So you're engaged or married and sporting a fabulous engagement ring with that bedazzling diamond perched on top. It's the ring either you or your partner, or maybe both of you together, agonized over for months and months let's do a cushion cut... yes, has to be a carat... no I prefer platinum... It must have a halo! Well.... what now? I will tell you! You must now spend your lifetime following my simple DOs and DON'Ts to make sure your ring always stays pristine and your luck too!
DO have your ring cleaned often. If you are lucky enough, you have a jeweler who has offered lifetime cleaning for your investment. Take advantage of this and make sure you have your ring cleaned at least every few months. Alternatively, you can purchase a great ring cleaner on the market. I have the Brookstone Ultrasonic Jewelry Cleaner (retails for USD$49.95) and uses only tap water and advanced sound wave technology to remove dirt. It's great and there are no fancy detergents or solvents to buy or worry about.
DO take your rings off when you cook, clean with detergents - actually generally around the house. There is no need for you to be lazying around the house in your sweats and feeling the need to adorn your finger. If you are conscientious about your stone and its settings, just leave it in a safe place in the house and do your housework stress-free. Detergents unavoidably enter your ring setting, build up grime in small crevices and can even loosen the stone if the solvent is strong enough. Settings can also be compromised if you knock or damage your ring accidentally.
DON'T let anyone else wear your rings, even your best friend. Haven't you heard that it is completely bad luck!? It's also not wise to take your rings off when out and about, you never know when you will lose it or what will happen!
DO take your rings off at night when you sleep. Not only is sleeping with your rings a pain, literally, but it is bad for your circulation and your fingers.
DO reconsider wearing your rings on vacation, particularly at the beach. It's not urban myth that rings go missing while snorkelling. It does happen. Wearing a nice engagement ring could also pose potential safety risks to you and your traveling companions if traveling to areas that are not too safe. Rings have been known to go "missing" even in hotel rooms!
DON'T apply moisturizers, creams, sunscreen or any other lotion on your hands whilst wearing your rings. Take the time to carefully take your rings off, put them somewhere safe (not on your lap!) and then apply your creams. The oils in the creams build up over time in your ring and its setting and even good cleaning will rarely get it all out, unnecessarily making your ring cloudy and gritty.
DO take care when allowing your ring to "rub" on another metal, for example another ring, because this can cause erosion and abrasions, degrading not only the general aesthetic of the ring but also the metal quality. Gold is expensive today so you want to look after, just as much as your diamond! Always make sure your wedding band and engagement band are made of the same metal to preserve the finish of your ring.
DO not fall victim to this growing trend of having your ring re-set if you have more money or if you simply tire of your ring setting. The design you and your partner chose is symbolic of the journey you have made together and the love and commitment you share. It is not a reflection of your bank balance or status. Be wary of this growing trend to "upgrade" and hold on tight to sentimental attachments to a ring offered to you in the grandest and most romantic traditions known to man and woman! To her dying day, my mother wore the simplest of engagement rings, it had a teeny tiny chip of a diamond and two little tiny rubies. She always wore it proudly because my father had saved his money and designed it just for her in the shape of an "S" - for her name. Now, that is meaningful, not the carat size of your stone!!
Finally...
DO look after your ring!!! Keep it in a safe place, have it insured if you need to and keep that insurance current and appropriately certified. If you leave your unworn rings in the house, be mindful of who is in your house and who has access to it. Rings commonly go "missing", especially when left lying around carelessly.
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