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Ring and Jewelry Care

Engagement Rings


While diamonds are impervious to scratches they can chip. The settings prongs should be checked every six months by a jeweler. An engagement ring should shine its brightest on your wedding day. Soak for thirty minutes in a small bowl filled with one part ammonia and three parts cold water. Remove the ring from the solution, and gently brush around the front and back of the mounting with a soft toothbrush. Dip the ring into the solution a second time, rinse in warm running water (use a sink strainer), and set to dry on tissue paper, or pat dry. Shiny finishes can be polished with a regular polishing cloth. Never use a polishing cloth on matte or brushed finishes. 

Wedding Rings
While your wedding ring is durable and strong, misuse can greatly affect its life span. Never wear your rings while lifting weights,or rock climbing, or working out on nautilus machines. Never wear your ring while swimming. (Cold water can cause your hand to shrink rapidly and chlorine is corrosive to precious metal.)
A ring that has small diamonds or other gemstones in it requires more maintenance than a plain one. These rings are durable but not indestructible. Diamonds can fall out, and while they are generally not expensive to replace, having them checked by a jeweler every six months can prevent a loss. If your ring experiences a serious blow you can do a quick check yourself by running your finger nail over the tops of the stones feeling for chips and tightness in the setting. If the stone moves or makes a tapping noise do not wear the ring until it has been repaired by a jeweler. The abuse of daily living can be hard on your hands as well as your jewelry. Everything from holding the handles in the subway to gardening can potentially damage your jewelry. Your wedding rings can be cleaned using the same method as an engagement ring. 

Antiquing
Chemical patinas, such as oxidation or antiquing are surface treatments. How quickly they wear off varies individually depending on the metal and texture of the ring, other factors include skin acidity or exposure to acidic liquids, and how frequently you wash your hands. They need occasional maintenance to restore their original look. Reoxidizing a ring may require sending it back to the jeweler who made it. 

Matte finish
Matte finish and brushed finishes are also somewhat temporary. The factors that affect the longevity of oxidation also apply to matte and polished finishes. Polished and matte rings tend to look the same after a few months. There are several different types of matte finishes:
A directional matte finish, is one in which the surface has a direction in which it was brushed. This kind of finish can easily be maintained at home. Take a scotch brite pad, and sprinkle onto it a small amount of Bon Ami cleanser (Never use a bleach based abrasive such as Comet or Ajax, as they will corrode the metal.) Holding the ring under running water, gently sweep the pad over the surface of the ring, in ONE direction. Continue until entire ring is matte. Rinse well and dry.
A sandblasted finish is something that can only be refinished in the jeweler's studio. Fortunately, because of the depth of the matte, these finishes tend to last a little longer. 

Rhodium plating
Rhodium is a metal relative of platinum that is sometimes used to plate white gold to increase it's whiteness. This is why some white gold looks virtually indistinguishable from platinum. Not all of the jewelers that we represent offer this type of finish. Over time, Rhodium plating wears off and the true color of the white gold (which by definition has a slight gold undertone) will be visible. This is most apparent on smooth textures or on the back of the ring where it is contact with your skin the most. It is possible to have the ring replated, but it is not generally recommended to wear a rhodium plated ring next to a platinum one as the metals have different properties and the colors will eventually look different. 

Care of your ring
If your ring needs any refurbishment in the future, be it sizing or repair, we highly recommend bringing it back to us, that way the jeweler who made it will fix it. The rings that we sell are made by master craftspeople, who often use unusual techniques to achieve that specific look. If you have your ring worked on by another jeweler, you can risk ruining what made it special in the first place.