How to clean your jewelry?  It is important to keep your diamond and gemstone jewelry clean. Lotions, powders, and your skin oils will dull the stones and reduce the brightness. Prepare a small bowl of warm water using any mild liquid detergent. Soak the jewelry for a few minutes and then brush gently with a soft toothbrush, keeping the jewelry soaked in the water. Then rinse thoroughly under running water after closing the drain or put jewelry in a wire strainer before placing under the running water. Then dry the jewelry with a soft lint free cloth or paper towel.

To clean your diamonds, prepare a solution of cold water and ammonia (50% water and 50% ammonia) and soak the diamond in this solution for around 30 minutes. Lift it and tap it gently from the sides and then brush it gently with a soft toothbrush. Rinse and dry with a soft cloth or paper towel. Always wear protective eye gear when brushing.

To clean your wedding ring or any other gold jewelry without diamonds or gemstones, rubbing with a soft chamois cloth and it will restore much of the luster. Tarnish can be removed with a solution of soap and water to which a few drops of ammonia has been added. Using a soft toothbrush, brush the jewelry with this solution, rinse with warm water and dry with a soft cloth. Grease can be removed by dipping in plain rubbing alcohol.

Why is it important to get an appraisal?  Getting an appraisal is important for following reasons:

to verify the facts about the jewelry you have purchased.

to get adequate insurance against theft, loss or damage.

Appraisals for diamond (center stone mostly 1 carat and up) can be obtained by buying a diamond that comes with a diamond grading report from places like Gemological Institute of America (GIA) or European Gemological Institute (EGL) and so on ..... Bill of sale should also include facts about the jewelry you have purchased.

How to choose your insurer?  The first step is to get an complete appraisal and then second step is to find an insurer. Most insurers differ in what they offer regarding coverage and reimbursement or replacement. Some insurance companies will not reimburse full value but allow replacement. Please ask insurer at least the following questions:

Do you reimburse the full amount in cash or do you replace the jewelry?

How much involvement would I have in replacement of jewelry?

What about jewelry that cannot be replaced?

What kind of risks does my insurance policy cover? Am I covered in all geographic locations and at all times even if it could be a mysterious disappearance?

What happens if I lose jewelry because of my negligence?

What documentation do you expect from me to provide?

Tips on getting the diamond you really want within your budget?

Questions to ask when buying a diamond?  On limited budgets you have to compromise on something- either the size, color, clarity, or liveliness. Go for color and liveliness (cut and make) as clarity is the least important in our opinion (example SI1 or SI3 clarity diamonds once set in a ring, inclusions cannot be seen in most cases without using a magnifier). Another example, if you have a ring set with a well cut 1 carat D Color VVS1 Clarity diamond and another ring set with a 1 carat D Color SI2 Clarity diamond next to each other, you will not be able to see any difference without a magnifier.

Lot of people want to get a 1 carat diamond. Diamond prices increases significantly when it reaches 1 carat. So try to get a 0.90 carat diamond which will be much lesser in price and once set, few can notice the difference between a 0.90 carat or 1 carat diamond.

What to look for as far as diamond color goes? Diamonds with colors graded by GIA from D to H are considered white range. I and J color diamonds have a slight yellowish or brownish tint. K and L color diamonds have yellowish or brownish tint which is easily visible. M through Z color diamonds may appear yellowish or brownish white. Cost wise D and F color diamonds mat vary a lot, but when set it is extremely difficult to tell difference between D to F color diamonds. People on limited budget should consider this carefully.

Choosing the right setting is also important as they can make your diamond appear whiter. L-M color diamonds will appear whiter in a white gold or platinum setting as whiteness of the metal is reflected into the diamond and masks the yellow of the diamond. M-Z color diamonds will be better in a yellow gold setting as the bright yellow of the setting masks the yellowish tint of the diamond, and often makes the diamond appear whiter.

What kind of flaws to go for in a diamond? Normally diamonds with I1 clarity and lower, the inclusions can be seen happen with naked eye once set in the ring.

Consider shapes other than round. Round brilliant diamond is considered by most to be the cut that displays diamond's maximum beauty, it normally looks smaller than diamonds cut in another shapes.

Consider setting like pave setting which uses several small diamonds than one large diamond. Setting with diamond accents on the sides also make the ring look bigger.

Bold designs also add importance and distinctiveness to smaller diamonds.

Listen to your heart as well as your head. The important thing is that you should be happy with your ring.