While gold, platinum, diamonds and other gemstones and precious metals last forever; they need some TLC to ensure their continued shine and brilliance.
Storage
The first step to caring for your wedding rings is to prevent other jewellery from rubbing against and scratching them. The ideal solution is to keep it in a box with separate compartments, and to invest in a jewellery roll to use for traveling. Tangle and scratch free jewellery maintains its glimmer a lot, lot longer!
Take your wedding jewellery in for check-ups
Your valuable sparklies should also be taken to your jeweller periodically for check-ups to protect them against possible damage. Your jeweller will check that stones are still securely set and there is no wear or breakage of the metal. At the same time your jewellery will be professionally cleaned - you'll be amazed at the difference a buff and clean makes.
Cleaning makes a big difference
In between visits to the jeweller it's easy to do a little bit of cleaning yourself. There are a number of methods that are sure to restore the sparkle and shine you fell in love with.
The soapy water bath Fill a small bowl with lukewarm water and mild detergent or soap. Proceed to dip and brush each piece of jewellery with a soft toothbrush and then rinse in warm water. Pat dry with a soft cloth.
The cold water soak Remove your rings and gently tap the settings on the front and back to loosen dirt. Soak for half an hour in equal amounts of cold water and household ammonia. Leave to dry.
The quick dip method Purchase any brand of liquid jewellery cleaner and follow the manufacturer's instructions.
The ultrasonic cleaner An ultrasonic machine consists of a metal cup you fill with water and detergent. Once activated, ultrasonic cleaners use high frequency turbulence to clean. Read the instructions carefully before use.
Is it safe to wear my wedding rings all the time?
There is considerable debate among jewellers as to whether your rings will be damaged when using certain chemicals or performing manual labour. If you are concerned about damaging your wedding rings and choose to remove them, be sure to put them in a safe place. The chances of losing them when they're not on your fingers are greater than the chances of damaging them through hard wear.
Insurance
Make sure your fine jewellery is insured for its full value at all times. Your insurance should cover loss, damage and theft - both in and out of the home.