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| The One - by Harry Winston |
If you're like me, you stare at your engagement ring all the time. Like all the time. Sometimes you just drift off, gazing into it's glittery glory... Sparkling glittery glory... sigh.
I love my ring - and I want to take care of it! I think many brides-to-be are in my shimmering row boat, and want to know (like I do) how to care for their ring and keep it at it's proposal-day best. Below are some ways to do so.
Insure it
It may seem like an extra expense but holy schmoly would you feel shisty if you wrecked-ruined-lost it. Talk about clouded memories! Often it will be covered in your home insurance, just make sure it's added to your list of valuable items. Do it - chances are you'll never make the claim but you'll for defs build up some good karma.
Don't Take It Off (Or Do)
Okay, so working in a hospital means that I've gotta remove the bling sometimes (like if I'm going into an OR... anyone seen the Junior Mint Episode?!). I get nervous when I have to do this... In fact, I hang it on a chain around my neck and secure it to the inside of my scrub top with four safety pins going in different directions... Maybe I'm paranoid, but I still have my ring. As a general rule, leave ON your ring whenever possible and you won't lose it. Don't remove it to put on hand cream. Don't take it off every time you wash your hands in a public bathroom. It'll be fine with a little cheap hand soap - if it loses it's luster from a little bubbly film, skip to the next step and you'll be fine - and you'll still own it.
The flip side of the coin is that if you're going to do something that will clearly damage the ring/you (contact sports, jack hammering, welding/glass blowing, wood chipping, climbing wire fences, et cetera), take it off. Contrary to common belief, diamonds can be chipped and scratched. Just hang it around your neck and fasten it down with a safety pin or four.
Clean It
Use a soft toothbrush (a separate one from your dental hygiene routine) and some sudsy warm water, in a BOWL - not the sink incase the plug comes out. Rinse thoroughly.
Alternatively, take it to the place you bought it - many jewelers will clean it in an ultrasonic bath for free if you bought from them (and sometimes if you didn't, and ask really really nicely). There are some online recipes for part ammonia part water recipes as cleaning solutions to try in the home but if not mixed right they can do some damage to the metal, so I'd avoid it unless you're well experienced with this sort of thing.
To keep it sparkly for longer, many jewelers recommend not touching it to avoid getting hand oils on the diamond and dulling it's sheen. This is especially hard early in your engagement ("Oh my gawwwwd can I see your ring?!"). For me, I'm always fiddling with it to make sure it's "still there" slash "not imaginary", so... whatevs.
Get It Tuned Up
Routine maintenance is key - you do this for your car, and considering that your ring probably cost nearly as much, you should do it for your ring. You should take it in to have the setting/prongs checked approximately every year, to avoid a tear-streaked martini-laden scramble around a bar floor at some ungodly hour when it drops out of its setting (or maybe you were jack hammering). My jeweler is da bomb and included free prong tune ups for life with the purchase of my ring - ask if yours does too!
Store It Properly
Ideally in a fireproof, waterproof safe that only you know exists. Otherwise, in a fabric lined box not jumbled up with all of the crappy necklaces you haven't been able to bring yourself to ditch since grade nine. Be aware that an obvious jewelry box is the first place a burglar will look (not to freak you out or anything) so if you go away, put it in a safety deposit box.
With these tips, your ring will stay sparkly and beautiful for as long as you'll wear it - which is forever, right? Do you guys have any other ideas/thoughts/to share? Questions I can try to answer? Just comment below! Now excuse me, I'm going to go stare into the abyss...
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