Seven Ways To Maintain Your Ring

After investing in an engagement ring, many people would understandably want to maintain it’s pristine look for as long as possible. So here are our top tips to look after your ring:

Purchase Insurance

Insurance is necessary to protect your financial investment in the event that something gets lost, stolen or damaged, so it is particularly important with your ring as a high-value object that may fall into those categories. It is also important to have your jewellery appraised every five years as the cost of diamonds and precious metals go up. If you were to lose something which was appraised 10 years ago, the insured value would be far less than the actual replacement cost! There are money companies that will offer this service but if you are unsure of how to go about this, then feel free to get in touch so that a member of staff can happily advise you.

Don’t Touch the Center Stone

Although tempting, avoid touching the centre stone at all costs! Diamonds and other precious stones are magnets for dust, dirt, and body oil. General dirt can also get stuck under the claws. A good practice to remember is to grab the band on either side of the stone. This allows you to take off the ring without grabbing the stone itself. If your stone ever looks hazy or cloudy, it’s likely something is stuck underneath it.

Don’t Treat Your Ring with Harsh Chemicals

Remove your ring when cleaning or touching harsh chemicals. Bleach and other cleaning agents can dull the finish of a ring and actually harm porous coloured gemstones like emeralds. It also goes without saying that attempting to clean your ring with these chemicals aren’t helpful either. It’s highly advisable to go to a jeweller for a proper clean!

Don’t Put Your Ring Through Needless Wear and Tear

A diamond is one of the world’s hardest natural materials, but that doesn’t mean a cut and polished diamond cannot chip! Sometimes the table of a cut diamond can be susceptible to wear and tear. To avoid this be sure not to knock it against other hard materials.

Remove Your Ring During Hands-On Activities

An additional note to the point above, if you’re doing hands-on activities, take it off. Activities like gardening, cleaning dishes, moving furniture, and exercising run the risk of damaging your engagement ring. Of course, you can use these rules on a case by case basis with good judgement. Many also opt for the ring to be on a chain necklace. This keeps the ring close to you with less risk of damage. Great for those that have jobs that require a lot of hands-on activities.

Don’t Forget – Schedule Monthly Maintenance Appointments with Your Jeweller

The best way for a thorough clean is to schedule maintenance appointments with your jeweller at least once a year to make sure the prongs are tight, the diamond isn’t loose and there are no hairline cracks in the shank. You can also adjust your ring and make sure if there are any repairs. Here at Hatton Garden Jewellers, we also offer a repair service too, so please get in touch if you haven’t had a recent checkup!

And for those with white gold rings…

Professionally Clean 14K White Gold

If you have a 14K white gold engagement ring, your setting will look a little warm with time and wear, but you can make it look brand new again by dropping it off with your jeweller to have it rhodium plated. Every time you scratch the surface of 14K white gold, it removes the white gold from that scratch. Thus after some time, it can have a bit of a yellow tone to it. Get in touch if this is a service you require.