Caring for your engagement ring

The ring: a champagne round brilliant-cut diamond in a rose gold basket, with a white gold band inset with tiny white diamonds. Mr E and I bought the diamond from Max Diamonds, who also made the ring.

Caring for your engagement ring

Finally — five months after getting engaged — I have an engagement ring! Mr E proposed with a proxy ring back in January with the idea we would design a ring together and — let me tell you — it has been worth the wait. Seeing a diamond ring on my finger (and a stunning one at that) is the most exciting wedding-related event (or any event!) that has happened to me in past weeks and months. I’m a bit gushy about how beautiful it is — not too big, not too small, with a touch of colour and as sparkly as they come. So sparkly I could take someone’s eye out with a well-aimed reflection of a dimmed down light.   

It’s been two weeks since I’ve been wearing the ring and, as not much of a jewellery wearer, it’s taking some getting used to. Not in the sense that it’s uncomfortable or anything, just in that I don’t want to do it any damage. When I first flaunted it in my office all the girls oohed and ahhed, then one added: “They’re so sparkly when they’re new, aren’t they?”   

Ring made by Max Diamonds.

I was shocked. “You mean… they lose their shine?”   

Turns out diamond rings don’t lose their shine… if you look after them properly, that is. So what is involved in caring for a diamond ring? After doing some reading, I realised this little dazzler needs a lot of TLC to stay looking as good as new. The online advice includes:    

• Take your ring off before washing your hair
• Take your ring off before swimming
• Take your ring off before doing any activities in which the ring might encounter a hard knock
• Avoid doing house cleaning, washing dishes or anything that brings the ring into contact with harsh substances
• Avoid touching the diamond — the natural oils on skin can diminish the diamond’s shine
• Every so often, soak your ring in hot water and mild detergent (or otherwise say ammonia or window cleaner) then gently brush with a soft tooth brush to remove oils.

 … and so on.   

On hearing all of this, I was a little disheartened, to say the least. My ring is quite difficult to take off, and if I have to remove it before every hair wash or before each time I moisturise I’ll be constantly tugging painfully at my knuckle. I don’t want it to become a nuisance.   

So are all of those care instructions really necessary? I have been told by jewellers that a well-made diamond ring can withstand just about anything, so long as you keep it out of harm’s way. To me, “harm’s way” includes things like rock climbing, boxing, placing my ring on a window sill or next to an open drain; it doesn’t include showering, washing the dishes or vacuuming. I figure if I give my ring a polish with a cleaning cloth every now and then and don’t wear it whilst doing extreme sports then it will be fine, right?     

I want to hear from experienced ring wearers — how do you care for your ring? And jewellers — how would you recommend we clean and care for our ring to keep it in top condition? Leave a comment below.   

An Editor’s Wedding is a series of blog posts written by the Editor of Complete Wedding Sydney, Jodie McLeod, who is currently also planning her own wedding. Find out more here.