Rings can be so special and personal… but it can be so easy to forget to take care of them. Life just simply gets in the way. The solution that so many people fall back on is that they just keep their ring on their finger 24/7, and while that seems like a good way to make sure you don’t lose that special part of you, it is a really bad idea.
Countless things you do during the day can cause undue wear and stress on your ring. It can be the sweat that builds up when going out for a nice morning run or the heat and movement that happens when you are cooking your favorite pasta recipe. That stress multiplied day after day can cause real problems. Without realizing it, a prong can crack or pull away from the stone, resulting in a loss of a precious stone. The back of a ring can get cracked and without taking it off to look you will never know it’s there until it is too late. A ring can also get worn down by all the chemicals that get stuck between your ring and your finger from all the essential hand sanitizer and hand washing we are doing. Stones can chip, and the back of the ring band can crack without you even noticing.
A lot of these problems can be avoided by following some helpful hints.
Remove The Ring At The Same Time Each Day
This will get you in the habit of taking off your ring so that it becomes easier not to forget about it. Getting into this habit is a great first step into giving your ring a longer life.
Place The Ring In The Same (safe) Place Each Day
Make sure your close family member knows where you place it. This way, you can have peace of mind that you will always know where your ring is when it is not on your finger. It’s also good to tell people you trust where it is so they know not to change its location or don’t accidentally move the box in which the ring is located.
Remove Your Ring When Wearing Gloves Or Exercising
Make sure you remove your ring when wearing cleaning gloves and definitely when exercising with weights. All that friction, sweat, and movement will make the ring break down faster. The same idea goes for when you wash your hands or deal with chemicals in any form. Keeping your ring away from such things is incredibly important.
Have The Ring Checked Twice Annually
This is usually done as a courtesy by your local independent jeweler. Upon inspection, your jeweler will be able to detect any problem. It is also good to know that not all rings are cleaned the same way.
These are some great tips to get started on properly taking care of your ring. That does not mean that it wouldn’t be hard, life just gets in the way sometimes and it is just easy to forget. Yet, by working at establishing a system of cleaning your ring, you will get to keep that ring so much longer so that your special gift can stay with you longer and shine brighter.
