HOW TO - CLEAN YOUR ENGAGEMENT RING
CONGRATULATIONS, you have a beautiful engagement ring.
It was so sparkly when you received it, but after wearing it for a little while, it’s starting to look like it needs some TLC (tender, loving, care!).
If your jeweller isn’t local to you, we have put together a quick how to guide on keeping your diamond sparkling!
We do advise that prior to your wedding (2-3 weeks) you should send your ring to your jeweller for a refurbishment. This will ensure your engagement ring is both sparkling with a clean diamond, and it also means your gold will be polished back up to the day you got it!
PS: It is also great for our jewellers to check how your ring is being worn from a servicing point of view.
Lets clean your ring!
What you’ll need:
· Baby toothbrush (the bristles are soft and less abrasive on your ring);
· Small drop of dishwashing liquid;
· Warm water;
· A medium sized bowl;
· Access to a tap with hot water;
· Hairdryer;
· Small hand towel.
Method
Fill a medium sized bowl with warm water, a drop of dishwashing detergent/liquid.
Dilute the water by swirling the mixture together with your toothbrush.
Gently place your ring into the bowl and leave to soak for 20 -minutes.
After 20- minutes, use the baby tooth brush to gentle rub the setting of your central diamond, and band, in circular motion. Be sure to allow the bristles of the brush to get into the larger claws and under the diamond. Do not apply too much pressure or be too aggressive with the strokes as we want to avoid the bristles getting stuck, and avoid scratching the metal.
Run hot water with your tap, and hold your ring under it allowing the water to run through the settings. The pressure of the water will push any additional grime out of your setting.
Carefully place your ring on the hand towel. Being careful not to hold the hair dryer too close to your ring, blow dry your ring from approx. 30cm away from your ring on high heat.
NOTE: Be sure to watch your ring and protect it from being blown off the towel. I often protect my ring with my other hand by cupping my hand around the ring so it can’t blow away.
What NOT to use
The only thing worse than a ring that has lost its shine is a ring that's damaged due to improper care. We advise that you never use any household cleaners such as bleach, chlorine, and acetone. Harsh chemicals like this can break down some of the precious metals in your ring.
Oh - and that friend who suggested to use toothpaste or baking soda? Please don’t! These products scratch metals, particularly gold. It will essentially ‘exfoliate’ your ring, and leave it looking… well… dull.
