Oh that moment when you finally get engaged!!!
Your friends “Ohh” and “Ahh” and can tell how beautiful your ring is even over Facetime.
The sparkle of it catches your eye under even the lowest of light.
You find your thumb unconsciously touching the bottom of its band at all hours of the day, getting used to a treasure where once was bare.
This newly adorned finger entertains you for hours, never boring you, giving you a glimpse into this next chapter of your life, your future dancing in front of you through every single facet of the diamond your partner chose specifically for you and you alone!
Ahhhh, yes, the life of the newly engaged. What a very beautiful thing.
And then life sets in and months go by and you realize that that initial sparkle, the one visible in low light and over Facetime, has dulled a bit. Though we know the love between you and your partner will never dull, the honest truth is that the diamond will. So, we wanted to give you a few tips and tricks to make sure your ring stays as sparkly as your love, forever and always.
Let’s start with the basics.
A traditional engagement ring is made with a diamond set in either platinum or gold - the three of which are incredibly strong. Despite their strength, they demand a delicate respect - they are after all, a symbol of your everlasting love and your commitment and this should be reflected in the care you give them. Today we’re going to focus on how to care for your Diamond Engagement Ring. For tips on how to care for other Gemstones, please refer to this blog.
The metal
The durability of your diamond depends on the metal it’s set in. Platinum is the most durable precious metal and is perfect for everyday wear. This metal is naturally very white and shiny, which makes it perfect for setting diamonds. Yellow gold is typically loved for its buttery luster and deep yellow color. Something to consider is that not all golds are created equal - we can discern a lot about the durability of a piece of gold based on its karats. Gold karats are not the same as Diamond carats, and refer to the purity of the gold, not size. While 24 karat gold is pure gold, it is too soft and malleable to be a good choice for jewelry, especially jewelry for everyday wear. Most bands you will find in the US are 14 karat, some are 18 karat. This means that they are 14 or 18 part gold and the rest of the metal is made up of alloy to create a harder, more durable metal. Zinc, copper, nickel, iron, cadmium, aluminium, silver, platinum and palladium are all common metals alloyed with gold, and colors (rose, white, yellow) vary depending on the alloy.
The Diamond
The saying goes “A Diamond is Forever” and that is absolutely the truth. Diamond is the hardest mineral in the world, a 10 on the Mohs Scale of Hardness. The Mohs Scale of Hardness measures a mineral’s hardness by its relative resistance to scratching, measured by scratching the mineral against another
substance of known hardness on the Mohs Hardness Scale. To put it in very simple terms, a diamond is actually harder than a masonry drill bit. Diamonds, like love, have to be strong to enjoy the wonderful times and persevere through the harder times.
Keeping Your Ring Clean
Now that we understand that we are dealing with a very durable product in a diamond engagement ring, we want to make sure we have the right techniques to keep it clean and safe. We also want to make sure you have the right techniques to keep it at its most beautiful. When you invest in a beautiful, important diamond, you don’t want it to be covered with lotions, natural oils, dirt or anything else because it will dull the sparkle of your diamond. Let your diamond radiate that sparkle every minute.
Set the Stage
We know, we know. Taking your ring on and off all the time isn’t only annoying, but it’s a bit anxiety inducing as well. What if you don’t remember where you put it? What if it gets thrown out by accident? I had a boss whose diamond studs got vacuumed up in a hotel once and she actually tracked them down! Now she travels with a dish to put on her nightstand to remind her to take them off and put them back on.
It certainly isn’t the most glamorous thing to think about when it comes to your Diamond engagement ring, but the wearer of a ring so important does need to make a few proactive behavior changes to take the best care of, ensure the safety and security of their ring and keep their mind at ease. Our first suggestion? Well, my old boss had the right idea - create a place for your ring.
I recommend a small ring dish in the following places - the kitchen sink, your primary bathroom sink, your bedside table and your home gym if you have one. Infusing your own personal style into these ring dishes allows them to fit seamlessly into the decor of your home. When you purchase a ring at Jack Weir and Sons, we provide a beautiful storage box for your piece. This may be a good box to keep at your bedside table. To keep your ring as beautiful and safe as possible, we recommend taking your ring off and utilizing these dishes and boxes when you are doing the dishes, cleaning with any strong products and applying any kind of oil or lotions to your body.
Mosser Glass Bathing Beauty Dish Oyster Trinket Bowl Lismore Square Ring Holder
Certain engagement ring purchases will receive one Jack Weir and Sons ring dish complementary!
Additionally, if you are going to be playing any contact sports or lifting weights, you might want to leave your ring at home. We might suggest keeping a ring wristband in your gym bag in case you forget to leave your ring at home. This way you can keep your ring safe and not worry about it being out of your sight.
One less thing to worry about with Ring Bandits
Find the Sparkle
Once you have a routine for keeping your ring safe and clean, let’s create an easy routine for you to keep it as sparkly as possible. Since diamond and platinum or gold are extremely durable, you can use the standard jewelry cleaning procedure: mild dish soap solution, soft toothbrush and a dry cloth. The toothbrush will help you to clean hard to reach areas of the ring’s setting and will ensure your diamonds best possible sparkle. We recommend cleaning your ring twice per month using this technique. If you want to go one step further, you can purchase your own ultrasonic machine and various cleaning solutions through amazon. For deep cleaning, visit your local jeweler and ask them to clean your jewel using the ultrasonic machine and a steamer.
Here at Jack Weir & Sons we’ve spent the last 40 years traveling to Europe and all over the world, curating extraordinary estate jewels. JWS is where the old world meets the new world. Celebrate life, preserve history, discover your own priceless heirloom jewel. We are extremely grateful for our clients and the ability to help people to celebrate their special moments through one of a kind jewelry. To share that gratitude and our strong family values, we chose to partner with Baby2Baby. So far, from November 2021-October 2022 we've donated $39,018. A portion of every sale goes towards children living in poverty to provide them with diapers, clothing, and all the basic necessities that every child deserves.
We offer in-person and Virtual Appointments and are happy to answer any questions about your favorite jewel.
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Don't forget to wait our how to clean a diamond engagement ring youtube video!
