Helpful Hints from joeeze: How to clean your diamond

Peter Schneirla was vice chairman of jeweler Harry Winston.

He told the Wall Street Journal's Joshua Lipton that he "sometimes got calls from customers distressed that their diamonds had lost their luster."

He may make a house call (don't try this if your name's not Beyoncé or P. Diddy), during which he introduces them to his personal cleaning mixture: a diluted mixture of ammonia and warm water (1 part ammonia to 3 parts water).

Here's the drill:

1) Immerse the diamond in the solution while holding it by the shank

2) Using an old toothbrush, make-up brush, or stiff-bristled paint brush, clean the diamond itself and in between the prongs and stone

3) Rinse under a faucet

4) Gently dry it with a lint-free towel

Note: Use this ammonia-based solution only to clean diamond rings set in platinum or gold — "it isn't appropriate for sapphires or emeralds."

Schneirla cautions against other popular remedies for dirty diamonds.

"Soap leaves a cloudy film on the stones, while turpentine can weaken the mounting."

You will note also the absence of an ultrasonic jewelry cleaner.

Wait a sec — what's that song I'm hearing?