After the Whoops: Some Ring Care Tips

After the Whoops: Some Ring Care Tips

June 25th, 2010 @ 9:40 am by Mrs. Earrings
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I have a confession. I’m not the most delicate or gentle person when it comes to things I own and unfortunately my engagement ring is no exception. I can’t help it if I like to get my hands dirty and only remember to take off the ring AFTER the fact. Bad me. Anyway, a couple of weeks ago I was admiring the sparkles in class (*cough* and paying attention to the lecture *cough*) when I noticed a couple of the prongs were completely lifted up and one of the stones was just waiting to fall out of its setting. Eeek! I don’t think Mr E would have been too happy with that scenario…

So I took it to the jewelers and now after two weeks it is finally back on my finger (it is like getting it for the first time all over again… so shiny and new looking because they cleaned all my messiness off it and got it re-rhodium plated). To remind myself to keep on looking after it I thought I might share some ring care tips and tricks that I have learned from those in the know. Many of these were suggested by very helpful brides in an NZ forum I frequent, so kudos to them for helping me out:

Never sleep wearing your ring, especially if it has a setting that is prone to snagging, as the sheets can catch on the prongs and pull them loose.
Also, if you can, don’t wear it in the shower, cleaning, doing dishes, at the gym (and apparently rock climbing… ha random).
If you are anything like me though, the ring is more likely to get lost the more you take it off… so I only take it off for shower and bed, and have a special box to put it in whenever it is off.
Apparently growing your nails out longer can mean you are more careful what you do with your hands, and consequently are easier on your E-Ring. This wouldn’t work for me, but if it does for you, then yay.
Take it in to the jeweler and get the setting checked every so often. They can also recommend the best at-home cleaning solutions for your specific type of ring.
A cap full of ammonia mixed with a little but of dish liquid and warm water works really well as a cleaning agent. Gently brush it over the ring with a soft baby toothbrush.

I have managed to be super careful for a whole day now, go me! I feel completely naked whenever it isn’t on though… so I will be glad when I *finally* can wear my wedding band in 6 months and can wear that all the time without much worry, even when I take off the engagement ring.

Anyone else got E-ring care tips for me? Im all ears!

Photo by Mr E

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23 Responses to “After the Whoops: Some Ring Care Tips”

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Member

ktisthatbees (message) 2,742 posts, Sugar bee

alas, I love love love the pave setting of diamonds, which are also prone to falling out. So i will most likely be a nervous ninny when I wear mine. I have also heard the dish soap and water trick. and rock can really scartch the metal, so try try try to remember to take your pretty ring off

6/25/10 @ 9:53 am (reply)

Bee

Mrs. Star (message) 2,057 posts, Buzzing bee

Love your tips. Although I rarely take my e-ring off, I’m a girly girl and am really careful with it. Even still, one of the prongs twisted and I almost lost my center stone, too, so don’t feel bad!

6/25/10 @ 9:58 am (reply)

Member

tnason (message) 140 posts, Blushing bee

For those who don’t have your ring yet, may I suggest a bezel setting. It is much more robust than a prong setting and lives up to my rough and tumble life. The only times I take off my ring are in the shower and when I am kayaking (because I am afraid it will fall off in the water). I cook in it, do dishes in it, garden in it and generally live in it and the stone is none the worse for the wear (although the gold started showing scratches literally within hours of my receiving it and I hadn’t even done anything but cross-country ski with gloves on over it). Also, if you are a rough and tumble kind of girl you should really get either a diamond or a sapphire. Nothing else is hard enough to take the abuse.

6/25/10 @ 10:05 am (reply)

Member

FutureMrsZapper (message) 356 posts, Helper bee

I’m not a gentle (graceful?) person either. My poor ring. I’ve had to learn the hard way too that I need to take my ring off before shower, doing dishes etc. I’m a lefty so this doesn’t help my case either. Glad I’m not the only one!

6/25/10 @ 10:10 am (reply)

Member

jgoulart (message) 1,069 posts, Bumble bee

I never ever took my e-ring off and looked at my hand one day to notice a prong totally bent to the side, not sure how the diamond didn’t fall out! Then the day after I got my e-ring back, my pave wedding band had a DIAMOND MISSING!? Erg. So now I’m super careful and take them off all the time!

6/25/10 @ 10:11 am (reply)

Member

CorgiTales (message) 9,861 posts, Bee Keeper

I am curious about what showering with your ring can do to it? I generally take mine off for bed every night and if I shower first thing in the morning I wait until after to put it on. But other than that its on all the time. Gym, working, showering (if i shower mid-day or night). My ring is insured and I’m conscious of not banging it around… but really I just have to trust that (as my mom says) platinum and diamonds are tough and if the worst happens, i’ll get it fixed.

6/25/10 @ 10:16 am (reply)

Member

DollyLava (message) 181 posts, Blushing bee

@CorgiTales showering with your ring gunks it up with soap and conditioner residue. And if a stone happens to be loose, it can go down the drain.

6/25/10 @ 10:40 am (reply)

Bee

Miss Cardigan (message) 8,645 posts, Bee Keeper

Those are some great tips! I need to be more careful with my ring!!

6/25/10 @ 10:56 am (reply)

Bee

Mrs. Snow (message) 916 posts, Busy bee

I totally empathize earrings. When Mr. Snow asked what kind of ring I’d like, I said “One I can’t break!”

I pretty much don’t wear mine except outside the house, but I have also not found the best “keep the ring here at all times when not wearing” spot….I need to do that asap.

Love the tips!

6/25/10 @ 11:48 am (reply)

10.

Guest

Sarah

I sleep with it, garden with it, shower with it…I sprayed weed killer with it the other day. It’s an heirloom ring that came from someone who spent 27 years sleeping with it, gardening with it, showering with it, washing dishes with it, doing ceramics with it and so on and so on. It can handle it.

6/25/10 @ 12:09 pm (reply)

11.

Guest

suzy95

I would invest in some good jewelry cleaner–your jeweler can probably recommend some or give you a jar. I have one full of a green-ish liquid and the ring sits in a tray for 10 minutes, then gets patted dry. This way I don’t have to take my ring off when I shower. My fiance made sure to get something both beautiful and tough so I wouldn’t be taking it off all the time. My fiance has lost two sentimental rings in the last six months because he takes them off and forgets them, so he didn’t want me to have an excuse to take mine off! The only time I do take it off is when I play softball–the ring doesn’t fit comfortably under the glove.

6/25/10 @ 12:11 pm (reply)

12.

Guest

megan

Only use ammonia based cleaners if you have a platinum ring. Ammonia can strip white gold over time and make your ring appear yellow faster so you’ll need it replated sooner. I have a platinum ring and I just use windex (has ammonia) and let it soak overnight once a week and it sparkles like new!

6/25/10 @ 12:24 pm (reply)

13.

Member

littlemissmoo (message) 3,006 posts, Sugar bee

I’m super super careful with my ring. I think also because when I first got it it was about 2 sizes too big and it took me around a week before I got a chance to resize it! So I take it off when cooking, doing dishes, showering and sleeping. And I have a bezel setting which has less height so it catches on stuff less. I think most of it is just common sense. I have various small bowls (like soy sauce bowls) around the house that I keep it in whenever I take it off and a little glass dish in the kitchen for when I’m cooking/cleaning.

6/25/10 @ 12:47 pm (reply)

14.

Guest

Shelby

As a jeweler - here are some tips:
- Your ring goes everywhere your hand goes. However, when you wash your hands, your ring doesn’t necessarily get clean. That means all of the gunk that your hands are in (dirt, dust, food, bacteria, etc.) gets stuck in there. I had a customer who gardens in her ring… and we seriously found a dead bug stuck under her center stone. Ew.
- My favorite analogy is that your ring is like your wedding gown. It’s made from the finest materials, hand-sewn, hand-beaded, and is absolutely stunning. However, if you wore your wedding dress every day - what would happen? It will be stained, it would probably tear in a few places, and it would definitely need to be dry-cleaned often. Your ring is no different. Platinum/gold is not indestructible, and neither are diamonds, sapphires, or any other gemstone. You have to treat it like the fine piece of jewelry that it is.
- Metal on metal contact is the WORST (lifting weights, doing dishes). After that is swimming. Especially if you have white gold, the chlorine can attack the nickel alloy in the metal and you’ll end up with stress fractures in your ring. NOT good.\
- And number one - remember to bring it to your jeweler to be checked and cleaned about once a quarter. Most jewelers (including the one I work for) will do this for free, and it’s absolutely necessary to keep your ring looking shiny and beautiful!

6/25/10 @ 12:52 pm (reply)

15.

Member

Miss Biner (message) 1,101 posts, Bumble bee

I’m a rock climber so I knew about that rule. It’s a very easy way to lose a finger. (Not to mention damage your ring.) A lot of my friends who are now married have tattoos on their ring figer so people know they’re married even when they’re climbing.

My SO and I plan to do this on the same day we go to get our marriage license. I’m really excited!

6/25/10 @ 1:52 pm (reply)

16.

Member

jordynrose (message) 6,351 posts, Bee Keeper

I am guilty of wearing my in the shower. I had no idea it was bad ot do that. Oops!

6/25/10 @ 4:56 pm (reply)

17.

Guest

Katie

This might be a dumb question…but if swimming in a pool is bad for the ring….does salt water (the ocean) affect the ring the same way? I’m just curious since we’ll be going to Bora Bora for our honeymoon and we would want to snorkel. But leaving the ring in the room makes me nervous (although I’m sure they will have in-room safes which will help). Let me know if anyone has any info on this. Thanks!

6/25/10 @ 5:28 pm (reply)

18.

Member

Hookem720 (message) 10 posts, Newbee

The ocean’s really not good for it either. Also be careful b/c it would be terrible if it slipped off your finger and into the waves! If they have an in-room safe, that’s really the best place to keep it. We haven’t decided on where we’re going on our honeymoon yet, but depending on where it is, it’s entirely possible I might just leave my e-ring home altogether and wear a plain band while we’re traveling. Honestly - as long as you don’t make a habit of wearing your ring on the beach it’s probably fine. Just make sure to inspect it at night when you get back to the hotel to make sure nothing is loose and you get some of the sand and other stuff out of there.

6/25/10 @ 5:34 pm (reply)

19.

Bee

Mrs. Cola (message) 2,868 posts, Sugar bee

I never take my ring off except to clean it, and have had not problems so far, but these are good tips.

One more though, make sure you have insurance, so if anything does happen, you’re covered!

6/25/10 @ 6:12 pm (reply)

20.

Bee

Mrs. Buttons (message) 5,046 posts, Bee Keeper

Oh man, I’m going to sound like a weirdo, but I hardly ever wear my rings! As soon as I walk into the apartment, they come off and go back into their box in a special place. I don’t wear them to the beach (hopefully no one tries to pick me up…haha!)…only if I’m leaving the house for regular activities like grocery shopping, going out to dinner, etc. Oh man, I’ve only actually worn my rings once this week so far! No showering in them, no washing dishes, nothing! We had my e-ring appraised for insurance after 8 months (I know, we were slow), and the guy was super impressed with the condition…he was guessing that I’d only had it for a few weeks! Seriously…taking off the ring when I’m at home is my big tip…

6/25/10 @ 6:20 pm (reply)

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