Engagement ring tips?
 

Hello all, I am just recently engaged and I love my ring! I designed it myself. It is a regular three stone princess cut, but what is special is that there is a round, bezel set pink sapphire on the shank of both sides of the ring under the center diamond!

Anyways, I had some questions:

1. How do you guys clean your rings? I have heard about windex and a toothbrush, the jewel jet steam cleaner etc etc. What works best.

2. Do you guys wear your rings in the shower, spa, ocean, pool? I would rather wear mine then lose it, but I don't want to damage it.

3. Has anyone every lost their ring? What happened?

4. When you do take your ring off, do you have tricks for remembering where you put it?

Congratulations on your engagement. Your ring sounds beautiful.I would not wear it in the ocean, spa or pool. Do not wear it where there is any possibility it will come off and not be found. I always cleaned mine with alcohol, or clorox or toothpaste or dish detergent. Your diamond is very tough and will not be harmed by cleaning products, you just want to clean off the every day dirt and grime that will accumalate when you wear it all the time.

My husband and I designed my ring too. I've never cared for diamonds (I don't know why, I just prefer colored stones). My engagement ring is an aquamarine and the wedding band is a wrap of small diamonds and marquis cut saphires. The aquamarine is my birthstone (and all-time favorite stone - I'm pisces a water sign and aquamarines come in every shade that water does). The only reason my wedding band contains diamonds is that it is my husband's birthstone and the saphire was traditionally used to symbolize fidelity.

For care - I have to be especially careful because the aquamarine, being a beryl (like emeralds, heliodor and morganite) is a soft stone and shouldn't be cleaned in a sonic cleanser, and the stone can scratch.

Even though I should, I don't remove my rings unless I'm doing a really messy job, in which case I only will remove my ring to put it in my jewelry box (whenever I've done it anywhere else - even in the house - I usually forget where I put it and panic). Or, I use plastic gloves to keep my hands and rings clean. The jeweler said that it's safe to wear diamonds (as long as the prongs are being checked regularly) in water, but beryls scratch easily so swimming is ok, but washing dishes I really should wear gloves or remove my ring).

Because I don't remove my rings for washing dishes and swimming and such, my aquamarine will need to be replaced periodically. This horrified my mother (after all diamonds symbolize "forever" for a reason - and a stone that needs replacing every seven to ten years seemed an ill omen to her). However, my husband and I chose to look at it a different way. Over the course of our marriage, getting a new stone for the engagement ring would be a symbolic renewing of our vows and a statement how a strong marriage still changes over time. For our fifth anniversary, we replaced the stone for the first time. It wasn't really necessary "yet," but we found a jeweler who would custom-cut an aquamarine for us. I wanted a stone with more facets than a typical aquamarine is cut. So the jeweler not only designed and cut the stone for us, they named the cut the "Colleen cut" and even though I said it was ok, they promised not to sell it to any other customer for at least ten years (it's their standard agreement for a custom-cut).

I've already told hubby that for our 15th anniversary I want an unusually dark aquamarine in the same or similar cut. I like the idea that the ring and my marriage will always be ever-changing.

I realize that not much of what I've said applies to you (sorry, I just LOVE talking about my ring), but I think alot depends on your personality. I LOSE RINGS. My fingers often swell and therefore also often shrink. So, rings often fall off my fingers, and I never bought expensive rings as a result. I also have short-term memory problems (it's a fibromyalgia thing - long story) but as a result I lose things all of the time. I was terrified of losing my engagement/wedding ring, so I felt safer keeping it on (even when I probably shouldn't) than ever taking it off . For the entire first year of marriage I was nearly constantly checking to make sure my ring was still on. I still check at least twice a week, but at least it's no longer every hour or more (I'd even wake up in the middle of the night and check, and again when I woke up, even though I had checked before going to bed).

i get mine cleaned about every 6m. I actually take it back to the jeweler dh got it from and the use an ultrasonic cleaner. I also took it to another jewler and they did it. I usually have the jewlery check the ring out every 6 m making sure the prongs holding the stone in aren't loose.

i wear mine pretty much every where..and i definately put my ring thr torture. I work as a vet, so it only come off for surgery, if i'm working with heavy chemicals at home, or if i'm in the ocean or pool. It gets worn in the shower, gets frequently washed. etc.
congrats on the engagement.

Thanks for the posts everyone, I especially love to hear people's stories about their rings and why they are chosen!

I gather from these posts that I will remove my ring only when necessary, like when the risk of losing it or damaging it outweighs taking it off.

I am kind of crazy about cleaning mine as much as possible, so a toothbrush and windex I guess will do it for me.

i also forgot to tell you, we did insure the ring thr our home owner's insurance. I would recommend that. Its a good thing.

Cleaning it too often can damage the setting, making it more likely that you'll lose the stones at some point.

I get the excitement of having the ring (I remember getting mine) and wanting it to be utterly gorgeous and sparkly all the time, but don't go overboard. :)

Mostly it's about not getting it dirty rather than cleaning it often.

Make sure you rinse well when you wash your hands. Soap scum will make the stones and gold look dull and will collect in the crevices of the ring and attract dirt.

Take it off when you're doing something that will get gunk into it. I take mine off when gardening or when doing something in the kitchen like kneading bread or making meatloaf or whatever. If you absolutely don't want to take it off, then rinse it well and use a toothpick (wooden one) to clean out the crevices.

Be sure to dry your finger under the ring well and to dry the ring well when you wash it.

A swish through a little hydrogen peroxide can help loosen any stubborn dirt and then you can wipe it with a soft cloth.

But seriously - avoid the toothbrush as much as possible. That kind of abrasiveness is not good for the gold mounts and can scratch stones that aren't diamonds.

(BTW, my ring is a square cut dark blue sapphire in the center, flanked by 4 channel set diamonds. I love it. I never wanted a diamond as the main stone, myself. :) )

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Congrats!!! :)

When I brush my teeth (if I dont' have cleaner) I'll usually brush my rings near at the end of my brushing session... then wash my hands (with ring on) with hot soapy water. As for the tooth brush... make sure it's soft bristle or it can scratch the gold.

But you could go to Wal-mart and get a little Ring/jewelry cleaner kit for about $5 (probably cheaper in US). It's a solution with a gentle brush to get right into the nitty gritty.

Most jewelry shops offer free ring cleaning - whether you are their customer or not. Once in a while if I'm shopping at a mall, and see that my rings are not as shiny as normal, I'll stop at a jeweller and ask them to clean it.

When I take my rings off, I usually leave them on top of my alarm clock... I see it there. I Normally just take them off if I'm going to be doing something messy with my hands (baking bread, mixing meat for burgers or meat loaf, making cookies etc). My mom always put her rings on the chain around her neck when she had to do something messy with her hands. That way the rings are always with her and there's no chance of losing them.

I don't usually take my rings off if I'm washing my hands or showering... unless they're really loose. The washing process will help clean your rings.

If you ever notice you have a towel "fabric" caught in one of the clasps... make sure to pull it out gently. If you ever snag it on clothing - check it once in a while to make sure one of the clasps does not move slightly... an off center clasp can be a recipe for lost diamonds or gems. If you notice this has happened, find out from your fiancee where he purchased the ring - they will center it back for you - usually free of charge.

I've lost a pearl once on a pearl ring... I cracked up the Dean from the college I was working at when I was crawling around on all fours looking for it one day when I noticed it was missing.

If you do lose a diamond or gem and find it, place it and the ring in a plastic ziplock bag and put in a place where you won't lose it (e.g. purse compartment with a zipper). Most jewellers will not charge you for fixing this - as it is usually considered a design flaw.

Again Congrats :)

Watch some metal with certain cleaners.

White gold can be discolored by all sorts of things including acetone. You don't know how many times I had kids in my labs freak out because they forgot to take off their jewelry before an experiment.

I just have my wedding ring, but it's really faceted. I take it off when i do any sort of cooking and cleaning, and I have to take it off in the shower or water because it's a little loose and tries to slip off when wet.

First of all, congratulations! :carrot:
1. How do you guys clean your rings? I have heard about windex and a toothbrush, the jewel jet steam cleaner etc etc. What works best.I take it in to be cleaned once every few months or when I'm in the jeweler's neighborhood. Also, per the insurance policy, I have to have it inspected every six months and they clean it then. In the interim, I soak it for a few minutes in warm water, a little dishsoap and windex. I never thought to use a toothbrush on it.
2. Do you guys wear your rings in the shower, spa, ocean, pool? I would rather wear mine then lose it, but I don't want to damage it.I wear my ring everywhere. For me, taking off my ring would mean I probably would have lost it a loooooong time ago.
3. Has anyone every lost their ring? What happened?I got my ring on July 24th, 2007.
4. When you do take your ring off, do you have tricks for remembering where you put it?
Again, I don't take it off. Ever.

congrats!

I just want to echo some thougts on toothbrush cleaning. If done too rigorously and often there is a risk of loosening the prongs holding the stones in place.

Enjoy! It sounds really beautiful :)

Congrats! Enjoy your ring and everything it stands for!

My dad owned a jewelry store and working weekends, Christmas and summer breaks was my first job. He swore by using 1 part hot water and 1 part sudsy ammonia. It stinks, but it's cheap and works very well. Just soak the ring, and then use a soft bristled toothbrush to gently clean the crevices. That’s what we used in the ultrasonic machine... We also used a hanging devise so the rings wouldn't vibrate on the bottom of the machine which could scratch the gold.

Also, if your ring is gold, NEVER use bleach on it. It corrodes the metal and can lead to lost stones. I can't tell you how many rings I've seen that were worn by waitresses who cleaned with bleach and the gold was completely eaten through.

And lastly, I don’t have an engagement or wedding ring, but I wouldn't wear any jewelry in the ocean. Many experts believe that the sunlight flashing off the metal and stones looks like fish and can make a shark or barracuda think you'd be a tasty snack. Can you tell my oceanography teacher scarred me for life?

My wedding set fell off on a plane trip after I lost about 30 lbs from when I originally got sized for it... I haven't worn my rings since and that was about 18 months ago and I've only been married for 2 years.

Anyway, I bought my wedding band so that I'd wear that all the time and then the engagement ring I'd wear most of the time. After they both fell off, I put them in my safe until I got to my target 'resize weight' which is about 160. After that, I bought silver rings to wear instead. Right now, I have a silver/blue topaz ring I wear. It only cost around $30 but I still clean it with a toothbrush and the stone is pretty set so I'm not worried about the stone setting becoming loose. I also don't wear it swimming because it does become loose in the water. I also don't wear it running because I did one day and it was cold outside and I got some kind of rash from where the ring was. I guess between the rubbing, the cold and the sweat, my finger wasn't happy. I'd say always put your ring in the same place if you do remove it so you remember where it is at.

As far as losing your ring, I've never lost any jewelry and I was very nervous about buying a ring that cost more than a couple hundred dollars. In the end really, they are just rings. If I ever do lose my rings, I will replace them with some other rings or ring. I've found over the last year that I enjoy wearing different rings and changing it up from time to time.

1. How do you guys clean your rings? I have heard about windex and a toothbrush, the jewel jet steam cleaner etc etc. What works best.

I take mine to the jewelers every six months for my scheduled check and clean. And maybe a couple of times in between use their jewelry cleaner.

2. Do you guys wear your rings in the shower, spa, ocean, pool? I would rather wear mine then lose it, but I don't want to damage it.

Never wear my ring in the shower, spa, ocean or pool. I've heard the chlorine in the pools isn't good for it...don't know if it's true or not. But for me I always just take them off anytime my hands will be in water period. Aslo, don't wear it half the time walking because when it's warm my fingers swell and when it's cold they get loose.

3. Has anyone every lost their ring? What happened?

Well, my wedding band, just a gold wedding band that I wore on my right hand...I lost some weight and went to the recyling bin and was shaking a bag to get the cans out of it and didn't realize until later on that I shook my wedding band off in the bin somewhere! :yikes: Went back to see if I could find it but it was impossible...like trying to find a needle in a haystack. I've also flushed 3 diamond & emerald rings down the toilet too...that killed me!

4. When you do take your ring off, do you have tricks for remembering where you put it?

I take my rings off when cleaning house or doing dishes, showering or as I said above anytime I know my hands will be in water. Or if I am painting or something like that. I have some ring dishes (can't think of what they are called) that I put my rings on next to the kitchen sink, in the master bath.

And CONGRATULATIONS on your engagement!

I think you have lots of advice about cleaning your ring, so I won't go there. However, I am the expert at the losing the ring part.

I lost my first wedding/engagement ring when I took it off while we were on a boat at the lake. I took it off so that I could put sunscreen on, and I put it on top of the cooler. Well, my husband went to get a drink and all I heard was a "plop". So, my first ring is at the bottom of the lake.

My second ring is still on my finger. But, about 10 years ago, when we were out helping one of our cows deliver her first calf, I lost the main stone. So, this is the second ring... and the second stone in the second ring.

So, my advice? KEEP IT ON, CHECK YOUR SETTINGS! If it gets dirty, clean it, but don't take it off where it could be lost forever.

Honestly though, worry less about the ring and more about the marriage. (I'm not saying that you aren't, though) I've been married 22 years. If I didn't have the ring, I'd still love the man!