You’ll never want to forget the day you said forever. One way to keep that day shiny and fresh is to keep your sparkler looking brand new.
Because they’re worn every day, engagement rings can take a beating. You wear it at work, while you wash the dishes and when you play. Over time, dust and grime can clog the crevices, and scratches can mar the metal’s sheen.
Fortunately, sound habits can prevent damage and keep your engagement ring looking new, anniversary after happy anniversary. Let’s look at 15 ways to care for your rock.
15 Ways to Keep Your Engagement Ring Looking Brand New:
- Remove It When Applying Lotions and Creams
- Don't Wear It While Cleaning
- Store Your Ring Safely
- Avoid Resizing More Than Once
- Clean It Regularly
- Get a Professional Cleaning Now and Then
- Remove Your Ring When Working in the Garden
- Don't Wear it When You Swim
- Avoid Wearing it While Playing Certain Sports
- Hands Off the Diamond
- Wait to Put Your Jewellery On
- Use the Band for Handling It
- Refresh the Metal Every Few Years
- Don't Remove Your Ring in Public
- Insure Your Engagement Ring with JewelCover
1. Remove It When Applying Lotions and Creams
Lotions and creams leave a residue on gemstones, reducing their ability to shine. Creams can even chemically alter the colour of some precious metals. Gold and platinum, for instance, can lose some of their pigment when they’re coated in lotion. Keep your ring brilliant by removing it when you apply lotions and creams.
2. Don’t Wear It While Cleaning
Some household cleaning solutions are strong enough to react with the metal in your ring. Instead of trying to find out which chemicals are safe and which aren’t, develop the habit of removing your engagement ring before tackling household chores.
3. Store Your Ring Safely
And since we’re talking about removing your ring, where will you put it while you’re scrubbing the tub? Please don’t set your engagement ring on the edge of the sink or counter; it’s far too risky. It could fall onto a tile floor or clatter down a drain. Instead, place your ring in a padded box or a ring holder for the times such as these. It will safely wait until your hands are clean and ready to wear once more.
4. Avoid Resizing More Than Once
Many women have their engagement rings resized during or soon after pregnancy. Resist the temptation to do this. The chances are good that your ring will fit properly again soon. Too much tinkering can permanently damage your band and cause it to look battered and “not right.” If you don’t like the idea of going ringless during your pregnancy, invest in a simple, inexpensive band that can act as a substitute until your body has returned to normal.
5. Clean It Regularly
Everything requires cleaning: our homes, our phones, our clothing, our cars. And engagement rings are no exception. Because of their lustrous metals and sparkly stones, engagement rings don’t appear to be collecting dirt. But you’ll be surprised at the difference when you give your rock a simple, home cleaning. Check out how to clean your jewellery.
6. Get a Professional Cleaning Now and Then
Once every year or two, take your precious bauble back to your jeweller for a professional cleaning. At this time, your jeweller can give the ring a quick check-up as well, making sure the claw is intact, and the setting is secure. If anything is amiss, your jeweller can tune it up and prevent unnecessary damage.
7. Remove Your Ring When Working in the Garden
The garden is a dangerous place for jewellery. Just ask Mary Grams. She lost her engagement ring while digging in her garden in 2004. She and her husband spent hours on their hands and knees, searching for the ring in the soil. Thirteen years later, her daughter-in-law dug up a carrot and was shocked to find an engagement ring spanning the vegetable’s circumference! Don’t count on such a miraculous result if you lose your ring in the garden; leave it safely in its velvet box while you dig.
8. Don’t Wear it When You Swim
Swimming endangers your precious ring in several ways. First, when your hands are cold, your fingers shrink, making it easy for your sparkler to slip off into the deep. Second, it isn’t easy to judge distances underwater. You could scrape your ring on the side of a swimming pool or a rock in the ocean. Keep it safe by leaving it home when you swim.
9. Avoid Wearing it While Playing Certain Sports
Your engagement ring should be fine while you’re hiking and running, but certain sports pose specific dangers. Playing sports that require you to hold something in your hand, like a tennis racquet or dumbells, can chip your diamond or knock the stones out of place. Again, stow your ring in its safe spot while you play.
10. Hands Off the Diamond
If you love the way your diamond sparkles in the light, don’t touch it. The oils on your skin will dull the diamond’s surface and make it appear cloudy. Of course, you can always clean your ring to restore its sparkle, but why not let it shine all the time?
11. Wait to Put Your Jewellery On
When you get ready in the morning, put your jewellery on last. Perfume, makeup, lotions and hairspray can damage and dull your engagement ring. Additionally, wait until after showering to put on your jewellery, as soap can create a layer of buildup on your gemstones.
12. Use the Band for Handling It
Always pick up your engagement ring using the band, not the diamond. As we’ve already mentioned, touching the diamond will dampen its sparkle, but that’s not the only reason. Diamond settings tend to loosen over time, primarily when they’re handled roughly. Develop the habit of grasping it by the band.
13. Refresh the Metal Every Few Years
Depending on your ring’s precious metal type, you’ll need to follow care instructions to keep it looking brand new. Over time, every metal tarnishes due to oxygen and moisture. Let’s look at recommendations for different metals.
Platinum and Yellow Gold
These precious metals require polishing every couple of years to maintain their lustrous, smooth surface and tell-tale shine.
White Gold
White gold owes its gorgeous silvery-white sheen to rhodium plating, which tends to wear off over time. Every few years, take your white gold engagement ring to the jeweller for a rhodium dip. This process is surprisingly inexpensive.
14. Don’t Remove Your Ring in Public
It’s tempting to take your ring off while washing your hands in a public bathroom, but don’t do it. Your sparkler could slide down the drain or fall on a tile floor. Worst of all, you might forget it altogether. Plan ahead of time for workouts or manual activity by leaving it safely stored at home on such days.
15. Insure Your Engagement Ring with JewelCover
Your rock’s sentimental value is irreplaceable, but you can have it restored to you if it’s ever lost, stolen or damaged.
Insure your engagement ring for its full replacement value, and you’ll never have to face the prospect of life without it. Because the price of diamonds and metals fluctuates (usually rises) over time, you’ll need a policy that includes complimentary revaluations each year when you renew.
And make sure you find an insurance policy that allows you to return to your original jeweller after a claim. At JewelCover, we’ve built an engagement ring insurance policy that fully protects your investment and offers the ultimate in peace of mind.
To get started with your policy, fill out this form. We’ll help you keep that sparkler looking brand new, year in and year out.