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When you get your engagement ring, it’s natural to want to wear it everywhere. After all, engagement rings are a symbol of true love, and for many women, it’s the most important piece of jewelry that they’ll ever wear. Why wouldn’t you want to have that ring on your finger at all times?
Unfortunately, even though diamonds are the hardest mineral in the world, engagement rings aren’t impervious to all damage. First, not every engagement ring uses a diamond as its stone. Many brides opt for something other than diamond, preferring a unique look for their ring and sacrificing strength for aesthetics. Second, an engagement ring is more than just the stone. When you purchase a ring, you’re purchasing both stone and band, and the band is a lot more malleable and at risk of damage than the stone might be.
Because of the risk, you’ll be much better off if you leave your ring at home when you’re doing these activities or others like them.
Gardening
During the spring, it’s natural to want to get out in the garden after a long winter and start cultivating plant life. But when you do, make sure that you don’t bring your engagement ring along. You don’t have much risk of damage to your ring when you’re in the garden, but rings do carry one major risk: a rock knocking the stone loose. When you’re working with dirt, there’s a real chance you’ll encounter pebbles, and if one comes in contact with your ring’s stone, you might lose your stone in the dirt.
Even if you don’t, dirt and engagement rings really don’t mix. Your ring is meant to be cleaned regularly under the best of circumstances, and gardens and dirt are far from the best of circumstances. Be smart and leave your ring inside.
Cooking
When you’re trying to cook, you’ve got enough to worry about without having to worry about constantly keeping your ring from getting dirty or damaged. So why put your ring at risk?
Quite frankly, you shouldn’t. Engagement rings are far from fragile, but that doesn’t mean that you want your ring around boiling water, sauces, mixtures and other things that you find in your kitchen. If you’re trying to make a lasagna, for example, you want to be focused on boiling your noodles and getting your sauce to the right consistency. You don’t want to worry about keeping your engagement ring far enough away from what’s going on to prevent moisture and messes from distorting the look of it.
Plus, unless you’re making a really simple recipe, cooking is a difficult task that requires all of your attention. It’s best to save wearing your engagement rings for times when you don’t have to worry about doing multiple things at once, and cooking in your home is not one of those times.
Sleeping
How can sleeping damage engagement rings? The good news is that it can’t, but you still shouldn’t wear your engagement ring when you’re asleep because of the damage your ring can do to things around your body. For example, if your hand contacts your partner while you’re asleep, they’re probably going to wake up with a small welt in their skin. If you push your body weight onto your hand, it’s possible that your ring could rip a hole in your sheets.
Unless you sleep close enough to your nightstand to potentially hit it while you’re asleep, you don’t have to risk any damage to your engagement ring. But the damage to the possessions in your Denver, CO home is a real risk, and it’s enough of a risk that you should do the sensible thing and put your ring away at the end of the day.
Cleaning
Cleaning engagement rings regularly is a wise idea, but cleaning a ring should only be done with specific ring cleaners. If you’re cleaning parts of your home, you really need to put the ring away until you’re done with the job.
That’s because most cleaners really aren’t the friendliest to either your band or your stone, and if they come in contact with an abrasive cleaner, the consequences could be rather unpleasant. Unfortunately, virtually everything that you use to clean your kitchen is considered abrasive when it comes to your ring, as even dish soaps can cloud your stone and take a lot of the shine off your ring.
When it comes to cleaning with rings, it’s just not worth the risk, and it’s also not a solution to simply put gloves on over your ring. Gloves can provide some protection, but if you’re around cleaners for long enough, they can eventually seep through onto your hands. Your stone could even puncture the glove, rendering the effort useless.
Exercising
We know that you want to stay in shape by hitting the local gym but engagement rings don’t belong in a gym of any kind. First, setting your ring down for even a moment can attract unwanted attention, and all it takes is one unscrupulous person and you might never see your ring again. Second, even if you keep your ring firmly on your finger, mistakes with the machines can and do happen.
All it takes is one error with a machine to bend or even crack your ring, and the damage from heavy metal weights is anything but easy to repair. Throw in the certainty of sweat from your workout, and you’re much better off simply taking the ring off and wearing it after you come home to take your post-workout shower.
At Matheu’s Fine Watches & Jewelry, we know that engagement rings are truly unique pieces of jewelry, and we strive to make each one as special as the person who wears it. If you’re looking for the perfect combination of band and stone, come to our Denver, CO shop to find the right piece. With proper care and storage, it will last as long as your love for each other — a lifetime.
