also mix mild grease dissolving detergent with warm water and immerse your diamond in this solution.

If you are not sure of how to clean your , let the experts do it. Do not take risks with your diamond. They are extremely valuable, in both monetary and emotional terms.