caring for your engagement ring

Again, congratulations on taking the next big step in your relationship! But now that you have an awesome piece of bling on your finger, you need to know how to take care of it! My dad always told me that maintenance and prevention is cheaper than a big repair/replace bill. So here are the top 5 "care for your ring" tips that will prevent you from replacing your diamond or ring!

1. Get your ring sized! I mentioned this in "you're engaged...now what?!" but this is really the first thing to do when it comes to caring for your ring. Make sure that you relax your finger and have to work to get it off your finger. You don't want to lose your ring when it gets cold outside or your hands get wet, so make sure the ring actually fits.

2. Get insurance! If you have renter's or home owner's insurance, call and have your ring added to your policy. You will need to have an official appraisal before you can add it so make sure you get that done when you have your ring sized. Ring insurance sounds scary and expensive but most policies only charge a yearly free of about $9 for every $1000 the ring is worth. Check to make sure the policy includes theft and misplacing/losing the ring. This piece of jewelry is priceless and you don't want to have to buy another one out of pocket! (Prevention is cheaper!)

3. Put your ring in the same place every time you take it off! I put my ring in the ring box whenever I go to the gym, do outside work, or anything else that would scratch my ring. I know exactly where it is when it's not on my hand. I'm careful with it and I don't take it off for everything... I NEVER take it off in a public bathroom when washing my hands for obvious reasons. So remember - make sure you tuck it away in the same place every time so it doesn't get lost.

4. Get it checked! Talk to your fiance about the insurance policy that came with the ring and read the paperwork. If it says you must get it checked every six months, then go every six months! I highly recommend getting it checked once a year. The prongs are crucial to check in order to prevent the diamond from falling out after the wear and tear of life. You can also check it at home by inspecting the prongs and security of the diamond by simply tugging on the diamond. If your diamond wiggles, take it off and store it in a safe place and take it to get it fixed as soon as you can. Better safe than sorry!

5. Get it cleaned! Your diamond will always look better when it's been cleaned up. Get rid of the soap and lotion build up by cleaning your ring regularly. Do not put any harsh chemicals on the diamond though. I recommend having a ring policy through the jeweler that includes checkups and cleanings. They know what they're doing. There are wipes made specifically for diamond rings but I haven't tried them yet. 

Maintenance and prevention is always cheaper than paying to replace the ring!