Let me Explain

Sometimes, I don't think everyone understands how Jeweler in the Dishwasher really works. So, if you have a few minutes, I would like to explain the process.  I own a small retail jewelry, store, I do a lot of custom design work.  Depending on how intricate the piece is, custom work can get a little pricey, so I take gold as a trade in towards the bill, in most cases, this affords my customers a way to get the piece of fine jewelry that they really want.

With that being said, I took in a trade the other day, one of the pieces traded in was an old engagement ring with a small diamond center stone.  I noticed that there was a lot of dirt under the diamond, and this caused the brilliance in the diamond to die.  I decided to take the ring home, and clean it using my own Jeweler in the Dishwasher; this is the only way I clean my own jewelry.  Even though I have all of the equipment at my jewelry shop that is necessary to clean my jewelry, I prefer using Jeweler in the Dishwasher.  The vibration from an ultra sonic has always concerned me, because if any stones are loose, the vibration can cause the stone to wiggle out.  Jeweler in the Dishwasher is a soaking process, there is no vibration.  The pieces to be cleaned are either put in the eggs, and/or the soaker tank.  I always use the soaker tank on mountings that contain any gemstones, the water is retained in the soaker tank longer than it is in the eggs. This allows for a longer soaking process, and after the piece is removed from the soaker tank, it is a speedier process to brush the residue away.

This is where people tend to get a little confused.  Using Jeweler in the Dishwasher is not going to remove the dirt, it's a two part process.  Jeweler in the Dishwasher loosens and softens the dirt, allowing any remaining residue to be brushed away once the jewelry is removed from the dishwasher..

This is the ring that I took in on trade, notice all of the dirt trapped under the diamond, there is so much, that you can't even see the stone!

I placed the ring in my soaker tank.

I placed the soaker tank inside the outer basket of my Jeweler in the Dishwasher, secured the locks, and placed the basket on the top rack of my dishwasher.

After the dishwasher was finished running through all of the cycles, I took the Jeweler in the Dishwasher out of the dishwasher and looked inside the soaker tank (pictured above).  I noticed that a lot of the dirt was actually gone, but there was some remaining residue.

I removed the ring from the soaker tank, took a soft bristled tooth brush, and gently brushed around the diamond while holding the ring under hot water.

Notice that the dirt is COMPLETELY gone.  It took about 10-15 seconds of brushing to remove the residue, and now the area around the diamond it extremely clean.  The brown looking area at the base of the prongs is tarnish, this happens when a mounting is allowed to become extremely dirty for a long period of time.  

To sum things up, Jeweler in the Dishwasher is the first step in the process of cleaning fine jewelry, the second step is using a toothbrush to remove remaining residue.  Sometimes, the dirt is caked on so thick, that the piece needs to be ran through the dishwasher a second time.  It is a lot better for your mountings to keep them clean, it helps to prevent tarnish,  Also, if there is a small pit in the mounting, and dirt is allowed to build up, it can put pressure on the area where the pit is, and will weaken the metal, resulting in a crack or a break. 

I hope this explained the functionality of Jeweler in the Dishwasher, if you have any questions, please feel free to contact me! 

ALWAYS HAVE YOUR MOUNTINGS CHECKED BY YOUR JEWELER EVERY SIX MONTHS TO MAKE SURE STONES ARE SECURE, WHETHER, OR NOT, YOU USE JEWELER IN THE DISHWASHER.

What's New at Jeweler in the Dishwasher in 2014

Happy New Year!!  I can't believe that 2013 has already passed us by, but, I have to admit, I am looking to what 2014 will bring.

At Jeweler in the Dishwasher, we have our sights set on a new product that we will be introducing to our product line this year. After several requests for us to carry a product that removes tarnish from silver, I have finally come up with something that is easy to use, yet easily removes tarnish.  It is an all natural, safe for the environment, product.  I have included a couple of before and after pictures, to let you see for yourself, just how good the product works.  All you need is a little bit of time, everything else is supplied in our product package.  If you would like to be notified once the product is ready for market, please feel free to send us an email, and we will add you to our list.  Look below to see the results of some of our in house testing.  It's always an exciting time when we introduce a new product, and I'm really looking forward to getting this onto the market.

CHECK YOUR PRONGS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Why Should You Check Your Prongs?

In the directions for Jeweler in the Dishwasher, it states that you should have your prongs checked before using the product.  After listening to feedback about this from several people, it has become clear to me, that most people don't seem to  understand why their prongs need to be checked before using Jeweler in the Dishwasher. So, I'm going to address this.

Notice the two rings in the sketches on the left.  The ring on the left has a red x next to a worn prong, and the ring on the right has a blue x next to the broken prong. When prongs become worn, like the prong next to the red x, they become sharp and start snagging on things, like blankets, towels, hair, sweaters, etc.  It is this snagging that can cause the prong to pop off, like the prong next to the blue x in the picture on the right.  Once the prong pops off, a larger portion of the girdle of the stone (the edge of the stone) is exposed, allowing it to be susceptible to chipping.

You will notice that all the rest of the prongs in the pictures above appear to be in good shape.  However, if these were actual rings and not sketches, the prongs would all be worn about the same amount.  Meaning, they are all in danger of snagging and popping off, allowing the stone to fall out of the mounting.  If a stone is loose in the mounting, and is not ever tightened, it will begin to cut away at the inside of the prong.  So, now you have the tips of the prongs that are very worn, along with the inside of the prongs being cut away, which is not noticeable to the naked eye.  However, a jeweler can see the damage and can guide you towards the proper repair.  If the prongs are worn, they can be rebuilt, and the rebuilding should last about 2-3 years. However, if there are several prongs that are worn and some that are broke, the setting should be replaced. A new setting will last around 5 years, depending on the kind of wear it receives, and whether the prongs are white or yellow gold.

If you don't have a local jeweler to check your stones, you can send them to our jewelry store and we will check the prongs.  If repairs need to be made, we will contact you regarding the type of work that needs to be done, and give you an estimate for the repairs.  Our shop has been in business for 40 years, and all the work is done on the premises. Contact us through our website; www.jewelerinthedishwasher.com and we will give you directions for sending in your jewelry.

So, make sure you have your prongs checked every 6 months, and do any maintenance, like stone tightening, or prong rebuilding, that needs to be done.  Use Jeweler in the Dishwasher to keep your mountings clean, and your stones sparkling!!

What Happens if the Lids Come Off?

I know that it sounds really crazy to you that I even SUGGEST that you place your fine jewelry in the dishwasher to be cleaned, but, it is actually the best way to clean fine jewelry at home!.  Jeweler in the Dishwasher is designed to keep fine jewelry secured while in the dishwasher.  

Now I will address the usual question:  What happens if the lids come off while the basket is in the dishwasher??  I was initially a little surprised when I first heard this question, but I guess I shouldn't have been.  I think people have had it pounded into their brains that the force of the water inside of the dishwasher is extremely turbulent. So, a lot of people assume that the water will be slamming into each egg and the soaker tank while it is in the dishwasher.  I'm going to do my best to explain why this is the wrong assumption.

The outer basket acts as a locking mechanism for the eggs and the soaker tank.  It is specifically designed to keep the eggs and soaker tank stable, and in the upright position.The size of the holes in the eggs and the design of the lid on the soaker tank, prohibits the water from entering the units at a high speed.  Instead, the water trickles in, filling the eggs and the soaker tank, and then slowly drains out.  Instead of blasting the enclosed jewelry clean, it creates a gentle soaking process; that is actually why we call it a soaker tank.

I went to great lengths to make sure that this product does not open while it is in the dishwasher.  The eggs are threaded, so the only way that they can come open is if the top of the basket somehow became air-born, flew completely away from the bottom half of the basket, allowing the eggs to magically unscrew themselves, and then remove their own lids.  

I believe that it is IMPOSSIBLE for this product to open while in the dishwasher if the directions are followed.  But, just for the heck of it, I did a test of my own to see what would happen if I didn't follow the directions.  I placed one basket in the dishwasher without the lid.  I placed another basket in the dishwasher with the lid of the basket askew and I didn't secure the outer locks. 

In the before picture below with the yellow eggs, you can see that the eggs are in the upright position.  After I ran the cycles of the dishwasher and opened the door to see what happened, I noticed that the front egg was only slightly tilted, the back egg was still straight up.  Why didn't they fall over?  Because the water is entering from the top and the sides, filling each egg with water, and this keeps them in the upright position.  Attaching the lid  makes the whole process even more secure.

Next I placed the blue eggs in the outer basket, leaving the lid askew.  I also made sure not to lock either of the heavy duty outer locks on the outer basket.  I ran the dishwasher like I always do, and once the cycles were finished, I looked inside to see what happened with the lid.  As you can see in the after picture, the lid is slightly askew, but it is still pretty much in the same position it was in before I ran the dishwasher.  So, what does this mean? It means that if for some strange reason, BOTH outer locks become disengaged, the lid won't just blow away to oblivion;  It will pretty much be right where you left it!

I hope my experiment showed you that this is really an extremely secure way to clean fine jewelry!  If you have any questions or comments, please feel free to contact me!

I Think this one is Obvious!

Below is a before and after picture (click on the picture for a larger view) of a white gold wedding set that was cleaned using Jeweler in the Dishwasher.  Place your order today at www.jewelerinthedishwasher.com.

More Pictures...

I guess I'll just keep posting before and after pictures, since pictures speak volumes, or a picture is worth a thousand words; depending on which cliche you would like to use.  I had a customer bring in a wedding set that needed some work done; the ring was extremely dirty.  So, I decided that I would just go ahead and use my Jeweler in the Dishwasher to clean the piece.  It was simple; I just set the ring in the soaker tank, secured the lids, and then I set the basket on the top rack of the dishwasher.  I used the detergent that I always use, and ran the cycles that I always do.  When the dry cycle was completed, I took the piece out and brushed away the remaining residue.  It turned out B-E-A-U-T-I-F-U-L!  I truly believe that there is no easier, safer way to clean fine jewelry at home.  Okay, I'm done saying what I have to say.  Take a look at the picture, see what you think.

It is a Misconception.

I recently exhibited my product, Jeweler in the Dishwasher, at the International Home + Housewares Show in Chicago.  I always learn a lot when I do these trade shows, whether it's about packaging, manufacturing, or about new products that are coming to the market.  This year, I moved my booth to an area across from the inventor's corner, which was a really good place to be, because I was able to hear about several new products that were being pitched to a panel of judges for a completely unbiased, sometimes, heart wrenching review.

One of the products that caught my attention was a "new, improved" jewelry steam cleaner.  One of the judges asked the inventor how she came up with the idea for the product.  She said that she had received an engagement ring and wanted to keep it clean.  WHAT?????  That's it???  There's no experience in the jewelry industry that goes along with this product? 

After all, I am a seond generation bench jeweler and I have 40 years of experience designing, repairing and manufacturing fine jewelry, and I have owned and operated my own retail jewelry store for over 15 years. It is the experience I have  in the jewelry profession that led to the inception and design of Jeweler in the Dishwasher.  Although customers see jewelers using a steam cleaner in their shops, it is almost always used in conjunction with an industrial ultrasonic.  I believe it is a huge misconception that all you need to clean fine jewelry is a steam cleaner.

The steamer in my shop operates on 60-70 lbs. of pressure, and weighs about 50 pounds.  I have seen how small the steam cleaners for home use are, and I can't imagine that they generate enough pressure to even begin to remove caked on dirt. They may remove surface residues, but that's about it.

Jeweler in the Dishwasher works just as well as an ultrasonic followed by a steamer.  The degreaser in the detergent mixes with the hot water and GENTLY soaks the enclosed pieces.  After removing the jewelry from the Jeweler in the Dishwasher, brush away remaining residue with a toothbrush and dry with a soft towel.  Why spend $160.00 plus shipping for a steamer that won't work as well????

The above before and after picture is a ring that I cleaned using the Jeweler in the Dishwasher. I used the detergent that I always use, and I ran the cycles that I normally do, along with a full load of dishes. Once I removed the ring, I brushed under the stones with a toothbrush. Nothing else was used during this cleaning process. You can easily see the difference in the before and after picture.

The stones in the picture above, are from mountings that I have bought from customers, and then removed the stones.  I placed the stones upside down when I took the pictures so that you can easily see the gunk that had been trapped behind the stones while they were in the mountings.  The small yellowish stones in the lower right corner of the before picture are actually diamonds.  Pretty disgusting, right?  The same diamonds are in the after picture in the lower right corner.

 I thought I would see what would happen if I placed loose stones in the soaker tank.  Would they get clean? Would they go down the drain?  The results are; YES, as you can see, they did get clean!  And NO, they did not go down the drain.  The Jeweler in the Dishwasher does not use a vibration process like an ultrasonic.  It does not use force like a steamer.  It GENTLY soaks the enclosed jewelry.  The openings in the eggs and the soaker tank are so small that the water trickles in, it does NOT blast in, and then it slowly drains out.  This is a very gentle process!