Your engagement ring is one of the most memorable purchases you’ll make in your lifetime. Care for it well and it could even last a lifetime! Ring Care and Maintenance should be incredibly simple. Proper cleaning and care will make all the difference in the way your ring looks. Cleaning and checking your ring takes no more than a few minutes a week; but it will lengthen the lifetime of your ring tremendously when done correctly. Here’s some expert secrets to make sure your ring holds up for the long term:
Avoid sleeping with your ring on your finger
This is more important for rings with prongs; (rings that have stones) because the prongs will be most affected by your sheets or blankets. Remembering to take your ring off before you get in bed and put it back on before you leave the house is hard. However, sheets can be BRUTAL on your prongs. Even if your sheets and blankets are silky soft, they’ll still rub on your prongs. Having any material (no matter how soft it is) rubbing on your ring for hours each night will flatten your prongs overtime. This puts your diamond or center stone at higher risk of falling out. Also, your fingers can naturally expand or contract depending on your body temperature while you’re sleeping; it’s good to give them some room to breathe!
Make sure your structure is strong
Gold is a malleable material and quite soft for a metal. In other words gold will bend if pulled hard enough. Though rings are meant to hold up for regular daily activities, they aren’t indestructible. Prongs on your ring, like gears on a car, naturally wear down over time because of the job they do. Even if you take great care of them, you’ll notice the prong tips aren’t as thick as they used to be. Retipping your prongs to keep them sturdy is one of the processes our in-house goldsmith offers; and it usually only takes a couple of days! When your prongs are sturdy, they’ll keep your diamond secure and tight!
Summertime activities can be hard on your ring
Everyone loves summer and being outside, but some of the most common summertime activities will be pretty hard on your ring. Swimming is a favorite summer pastime, but extended exposure to chlorine or salt water is rough on gold and especially the plating on your ring. In addition, activities like rock climbing and hiking in the heat and rough conditions can also scratch or with some materials even shatter your ring. The oils in sunscreen and tanning oil can also alter the plating on your ring. To be safe, leave your somewhere secure if you’re out having fun in the sun! If you don’t feel comfortable without a ring, silicone bands are a great option for outdoor activities.
Wearing a ring while exercising
Just like when you sleep, your fingers can expand or swell when you’re working out which is totally normal. If your ring feeling tight worries you, we suggest taking it off while exercising… In addition, heavy weights or big machinery are prime places for rings to get caught or stuck. If you want people to know you’re married while you’re working out, we recommend wearing a silicone band!
Take your ring off before treating your skin
Lately everyone has really been laying on the hand sanitizer, which is AWESOME for germs, but not so great for rings. Any time you put chemicals on top of your ring it can cause extra wear and dull the shine. If your ring has lots of intricate lace design or a profile with open spaces, topical substances (like lotions or sunscreens) can get on your ring and cling to the inside. It’s not hard to clean and not super harmful to your ring, but it will dull your shine as time goes by.
Cleaning your ring at home
In our store we are always more than happy to clean your ring for free, but it’s also super fast and easy to do at home if you’re not able to make it in. Each Wilson Diamond engagement ring comes with a bottle of cleaner and a soft bristle brush as well as instructions. To clean your ring, you’ll use one or two pumps of cleaner and let it sit on your ring for 30 seconds. Next, take it out and use a soft bristle brush (a toothbrush works great!) to clean each side and the top of your ring, especially if it has small diamonds on the band or halo. Rinse it with water, warm or cold both work fine, and shake off to dry.
Ring Care is incredibly simple if you know what to do and what to avoid! Along with looking for a wedding ring, you’re also looking for someone who will take care of your ring forever. Once you choose your perfect ring, we’ll help you to keep it looking perfect with our ring care resources and warranty. If you have any questions about what’s covered with your warranty or how to care for your ring, our team is always ready to help you!
