Your engagement ring is the embodiment of your love, and, like your love, you need to know how to take care of it. Your care, though, doesn’t begin and end with just cleaning your ring. Rather there are many practices and procedures for your ring's safety you need to start today to extend its beauty.
You Should Purchase An Insurance Policy On Your Ring Right Away
Jewelry is meant to be worn not stored away out of fear of losing it. Most think adding their new ring to their homeowner's policy is the only way to go. But did you know there is PRIVATE JEWELRY INSURANCE, AND THERE IS AN IMPORTANT DIFFERENCE... Customers insuring their jewelry on their homeowner's policy is not always the best choice. Homeowners' policies are designed to insure homes, not jewelry. Often a homeowners policy will not cover loss, damage, or disappearance. Also, if a treasured piece of jewelry is lost, your homeowners' policy may require you to use a jeweler you don't know to replace your ring. In these instances, the replacement may not match the standards and quality of the original piece from your jeweler, leaving you heartbroken over the loss and disappointed with the replacement.
SVS FINE JEWELRY is not an insurance company but we do recommend the following private jewelry partners to help you insure your jewelry:
GEMSHIELD - https://www.preferredjewelersinternational.com/insurance/
JEWELERS MUTUAL - https://www.jewelersmutual.com/jewelry-engagement-ring-insurance-quote?msclkid=f5aaf992e93e1e186527a6081ab1587d
Enjoy Wearing Your Ring Unless You’re Doing This…
You got engaged…it is stunning and you want to keep it that way. Just because the ring represents your forever does not mean you should wear it 24/7. Our experts have compiled a list of when they think you should give your bling a break in order to avoid needing repairs:
- HAND SANITIZER- Listen we understand in this day in age we need to wash our hands and use sanitizers a thousand times a day. If you continue to expose your ring to sanitizer you are going to start wearing the white gold down causing a slight yellowing of the metal. This will cause you to need to visit the jeweler to have a rhodium plate or “dip” service performed on your ring often. Services like this start at $60. But if you keep on pushing with the chemicals found in sanitizers you can loosen the prongs and cause the ring to lose its shine! So yes we understand you need to be germ-free and we want you to stay healthy but please simply remove the ring before you sanitize it to keep your ring healthy too! Speaking of health, if you get sick…ditch the rings! When you are under the weather your body does crazy things, you swell, sweat, lose weight, etc… All of which can cause the fit of your ring to be compromised. We have had to cut rings off clients who swelled and that is never fun.
- CLEANING THE HOUSE- Speaking of chemicals this is a HUGE NO, NO! Yes, you risk bumping your ring on the side of the sink or snagging it while doing laundry but the real hidden danger is the chemicals you are cleaning with! Bleach, ammonia, and other chemical solvents found in popular cleaners can permanently damage not just the metal but also your center stone! We have had plenty of clients try to protect their rings while cleaning by slipping on those old yellow rubber gloves, while yes we are thrilled the chemicals are not touching the ring, please do not forget to take those gloves off easily. You do not want to snag a prong or bend the head of your ring if it gets caught on the rubber.
- COOKING & BAKING- Ok this one should be a no brainer. Nothing is worse than taking a look at a ring after someone made meatballs the night before in it! No way! When you cook or bake and your hands get sticky, oily, or even smelly, please do your ring a favor and spare it from the chaos. The food debris that gets stuck under prongs, even if you clean with soap after, actually stays there. They form a glue-like bond under your ring, dulling it and eating away at the metal.
- THE GYM- wearing your new bling while playing sports, lifting weights, doing cardio, or just sweating to the oldies is not the best choice. Apart from the obvious, that you can hit the ring while working out, you can also loosen stones with the constant hits. Also, let's talk about sweat people…depending on your chemical makeup sweat and oil can cause gross guck to build up in your ring, causing your diamond not to sparkle. I mean, after all, your ring is a symbol of your love, not a sports tool needed to win!
- SLEEPING- Okay this one is often overlooked but think about it, if you sleep on your hands with all pressure you can cause your hand to swell, the ring to bend, or even the stones to fall out. Don't even ask us how many rings we have seen come in for repair from a ring sleeper that is oval and not round anymore! Plus, you can snag the prongs of the ring on the sheets, pajamas, or even your hair.
- SWIMMING- Ok, rings should NOT BE AT THE BEACH! Have you ever jumped into the pool and came only to notice your skin feeling tight or even itchy from the chlorine? Ever gone to the beach and jumped into the ocean and come out with your skin feeling covered in salt. All those chemicals wear on the metal of your ring too! If you do jump in with your ring on, make sure to clean your ring when you get back inside. There is also the dreaded pond or river. If you take a dip in those with your ring on there is a chance your finger can shrink slightly and it can be lost forever. So do yourself a favor and avoid the unnecessary exposure to your ring while swimming.
- APPLYING SKINCARE- Any of your daily face routine should be done before you put any of your jewelry on. We have actually seen clients whose pearls have been ruined by hair spray and perfumes. When it comes to your engagement ring any of these creams, gels, make-ups, or beauty products all contain chemicals that will wear away at your metal. After all, the only thing holding that beautiful diamond in the center of the ring is usually four small prongs. Please be kind to them. Over time all those lotions and potions build up causing more dirt and grime to get stuck inside and under the stones eventually loosening stones and wearing away the metal. Speaking of lotion, feel free to wear your rings to the nail salon but when it is time for the lotion to be applied for the hand massage simply pause and take them off. Your ring will stay sparkly and your jeweler will thank you.
If You Absolutely HAVE to Take Off Your Ring In Public - You Should Loop It Around Your Necklace And Wear It That Way
We understand having to take off your ring brings on fears of losing it. First, your ring should be insured so you can stress less about ever having to replace it at your own expense. But second, just go with an easy tip my Mom taught me. Simply slide your ring onto your necklace. It will be safe freeing up your hands to work without fear of damage. Not wearing a chain, we have also seen clients use a Lion Latch (you can find them on Amazon) on their key chain or purse. This unique little safe for your ring was seen on SHARK TANK and is pretty cool.
Your Ring Is A Big Deal — So It Deserves A Designated Home
Taking your ring off at home will become second nature but leaving it lying around is not a good idea. We suggest a cute little ring dish or even a jewelry box. Having a designated home for your ring allows it to become a habit to take it off and put it in the right place.
Harsh Chemicals Like Bleach And Chlorine Are Not Your Engagement Ring’s Friend, You Should Clean Your Ring Monthly And Have It Professionally Cleaned At Least Twice Per Year
We always offer free cleanings in our showroom to keep your ring beautiful, but in between visits you can clean your ring at home using a simple method. Every day you expose your ring to body oils, lotions you have on, and sometimes the dreaded hand sanitizers. All of these dull your ring. While at-home cleanings are not a replacement for the professional spa treatments we perform on your ring during a cleaning visit, you can use a safe cleaner at home to help your ring.
We suggest cleaning once a week at home with our all-natural jewelry cleaner. It is safe for all metals and gems.
How Does It Work? Our cleaner is a non-toxic, biodegradable formulation that turns the grease, oil, and grime on the jewelry into soap right on the surface so that the ionic reaction actually sequesters all the dirt, oil, and grime and rinses away completely with water leaving your jewelry absolutely clean and sparkling. If you do not have our cleaner at home we suggest a simple dishwashing soap like Dawn. Simply use a SOFT toothbrush to gently work the foam into the piece, then rinse and either air dry or wipe with a clean cloth.
Always visit the jeweler twice a year to have your ring professionally cleaned. Our jewelers first inspect the ring for any damage to prongs or the stone, then they ultra sonic bathe your ring and rinse it before it receives a high-pressure steam bath. Finally, they re-inspect the ring to ensure all stones are tight.
Get Your Setting and Prongs Checked While Your Ring Is Being Professionally Cleaned
When we perform our professional ring spa on your ring our jewelers check your prongs and check the overall health of your setting. We recommend doing this twice a year. If you are a member of our Preferred Jewelers International Warranty we require your ring to visit us every 6 months to ensure it is in tip-top shape.
Have Your Setting Polished Or Dipped Every Three Years
Normal wear of your white gold engagement ring can result in a slight yellowing of the metal. We suggest a rhodium dip every three years to keep it bright and white. Gold is naturally not white and in order to get that beautiful white color, it is mixed with other white metals and then dipped into a rhodium solution to give it the luster. The only metal that is naturally white that is used in engagement rings is platinum and it does not require rhodium maintenance.