How To Care For Your Engagement Ring

Precious rings are designed to last a lifetime, and often have a high sentimental value, whether an engagement ring, received as a special gift or a treat you’ve bought for yourself. This is why it’s important to ensure that you care for your ring in the best way possible. Read on for our advice which will help you take great care of your ring going forwards, to make sure it stays looking just as beautiful as the first time you saw it. To best care for your ring you should always clean it regularly, service it annually and make sure it is insured at all times. Emeralds will require special treatment so if you are the proud owner of a stunning emerald then please pay particular attention to that section!

Cleaning Your Ring

The easiest way to clean your ring thoroughly is with some simple household items.

1. Take a glass and fill it with warm water and some washing-up liquid. (We recommend using a glass rather than washing your ring over the sink so that you avoid dropping it into the sink and potentially losing it!)

2. Use a soft toothbrush or a child’s toothbrush and gently work around the front, back and sides of your centre stone getting into all the crevices where dirt can build up.

3. Lay your ring on a soft cloth or piece of kitchen towel and dry thoroughly.

4. You may notice that your gemstones seem clearer or less saturated after cleaning. Don’t worry, you haven’t done anything to alter your centre stone, it’s just the effect of removing dirt which can make your ring look darker and cloudier. You’ll probably notice this particularly if you’re cleaning an aquamarine or lighter gemstone which is perfectly normal!

5. For occasional fingerprints or a quick polish on the go you can also get a professional jewellery cleaning cloth.

We do not recommend that you use anything stronger on your ring or any specific jewellery or metal solutions without consulting your jeweller first to make sure they’re appropriate for your specific ring.

If you would like to invest in a more technical solution you can also consider purchasing an ultrasonic bath that will literally blast the dirt off your ring! This is suitable for use with all gemstones apart from emeralds. To use an ultrasonic bath, fill it with warm soapy water, place your ring inside and simply turn it on. Please check your specific model for instructions.

Cleaning your Emerald Ring

Emeralds have a specific set of care instructions that should be followed carefully.

• Emeralds are sensitive to changes in temperature so it’s best to remove it for cooking where you might move between a boiling stove and the freezer. Anything else that involves very high or low temperatures such as saunas or ice skating should also be avoided with emeralds.

• To keep your emerald in pristine condition you should treat it with a colourless oil from time to time as otherwise the colour can appear to lighten over time. The best choice is cedar oil and you simply need to submerge your emerald in the oil for a few hours to treat it.

• Do not use dishwasher soap when you clean your emerald as it will strip out the natural oil in your emerald.

• A fun fact - wearing your emerald allows it to absorb some of the natural oils from your skin which keeps it in good condition!

• Emeralds are a delicate gemstone and should always be worn and treated with care. However if you do this then your emerald should remain in wonderful condition for years to come!

Servicing Your Engagement Ring

Make sure to take your ring for an annual service with the original jeweller you purchased it from every year without fail! Your jeweller will check and if necessary tighten your prongs which can become a little loose over time with day to day wear. This is good for your insurance as well as giving you more peace of mind every day. They will also clean your ring professionally so it’s returned to you in sparkling condition!

Watch Outs

Be extra careful with your ring in some of the following circumstances where people have commonly lost or damaged their ring in the past:

• Never take your ring into a sauna or anywhere with extreme heat.

• Don’t wear your ring in a jacuzzi or swimming pool with chemicals that might be abrasive to your ring.

• Another reason not to swim with your ring - as you swim your finger shrinks a little because of the cold and can slip off entirely!

• Don’t wear your ring on the beach as small grains of sand can become lodged in your setting and even scratch your ring.

• Be careful with your ring when lifting heavy objects like a large suitcase or in the gym as you can accidentally crush your ring band in the process.

Other Ring Care Tips and Tricks

• Be careful with how you stack or pair your rings - if a gold ring is next to a platinum one then the platinum might scratch it as it’s a harder metal.

• Make sure your ring is insured when travelling and always carry a ring box with you on your holidays and trips.

• If you’re worried about taking your ring off and leaving it at the gym or whilst exercising then it might help to keep it on a chain around your neck rather than wearing it on your hand.

• If your ring feels loose on your finger and you haven’t had time to resize it then it’s safest to wear another smaller ring in front of it in the meantime.

And finally...

• If something goes wrong then don’t panic! Your jeweller will have seen a lot of situations before and will be able to help and guide you through any repairs that need to take place so if you’re in good hands then don’t worry!