Physical Care & Cleaning
While many couples will want to take their rings with them everywhere, an engagement ring can very easily be damaged if you don’t take proper care of it.
Though diamonds and precious stones are tough, they aren’t indestructible, and there are a number of everyday activities that can cause them to become chipped, scratched, or broken. This is not only upsetting, but could also be very expensive.
To help you keep your engagement ring in perfect condition, we wanted to tell you about some of the common ways you could be damaging it- without even realizing.
1. Keeping it on while applying hand sanitiser
Did you know that excessive exposure to hand sanitiser could be making your stones lose their sparkle? Frequent contact with antibacterial ingredients can break down the brilliance of metals and gems over time, and it can also make the finish on white gold wear down faster. Doing this can also destroy the setting, as the consistent use of hand sanitiser can loosen the prongs that hold diamonds in place. This damage wouldn’t happen overnight, but expert jewelers suggest removing your ring when applying any antibacterial solution and waiting until it’s completely dried before putting it back on your finger.
2. Wearing it while cleaning
If you don’t wear rubber gloves when you do your household cleaning, you might want to take your engagement ring off, as there’s a high chance it will be damaged by harsh cleaning products. Bleach and common abrasive cleaners can eat away at the metal, while also damaging weaker stones such as topaz, aquamarine, and amethyst.
3. Exercising while wearing it
If you’re planning on hitting the gym, lock your ring in the changing rooms. Building muscle in the weight room is a healthy choice of activity, but it’s also a high danger zone for your engagement and wedding rings, so keep them out if you can. This is because the pressure of the weight’s bars could bend the band of your ring whilst in your grip. Weightlifting is especially bad for a pavé band because the smaller stones can fall out of their setting.
4. You use common hacks to clean it
When it comes to precious stones, there’s a lot of confusion about how they should be cleaned. There are all sorts of “miracle tips” for cleaning jewelry like using baking soda, white vinegar, and bicarbonate of soda, however, this method should only be applied to silver jewelry – never on diamonds, precious stones, gold, or platinum. And not all articles or “how to” videos might include an important distinction like that.
5. You leave it on when you shower
We know showering will keep our skin clean, but did you know it could actually make your engagement ring look dirty? Long term exposure to scented soaps, shampoos, and conditioners can cause cloudy build-up on your stone, or worse, under your stone—which is much harder to clean. Also, when you get out of the shower, don’t immediately put the ring back on if you plan to apply body lotion or moisturizer as these thick lotions can also dull the stones and metal, making them look worn and dirty.
It is encouraged to have an engagement ring professionally cleaned by a jeweler every six months.
If your engagement ring looks like it needs a clean and polish, or you’ve lost a stone and need to get it repaired or remodeled, we offer a number of services to help you get your jewelry sparkling again.
Simply speak to one of our in house repair experts!
Insurance & Appraisals
Arranging insurance coverage for your ring is one of the easiest ways to make sure your jewelry’s value is protected if it’s lost, stolen or damaged in any way.
Upon its initial purchase, the right coverage for your engagement ring can be determined based on its monetary value. But if it is passed down or inherited in some way, a jewelry appraisal may be needed to make sure coverage is adequate.
Relying on insurance coverage is a great way to rest easy knowing that if the worst happened, insurance would replace or repair your ring. Since replacing or fixing a damaged ring can be a great expense, it is often a challenge to budget for replacement or repairs for many couples.
Jewelry insurance is available in four main ways: under a homeowner’s or renter’s policy, through the homeowner’s or renter’s policy with a jewelry addition, as a specific property policy, or through a specialized jewelry policy.
Once your ring is insured, it's very important to get it appraised about every three to five years. And to be safe, for insurance purposes, we recommend getting an appraisal done before traveling so that, if lost or damaged, your insurer can reference the most accurate value possible! Your insurance company may require you to update your appraisal more frequently than recommended which will be an important thing to know as well.
