Caring For Your Wedding Ring

The wedding ring is one of the most important pieces of jewellery for husband and wife for obvious reasons. It is, after all, the symbol of their marital love for one another. With that in mind, it is only right that the utmost care be provided in maintaining the lustre of your wedding rings. The proper maintenance of your wedding rings also means that the gold band stays shiny, the precious stones remain radiant and the jewellery itself can become an heirloom piece. Take the Ring Off Don't believe the old wives' tales that taking off your wedding ring means that the marriage will end in divorce. You have to remove it at certain points in your life mainly because doing so is the best way to ensure that the wedding ring will not chipped, damaged and lost. These situations include: • Doing exercises and other sports activities especially when using gym equipment as the ring can easily get caught in its gears. Besides, you will not want to chip the gold band or loosen the setting of the stone. • Performing yard work even if gloves are worn. Many rings have been lost in the soil, which you will not want to happen to you. • Making pastries and other edible goodies where the hands will be buried in chemicals. The substances in certain food items can tarnish even the shiniest gold o platinum band, more so the precious stones. • Cleaning the house especially when using chemicals. In particular, chlorine is a corrosive substance where gold and silver is conce ed. • Applying personal products like sunscreen, lotions and perfumes. The substances can clog the diamonds, etch on the coloured gemstones and alter the gold composition. Wear the ring after applying these products. Of course, it is important to keep your wedding ring safe while not in your finger. We suggest placing it inside a jewellery box, or better yet, a safe. Pockets and drawers simply will not suffice for the purpose. Clean the Rings Regularly Jewellery requires cleaning, too, although we must emphasize that it is not as simple as dunking it in soap and water. First, you must determine if the metal and the stones on the wedding ring require special cleaning. Organic stones like turquoise, opals and pearls must be cleaned by a professional lest damage tarnish their beauty. For other stones and metals like silver, gold and platinum, you can soak the ring in either of these solutions on an ove ight basis: • 3 parts water and 1 part ammonia • Diluted detergent solution • Jewellery cleaning solutio In the morning, you can gently brush the ring with a soft brush, rinse in lukewarm water and then patting gently with tissue paper. Remember never to overdo the DIY cleaning since it can also damage the ring. When in doubt, we suggest having a professional jeweller perform the task of cleaning your wedding rings. You are then assured that the precious metals and stones will come out looking like new especially when a darkening agent is applied on the patterned rings. As much as you will not skimp on making your loving spouse feel loved in return, you must care for the symbol of your love in a similar manner. Who knows? It may even be used by your grandchildren as their own engagement rings.