Engagement Ring Care is Essential
Engagement rings are such an important asset. You have probably waited a long time to get yours and now you have it the responsibility that comes with it may have left you feeling a little daunted. This is an expensive ring, you’re not only emotionally attached to the ring you’re also now responsible for the care of the expensive gem to ensure it doesn't get lost or damaged. Keeping it in good condition is vital as you will probably be passing your engagement ring down your family line for generations to come. Here are a few tips that will help you to keep it safe and sparkly.
Avoid wearing your ring in the following situations
- In bed
Catch a claw on your bed linen and turn in you sleep and you are exerting 8 times the pressure that the diamond setter used to set the stone. You will lift that claw, you will dislodge that stone.
- In the shower or bath and while applying make-up
Soap, creams, gels, pastes, face-packs, shampoos, perfumes, and any of the countless beauty products are ring-damaging slow-cookers. Every time you use one product on any part of your body, a small quantity of it will end up on and in your engagement ring. This buildup does two things over time. First, it attracts as much dirt, grease, and grime as it can; second, it gets deeper and deeper into the nooks and crannies of your ring, it is going to cause accelerated physical deterioration and loosening of the stones as the pressure from beneath grows.
- Washing up, hand-washing clothes
Grease is attracted to diamonds like a magnet. Both the metal and the stones can be permanently damaged by bleach, ammonia, and other solvents. Bleach is not a friend to diamonds, even though they are the hardest natural material in the world. Bleach and other harsh cleaning agents shouldn't’t be allowed anywhere near your engagement ring, they can leave the gemstone looking dull and lacking lustre. This is true for other stones too. When you are cleaning remove your ring or wear very good rubber gloves if you are cleaning at home. If you’re a cleaner by professional your are probably best off leaving your ring at home in a safe place.
- Cleaning the house
Banging your ring on countertops or other hard surfaces can be a genuine problem, but this risk pales in comparison to the harm that aggressive cleaning chemicals can cause. Both the metal and the stones can be permanently damaged by bleach, ammonia, and other solvents.
- Down the gym
An absolute no-no, so many potentials to damage and knocks. Extreme movement of most types of exercise can cause the ring to twist, and, eventually, this may lead to the stones loosening enough that you won’t realise it’s gone until it’s too late and don't get us talking about the damage that barbells cause.
- Swimming
Your fingers will reduce in size in water, there is a risk of losing the ring. Then there is salt and chlorine which will affect the metal of the band, especially if it is plated metal like white gold. Salt, basically, rots everything over time so, if you do go in the sea wearing your ring, have it cleaned as soon as is practical, no better, don't wear you ring in the sea. Sand can and will wreck the shine of the band or the clarity of a diamond.
- Gardening and DIY
These activities have all the enemies, dirt, dust, chemicals, damage and stresses.
- Cooking and Baking
Apart from when we apply lotions and creams to our bodies, cooking is probably the second most common cause of debris adhering to your engagement ring, all that fat and flour
Engagement Ring Insurance
Get insurance! It sounds very simple but many brides forget to insure their ring as they don’t consider it to be a financial investment – more a sign of love. Your ring is both and therefore you need insurance to limit the heartbreak that comes with losing a ring or getting it stolen. We recommend T.H March, mention our name.
Take off Your Engagement Ring
When you bath, shower, wash your hands, garden, housework, sleep, swim or go to the gym. If you forget your ring in a public restroom or at the gym you’ll be devastated so keep it safe, and if you are washing your hands, put it between you teeth. You’ll not forget it. If it drops down the plug hole it will be gone forever.
Schedule Engagement Ring Maintenance
Schedule regular maintenance with us at ComparetheDiamond.com (formerly diamondgeezer.com) to keep your ring in tip top condition. Every year go to /returns/. a return your ring for a valet. It’s a next day service and we’ll check your ring over, check the security of the settings and return it in showroom condition. This is more important as the years go on, a little bit of extra care for your twenty year old ring can prevent lost gemstones.
Elizabeth Taylor is known for cleaning her jewellery with hot water a toothbrush and lashings of gin! We don’t recommend using the same technique. Use hot water, a soft bristled toothbrush and a very mild washing liquid or soak the ring in equal parts of ammonia and cold water for thirty minutes before letting it air dry. You can also buy commercial jewellery cleaners, this one from Lakeland get our vote. But be warned these machines can vibrate stones from settings, a good test of their security.
Carry a Box for Your Engagement Ring
To be on the safe side it’s worth carrying around a ring box everywhere you go. Rather than leaving your engagement ring on a counter top or in your pocket place it safely in the box and leave it in a locked safe if at all possible. If you’re caught short attach it to your key ring for safe keeping, just don’t lose your keys!
