Engagement Ring Damage And Prevention
Your engagement ring is your prized possession. Not only is it a gorgeous piece of jewelry, but it's also an investment that was made into the future of you and your fiancé as a couple. Something like that needs to be taken care of, but even with the best care and all the precautions, it can become damaged. We go over the different types of engagement ring damage and how to prevent it, so you can do your best to keep your engagement ring unscathed for many years to come.
Most women continue to wear their engagement ring long after their wedding, usually on the same hand as their wedding band. This means that the ring is exposed to danger every single day, and could succumb to damage at some point. There are a few different ways engagement rings can get damaged, and we'll go over each one as well as potential ways for you to avoid this damage.
Some of the most common engagement ring damage and how to prevent it are as follows:
- Scratches in the metal. Unfortunately, the day-to-day wear and tear of your life can cause your engagement ring to become scratched up. Most metals are durable, but when it is something worn every day, damage is inevitable. Depending on the metal used for your ring, you should be able to buff or polish out any little nicks or scrapes that have appeared in the metal. Of course, the easiest way to avoid this is to remove your rings when working with any hard or sharp objects that could scrap up the ring. If you are rock climbing or working in the garden, it may be best to remove your rings before heading outside. This way you can't lose it, or get it damaged.
- Loosened prongs. After years of wearing, this is fairly inevitable depending on the setting. Give your ring a once over each week to ensure that there are no loose diamonds or any areas of concern. If you see any, schedule an appointment with your local jewelry store to have the setting tightened up. If you don't, you may lose precious stones that are embedded in your ring, and lose that beautiful shine that you've come to love and adore.
- Stretching of bands. This one depends on the metal used, as some metals are more malleable than others. While wearing your ring each day won't cause this type of damage, if you are constantly getting your ring caught in things, it could eventually lead to the band becoming stretched out. To prevent this, if you find that your ring gets caught in an article of clothing or happens to get caught on a blanket, don't jerk your hand away, instead take your time to work it loose, that way it won't pull and affect the shape of the band.
- Discoloration. Depending on the metal, discoloration may occur if you are not vigilant about taking your ring off for certain things. You should never shower or swim with your ring on, as the soap or saltwater or chlorine could cause discoloration or worse, some other form of damage to the ring. Same thing with any task that requires paint or chemicals. Doing so could cause damage to the integrity of the ring, or a discoloration that won't come out. So before you start on your cleaning for the day, put your ring in a safe place were it can't get damaged.
These are just the most common forms of engagement ring damage and how to prevent it. Of course, everyone is going to have different situations, so you will just have to do your best to ensure that you are not putting your ring in any kind of unnecessary danger.