I was browsing serious prettiness a la Kristin Coffin recently and realized something about engagement rings that doesn’t get the attention it should: how to protect your engagement ring. There has never been a more gorgeous array of handmade, totally-custom engagement rings to choose from… and learning how to protect your engagement ring will keep it looking its best forever.
While protecting your engagement ring may not be today’s sexiest topic, it is crucial. At the heart of the matter, your engagement ring is more than jewelry: your engagement ring symbolizes the moment in time when you said ‘yes’ and vowed to marry. And since we’re here to navigate you through the crazy, unpredictable, inspiring and interesting maze known as wedding planning, we just have to talk about what YOU can do to protect your engagement ring.
Read on to find out the most important tips to protect your engagement ring. And tell us: what are you doing to keep yours looking its best?
Tips to Protect Your Engagement Ring
1. A safe place to store it.
I never take my ring off. When I first wore my engagement ring, I was nervous about it getting scratched or the diamond falling out. As in, just deciding to, whoops, slip right out. I eventually got used to it on my finger, and the idea of totally losing a diamond eventually faded. The more I wore it, the less I worried about something happening to it. And it was always on my finger, so I’d always know where it was. And I realize I’m probably in the minority because I know lots of people take their ring off for all sorts of reasons.
This article over at Brides recommends taking off your engagement ring for these five things: working out, moisturizing, primping, swimming, and cleaning. And if you plan to take it off for any of these things (come to think of it, I might take it off if I’m using really harsh cleansers or painting, but that’s not very often), you’ll NEED a safe place to store your ring, like this…
Now, keep in mind the more you take off your ring, the more likely you are to lose it. However, you can prevent misplacement by keeping it in one, central, always-right-here location.
2. Keep your engagement ring clean.
You can protect your engagement ring and keep it looking its best with regular cleaning. Once a month, you should gently wash your ring with something like this. Once a year, it is a good idea to have it professionally cleaned or do it at home with an ultrasonic cleaning machine.
3. Use a decoy on vacation.
Andrew and I were JUST talking about this the other day! One of the biggest tips you can take with you is to wear a decoy ring on your honeymoon — or traveling in general. This is especially important if you plan to do a lot of adventuring — like tons of swimming or diving, climbing, biking, hiking, etc. That’s because with so many activities (and change in temperature depending on hot or cold water, like swimming in a pool or lounging in a hot tub) can cause you to lose the ring OR subject yourself to blunt force impact. Since you’ve just started wearing the two rings on the regular after the big day, you might want to keep the real ring at home and use a decoy ring for the honeymoon. It’s one less thing you’ll have to worry about.
4. Get your ring checked every year.
You might think people take off a ring to clean so it won’t get lost or ruined. But it’s equally important to take off your ring to inspect it for wear and tear — especially the prongs. Once a year, you should bring your ring to a jeweler to have the prongs tested. This will protect your engagement ring from a (gasp) diamond falling out.
5. A totally comprehensive insurance policy.
Insuring your ring against loss or theft is a great way to protect it. It’s not just about protecting an investment — it’s about preserving a memory. Say, for instance, your fiance bought you an incredible handmade ring from Etsy. Maybe it was one like this…
… or something like this…
… or it was one you’ve pinned and re-pinned for years, and he finally saw it one time too many on your feed and just knew it was the ring for you.
And then suppose you did something, like worked on a project and took the ring off and couldn’t find it? And weeks went by, and still… nothing?
SCARY, right?
Help maintain peace of mind by insuring your ring and the memories and sentiments it represents. Plus, with insurance through a company like Jewelers Mutual Insurance Company, you can have a replacement ring made with the jeweler of your choice.
And if your ring was lost, wouldn’t an exact replica be so important? I know it would be for me! Insurance will protect your engagement ring from loss, theft, damage, and more. (You can find out more about ring insurance like this here.)
– – –
What do YOU do to protect your engagement ring?
This is a sponsored post by Jewelers Mutual. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
xo
-E.
