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You are the brand new owner of an engagement ring in Highlands Ranch, CO, and you cannot stop looking at it. It goes without saying that engagement rings are a symbol of your love, but it is also a costly investment, so there are a few things you should know about it. If you have never owned a precious piece of jewelry before, then this guide is for you, and if you have, this should still serve as a good refresher of what you should and should not do with engagement rings.
After all, you want your engagement ring to stand the test of time just like your marriage, so you need to tend to it over time. It would be great if you could just slide it on and forget about it, but valuable jewelry takes a bit more attention than just that. If you treat engagement rings just right, however, you will have a marriage and a ring that stands the test of time, so it pays to be a bit flexible and open to work. Your local Highlands Ranch, CO jeweler, should be able to help you out with any of these tasks.
DO: Purchase Insurance
One of the smartest things you can do when purchasing engagement rings from any local jeweler is purchase insurance. Most people don’t think twice about purchasing insurance for their cell phones or their cars, so don’t balk at the higher price tag to buy insurance for your ring. A ring is a fairly high-value investment, and it is something that can be stolen or lost fairly easily.
Buying insurance for engagement rings alone is not enough hover, as you also need to make sure that you have it appraised at least once every five years. The market tends to fluctuate, so it is possible that the insured value of your ring will increase as time goes on. You don’t want to lose your ring and find out that the insured value is no longer enough to buy a replacement ring of the same caliber. Having engagement rings appraised every five years will help you make sure that your insurance covers the current market price of a similar diamond and metal band.
DON’T: Take Your Ring Off While Outside of Your Home
We know you are pretty excited to show off your engagement ring but resist the urge to take it off and hand it to anyone. It only takes one misstep for engagement rings to tumble to the floor, and you never know where they will land. It is pretty surprising how far a ring can travel in only a few seconds. Unless you want to set off a panic wherever you happen to be, let your friends and family members view it from your hand at a safe distance.
In addition, resist the urge to take off your hand every time you wash your hands. It may seem counterintuitive to wash your ring while you are washing your hands, but soap and water will not hurt it. In fact, it may actually help keep it clean so go ahead and lather up. The risk of dropping it in the sink or accidentally leaving it behind when you are not in your home is simply too high to take.
Do: Keep It Clean
Speaking of clean, one of the best things you can do to maintain the value of engagement rings is clean them thoroughly on a regular basis. It’s not a great idea, however, to clean your ring with whatever happens to be lying around your home. In fact, home jewelry solutions that you can purchase cheaply at a department store are also not always a great solution. Just because you can cheaply clean your ring at home doesn’t mean that you should. Your ring is a pretty high investment; honor that by booking an appointment at a Highlands Ranch, CO jeweler every couple of years to an expert for a professional cleaning. You will notice the difference almost immediately and will be happy to show it off with a renewed shine.
Don’t: Clean Your Home with It On
All of that said, you don’t want to actually clean your home while wearing your ring. Washing your hands is one thing; bleaching your kitchen sink is an entirely different issue. Bleach and other harsh chemicals that are common in home cleaning supplies can actually dull the metal finish of your ring and, over time, actually harm the color of any gemstones that might serve as accents on your engagement ring. Therefore, if you are getting ready to clean, you need to properly put your ring away in a jewelry box or a safe location.
Do: Take Your Ring Off When Extremely Active
Yes, a diamond is one of the toughest materials in the world, but a cut and polished diamond can chip and is not built to withstand the same pressure as a rock on the side of a mine. You need to be respectful of this fact and leave your engagement ring at home in a safe place if you are headed out to an extremely active event. Plus, if you are going to be active and distracted, then there is a chance that your ring will slip off, and you don’t want to take that chance. Gardening, furniture moving, rock climbing, heavy aerobic exercise, and more are all situations when it’s better to be safer than sorry by leaving engagement rings at home. Your event will likely already be exciting enough without worrying about losing your ring as well.
As you might have noticed, the most important thing you can do is take the proper steps to protect your ring. One of those steps included regular cleaning and appraisal. If you are in need of either, Matheu’s Fine Watches & Jewelry can help you out. Give us a call, and we can set up a same-day appointment.
