Your engagement ring is your pride and joy so you need to keep it looking good, shining and scratch-free. Here’s how to take care of your ring!
Image by Maegan Tintari via Flickr
Your gorgeous engagement ring is a symbol of love. No doubt you treasure it and want it to look beautiful forever. That’s why cleaning and caring for your diamond ring is so important.
But just how do you take care of handmade diamond engagement rings?
Handling the Ring
When you pick up your diamond engagement ring, always do so by the band and not by the setting or stone. This will ensure that the oils on your skin won’t build up around the setting and will help to keep the diamond secure in the setting for years to come.
The Metal
While white gold and platinum rings aren’t going to tarnish, they may become scratched over time which will make them look worn out. While some people like this aged look, you can give the metal a quick polish to bring it back to its original shimmer. Gold is a softer metal than platinum so it’s easier to repair. Sending your handmade diamond engagement rings to be polished is usually inexpensive and scratches are easy to remove when done by a jeweller.
Storing Your Ring
Diamonds are known for their robustness but while they are hardy for everyday wear, they could scratch your other jewellery. Be sure to store your diamond ring away from other jewels. Better yet, keep the ring in a soft fabric pouch or a velvet ring box.
Protecting Your Engagement Ring
During everyday wear, there are a multitude of opportunities for the ring to become dirty. Substances that can accumulate on and around the ring’s setting include hairspray, shampoo, soap, make-up and even flour. Be sure to take your ring off when working with greasy and dirty substances or before lifting or cleaning to ensure that the ring stays clean.
Think About Common Chemicals
Chemicals hairspray can potentially cause lasting damage to your diamond engagement ring. Chlorine is among one of the biggest culprits. Not only should you remove your ring before using bleach or chemicals like hair dye, but be sure to wear gloves and wash your hands well before wearing your ring again. You’ll want to protect your skin and your precious ring.
Chips
Diamonds, while exceptionally hard, are a naturally occurring material that form into crystals so they’re definitely not immune to scratches and chips. So it’s important to take extra care when doing manual work or heavy lifting. You might scratch other items causing chips to your diamond ring or you could loosen the setting.
Soaking your Ring
If you’re keen to giving your ring a quick spruce up at home, try soaking it in a bowl for ten minutes with one part household ammonia and four parts warm water. Remove the ring and gently brush it with a super soft brush. Dip the ring back into the mixture and then rinse it off and dry on tissue paper. You can also use a hairdryer to dry your ring.
Using Detergent
You might also like to use a mild liquid household detergent. Make a bowl of soapy, warm water and let the ring soak in the mixture for half an hour. Dry the ring off with a soft fabric cloth.
Getting a Professional Check-Up
Even the most secure settings risk loosening over time, especially if you wear your ring all day, every day. You should have your diamond engagement ring checked professionally for manufacturing defects, warped prongs or any other issues that could loosen the setting. Whether you bought your handmade diamond engagement rings in Melbourne or anywhere else, ensure that you only trust an expert in doing this check-up. This is not a DIY job. An expert jeweler will check the ring and give it a clean and polish at the same time.
Follow these tips to keep your precious diamond engagement ring looking beautiful for the many years to come. If you’re in any doubt about any issues, you can always ask the experts.
