Ring Aftercare

Caring For Your Engagement & Wedding Ring

An engagement ring is made up of many physical parts: type of gems, setting of gems, metal of band, and so it can be challenging to know how to look after your ring for the best.

Being jewellery specialists for over 235 years, at Goldsmiths, we pride ourselves on giving you the best guidance on making sure your jewellery lasts a lifetime and beyond, as we understand an engagement ring & wedding band is not only a sentimental piece that holds many important memories and represents the bond of your marriage, though also a piece that can be passed to loved ones and form part of the legacy of the family.

To help you look after your engagement ring & wedding band, at Goldsmiths, we would like to share some of our insight we have built knowledge of.

Holding The Ring

When you are removing the ring or placing it back on your finger, try to hold onto the band of the ring itself rather than gripping the stones set into the ring, this is because oils in your skin and pressure of holding from the stones can loosen the stones over time and can result in the stones breaking free from the ring.

General Wear & Tear

The ring can be worn often, though at times should be stored safely away. When washing up, using harsh chemicals, or completing physical work that uses your hands we recommend to remove your ring and place safely in a padded jewellery box. This will protect the metal of your ring from any scratches or dents and protect the gems from becoming loose from their setting. It will also prevent any stones from shooting down the sink.

While the metal of a ring can be repaired and a gemstone re-aligned to its setting a diamond or gemstone that becomes cracked cannot be mended. In this instance the diamond could only be polished beneath the crack, which could dramatically change the look and feel of the ring. Care for the gemstone and should you notice a chip or crack, get this checked immediately by our jewellery specialist in a Goldsmiths showroom.

Cleaning The Ring

The ring needs to be cleaned regularly, though should be cleaned using appropriate chemicals that will not damage protective layers of the ring or gemstones.

As rings are complexly made we would recommend to have the ring professionally cleaned frequently, however, some rings that contain metal and stones, including diamond, ruby, sapphire can be lightly cleaned to remove more basic fingerprint marks. To lightly clean your ring, place it in a bowl of warm soapy water and gently scrub it using a soft toothbrush. Dry your ring using a soft lint free' shine and to prevent any cloth fibres damaging the ring.

In contrast, rings made of pearl and other lustrous materials should only be cleaned by professionals, as even the lightest chemicals can damage the sheen of the pearls. cloth, to enhance its

With professional cleans, we can ensure the protective layers of the ring are also enhanced and that the ring remains sparkly appearing like new for longer. Our dedicated jewellery specialists can advise and clean your ring in our showrooms making sure your ring is well looked after.

Checking The Settings

The settings of the ring can loosen over time and cause gemstones to come free from the setting. This can be the case with all settings as metals oxidise and perish over time. The main thing to ensure is that your ring is checked frequently for any erosion to the settings.

In the case of a prong setting, the pillars that grasp the gemstone are important to the structural integrity of the setting. If one pillar erodes the gemstone can completely dislodge. The best way to see if your prong setting has eroded is if one or more of the pillars appears shallow. At this stage, your ring should be shared with our dedicated jewellery craftsman for repair.

At Goldsmiths, we recommend to have your ring looked at every 18 months to 2 years, to give you confidence that there is no wear & tear on the ring settings, though often it can be hard to judge the setting and a ring may suffer a lot of wear & tear in a short period of time, so our jewellery specialists are trained to give you guidance keeping your ring safe & secure.

Protecting Your Investment

An engagement ring is an investment for a lifetime and as we appreciate the importance of this, we would recommend protecting your investment, securing insurance that covers the full value of the ring. Although this would not replace the sentiment of a ring should the one be lost, it can at least give some assurance that if the ring becomes damaged lost or stolen that your ring can be sourced or re-designed to match its' original form, at minimal expense to yourself.

Diamond Promise

As a diamond is a big investment, a very precious thing, we offer a unique Goldsmiths 10-Year Diamond Promise to each item in our diamond collection. We'll inspect and clean your diamond every year for the next ten years, free of charge.