Congratulations on your wedding and your new ring. Hopefully you have quite the gorgeous engagement ring on your finger!
Have you been able to stop yourself from gazing at your left hand? Isn’t it blissful, watching your diamond dance around in the light?
There are few things more magical than that honeymoon period with your new ring.
So, how do you keep your diamond sparkling? How do you make sure it never loses its radiant shimmer and shine? How do you keep it catching your eye, and the eyes of others?
That’s what we’re here to help with. This post is all about learning proper engagement ring care.
Did you know?
Diamond is the hardest natural substance on our planet. Only a diamond can cut another diamond. And, yet, the touch of a finger can leave behind dirt that keeps a diamond from shining, especially over time.
So, it’s a tough stone, but it does need a little help keeping its shine.
Engagement Ring Care is Important…
You Should Clean Diamonds Regularly, But Handle Sparingly and Touch Gently.
The good news is that at-home engagement ring care isn’t hard.
There’s more good news. You’ve probably got most of what you need lying around your home already. Anything you’re missing is just a quick trip to your local pharmacy or grocery.
You’ll need some dish soap, a clean (read: brand new) soft-bristled toothbrush, a lint-free cloth, a bowl or two, and some warm water from your kitchen or bathroom sink.
Diamond Cleaning Tip #1: Clog the Sink.
Whenever you’re cleaning your ring nearby a sink, make sure you clog the sink. It’s not worth taking any risk that you’ll drop your precious piece down the drain.
Diamond Cleaning Tip #2: Use a Baby Toothbrush, Dish Soap, Warm Water & a Lint-Free Cloth.
A baby or kid toothbrush works even better than an adult toothbrush. They’re soft, flexible, and small – so they can get to those harder-to-reach places, and gently. You’ll be scrubbing your ring with the same tender care you’d brush a baby’s gums and early teeth.
Squeeze some dish soap onto a clean and soft-bristled toothbrush. Add a bit of warm water and gently scrub the ring – the band, the setting, and the stone. Rinse the soap bubbles away with some warm water, then dry with a lint-free cloth. If you need, you can let it sit in some warm water and dish soap solution for thirty minutes or so before gently scrubbing, rinsing, and drying.
If you’ve given your ring a gentle, but thorough, cleaning with warm water and soap, and you still think it should have a bit more shine, let it soak in a three parts water to one part ammonia solution for about thirty minutes.
Then, let the ring air dry in a clean and safe place.
You’ll probably want to give your ring this homespun clean a few times a month, maybe even weekly.
Some say it’s okay to wash with a homemade baking soda solution or toothpaste. We insist that the dish soap way is safer.
Diamond Cleaning Tip #3: Try Our Professional Diamond Cleaning Kit.
We also have a signature trio of home care products for our fine jewelry pieces, if you’re looking for something a bit fancier and better suited for the job. Try our diamond cleaning kit, which consists of a foaming cleaner, cleaning pen, and polishing cloth. Our polishing cloth doubles as a fabric-lined pouch (for safekeeping!). With our little care package, diamond and engagement ring care has never been so easy.
Diamond Cleaning Tip #4: Avoid Harmful Solutions.
When you’re bathing or washing your face, remove your ring. Place it somewhere clean, dry, and safe. Shampoos, conditioners, soaps, and lotions will stick to your ring, and only dim its shine!
Beware of household cleaners, like bleach and glass cleaner. These caustic-type solutions, containing hazardous chemicals, can seriously damage your ring, especially the metal alloys in the band.
So we’re totally clear, never use silver polish on something that isn’t silver.
And take your ring off when it’s time to scrub clean the bathroom tile, or knead bread dough.
Keep one of our polishing cloths in your bathroom and kitchen, so you’ve always got a spot to cradle your ring when it’s not on your finger. You’ll know it’s safe, and you’ll know where it is.
Having ring holders in a few key spots around your home means you won’t have any excuse for not taking your ring off when you’re about to be getting your hands dirty.
Diamond Cleaning Tip #5: Store Your Diamonds Separately.
Diamonds are hard to scratch. But diamonds scratch other diamonds quite easily. So store your diamond ring, and all of your diamond jewelry pieces, separately.
Diamond Cleaning Tip #6: Use ultrasonic cleaners cautiously.
Probably, you shouldn’t do any ultrasonic cleaning at home. Because there’s too great a risk that this sound wave vibration method will loosen a prong and release a diamond from your ring.
If you want this deep clean, you’re best off bringing your ring to a professional jeweler. They can make sure your ring is secure enough for the ultrasonic vibrations, and fix whatever might go wrong.
Overall, it’s a smart idea to bring your ring in for a professional cleaning a couple times a year, even as you’re keeping up on your home cleanings weekly.
Think of it like the regular checkup you have with your dentist. Even if you don’t suspect you’ve got dental problems, you should show up for those two cleanings each year to stay healthy and vigilant.
A professional jeweler will inspect your ring for bent and loosened prongs, tighten the setting, and clean the whole piece so well it’ll look brand new.
Engagement Ring Preventative Maintenance is Just as Important as Cleaning!
Even when you’re not cleaning your ring, or removing your ring because you’ll be getting your hands dirty for the next little while, it’s wise to take your ring off sometimes.
Working out, household chores like laundry, and carrying heavy objects by hand can put serious stress on your ring.
Never take your ring off when you’re out in public. But, if you’re at home (or you haven’t left home for the gym yet), and you have the chance to give your ring a break, do.
You need a break to recharge every so often, and so does your ring.
Don’t Neglect Cleaning Your Engagement Ring…
A diamond sparkles because its facets work like a series of tiny mirrors, reflecting off one another.
With a commitment to regular engagement ring care (the cleaning of those facets), you can keep your diamond ring as shiny as it was the day you first saw it and slipped it on your finger. You can have it good-as-new for your next special occasion.
Still got some engagement ring care questions? Don’t hesitate to get in touch with us. We love talking diamonds.
Oh, and, have you insured your ring yet? We would love to help! The last thing you would want is to go through all of this hard work of finding the right ring just to have it stolen and not be able to replace it.
