Call +1 (317) 844-9003 to with questions about taking care of your engagement ring!
So you just got engaged, and you have a lot of questions about what you can, can't and should do when it comes to taking care of your engagement ring. Below is some helpful advice of ways to care for your engagement ring. After all, an engagement ring as beautiful as yours deserves the proper TLC!
Yes, dirt, lotion, skin cells, etc. that build up on a ring can negatively affect the sparkle of
your engagement ring. Cleaning your ring at home is fairly simple. We'd recommend letting your ring soak in a container of jewelry cleaner. After letting it soak, take a soft bristled toothbrush and scrub the under gallery of the engagement ring. All of that miscellaneous junk tends to collect there, and that affects light performance in your diamond. If you have time and are in the area, we will clean your ring using our ultrasonic and steamer while you wait! The ultrasonic's vibrations allow dirt and other particles to loosen from the ring, making it easier to clean. The steamer removes any fingerprints or remaining particles. Cleaning is a very important part of engagement ring care.
If you have a gemstone other than a diamond in the center of your ring, please consult with your jeweler before cleaning it. Some gemstones are fragile or soft and should not be cleaned with certain chemicals or materials. Remember: When in doubt, do not clean the jewelry yourself! Always bring it in to the jewelry professionals at Moyer Fine Jewelers to have it cleaned and inspected.
As part of our engagement ring care, we always check the prongs of any engagement ring in for a cleaning. Checking the prongs every few months is important as they are what is holding your center stone in place. There are many things that can happen to damage a prong. Hitting the ring against something in just the right spot could break your prong. Prongs are also known to wear away with time so it's important to get them checked regularly as part of caring for your ring. If your prongs do need tightened or repaired, let our master jewelers repair it in our in-house workshop.
3. Do: Take Off Your Ring for Certain Activities
Yes, even though you love your ring, it's important to know when to take it off. Part of the care of an engagement ring is knowing when to opt out of wearing it. It's best not to wear it when working out, gardening, cooking or cleaning. When working out, the ring could become scratched from holding weights. At Moyer, we give our clients silicon bands that are great for working out, free of charge! Cleaning the house usually involves harsh chemicals (such as bleach) which are best kept away from your engagement ring. This recommendation brings us to our next step in engagement ring care...
4. Do: Have a Spot to Store Your Ring
When you are doing one of the activities above, have a safe space to store your ring. This should be somewhere secure that you will remember! A jewelry box, ring dish or in-home safe will do the trick! Most losses of engagement rings occur when the wearer takes it off for an activity and simply loses it or forgets where they put it.
5. Do: Get Insurance
When you purchase an engagement ring, you should receive an
appraisal detailing the specific characteristics diamond or gemstone in the center of your ring as well as the engagement ring setting. The value the appraiser puts at the bottom of the report is the replacement value of the ring. If your ring is ever lost or stolen, you will be given the amount at the bottom of that appraisal to replace the ring. Your engagement ring policy can be put under your homeowner's insurance or renter's insurance policy.
Over time a white gold engagement ring will start to appear yellow because the alloys that make it white have gradually disappeared. To restore the clean white metal look to your engagement ring, let your jeweler perform a routine rhodium plating on your ring every 6 months. Most stores will rhodium plate rings that are purchased from them free of charge (we do!). Usually with the rhodium plating, they will also have their jewelers polish the ring to remove any residual scratches from the ring. Rhodium plating and polishing services typically take a day or two.
If you have any questions about this blog or about engagement ring care, please contact Lauren at 317.844.9003 or lauren@moyerfj.com.
