We know you love your new Engagement Ring, and if we made it, know that we are still in love with it, too!
Now that it's on your finger, I'm here to give you the info you need to keep it sparkly and beautiful for years.
So, How do you care for your Engagement Ring?
Here are our top 10 rules for wearing, maintaining, and protecting your precious new piece of jewelry, in order of importance:
1. Remove your engagement ring before doing anything super physical (or where the ring is likely to get snagged, beat up, or otherwise damaged).
*I'm looking at you, crossfitters and gardeners.
*This is extra important for non-diamond Engagement rings with softer stones.
2. Don't sleep in your ring. I know, unpopular opinion. Seriously!
Here’s why: Skin needs to breathe, or it can become irritated. And, believe it or not, constant rubbing of bedding against prongs and gems will result in increased wear over time, a.k.a. repairs needed. Prongs are also notorious for getting caught in bedding while you sleep, and in worst-case-scenario can be pulled back, loosening a stone.
3. Take it off (temporarily) when using lotions, soaps, makeup, perfumes, household cleaners, and while painting or baking. You wouldn’t believe the stuff jewelers see embedded between and behind stones! I could honestly blow your mind with the things I've seen!
To keep it looking sparkly, avoid gunking your ring up with all your personal care add-ons. It’ll keep you from having to clean it constantly.
4. Get it checked AT LEAST once a year. I do this for free, always, whether I made it or not. If you're not in Greenville, SC -- find a jeweler you trust. I cannot emphasize that enough. It’s always better to find issues early than after you've lost your diamond.
5. Insurance exists for a reason. Yes, it's extra. Yes, there's a cost associated with it (it's usually not significant). But -- it's worth it! If your ring(s) were a splurge, you'll like having the peace of mind. Insurance won't replace the sentimental value of grandma's heirloom diamond, but it will usually buy you a new one and all the gold to go with it if the worst happens, and you won't be paying out of pocket.
*Special consideration for those with heirloom remakes: you may not be thinking about the 'real' costs of loss if you had existing materials to use -- it can be a lot higher than you realize.
For reference, I average about 2 remakes a year for clients who have lost their rings (and I'm not a super high volume operation -- there's only one of me--so let that sink in). It's almost never damage or theft... but loss, and it's also almost always a combination of water, good times, and maybe a little alcohol. This brings me to my next rule, where I'll explain why!
6. Think twice before wearing your rings in the water. Seems strange, I know, but it's the #1 way clients lose rings. Let me explain: the lake, the ocean, and the pool are usually cooler than the ambient temperature and your body temperature. This means your fingers get just a tad smaller when you're in the water, and it doesn't take much for a ring to slip away. Add to the mix a bit of fun and play or alcohol, and you might not even notice it's happened.
*I have legitimately had a client hiring divers to swim around a dock where a piece was lost. It's a long shot, but it's a thing. Docks are best water-case scenario.
While we're on the subject of sun & sand: sand is mostly quartz, and is also quite abrasive on materials that are less hard than it. This includes softer gold alloys (like 18 or 22k) and soft stones like opals (not your Diamonds or Sapphires). If you're going to be building sandcastles, you might want to leave the rings with soft stones or high karat content at the house.
7. Store jewelry in a soft, safe place where it won’t be bumping or jingling around with other jewelry. I know this seems obvious, but I have repaired SO MANY pieces that were damaged from careless tosses into purses, or car cup holders, or other random places.
The solution for this is super easy and inexpensive: get yourself a small zippable, structured travel case (read: not floppy bag) for your purse. Something like THIS is perfect -- it's checks all the boxes and can be clipped in, and it's cute.
Get yourself a few ring dishes to have around the house, too: one at every sink, and another next to your bed.
*BONUS: This will probably keep you from losing pieces, too.
8. Rings and sinks don’t mix. When you DO take your ring off for all of those things we mentioned before, don’t leave them tragically close to the sink! We know it’s tempting, but you wouldn’t believe how often plumbers get called on emergency ring hunts. I actually know a guy that has to go down a manhole every now and then as part of his job. The standing rule for such fun spelunking adventures is 'any jewelry you find you get to keep'. #truestory
Find yourself a pretty little ring dish, and always put it nearby, but not too close.
I like this style near sinks.
9. Clean your jewelry with the right cleaners (once a week for maintaining maximum sparkle!). This is different for different stones. Diamonds can be cleaned with pretty much any jewelry cleaner, but those pearls, opals, and other soft stones can’t handle being exposed to chemicals. If you’re not sure, take it to a jeweler for cleaning and get an at-home recommendation while you’re there.
When in doubt, a soft toothbrush is always safe, and a mild dish detergent is too.
*NEVER use baking soda or toothpaste when cleaning your ring. I don't care what you saw on the internet -- it's not safe. Both are abrasive, and will scratch metals and some stones.
10. Say NO to wearing your nice jewelry in or around chlorine or bleach. It's a widely known thing amongst jewelers that gold can exhibit damage due to chlorine exposure. It literally breaks down the molecular structure of the metal, making it extremely brittle and more likely to become damaged. By the time you know you have it, it's really too late to fix. Any repairs are bandaids and simply won't last or be warrantied, as the structural integrity of the metal itself has been compromised.
Yes, all of our cities put a little chlorine (and chloramine) in the system -- this is not the major concern, though. I'd be careful of frequenting hottubs and pools, paricularly those that are public or at vacation spots as they have the highest chemical levels. If you have a job that requires you to frequently use these chemicals you might also consider wearing a stand in ring while at work. Public and vacation pools and hottubs often have much higher chemical levels.