I am willing to bet your engagement ring is probably one of the most valuable pieces of jewelry, if not the most valuable thing in general, you own. And it was gifted to you by your wonderful fiancée (isn’t that a fun word to say?!) and now you have to take care of it. Surprised to hear that? Yes that shiny ring on your finger deserves a little TLC from time to time. Read on to learn the tips and tricks to keep that rock sparkling forever.

Insure it

How many articles does this come up? From the second that ring is in your possession, make sure there is some sort of insurance policy on it! Add it to your homeowners or renters and know that you’re covered. Also, jewels and precious metals appreciate over time. Appraise it and adjust the value of it every 5 years or so to make sure that you are insuring it’s full value and not take an unnecessary hit if something does happen to it.

Leave it alone

Oh how we love admiring that new rock and shamelessly working it into conversation and pictures when we’re first engaged. How many friends/family members wanted to try it on? Well, beside from that being bad luck, it also puts your rock at risk for disaster. Slippery fingers could drop it; oily hands could smudge it, taking it off to wash your hands could lead to an unfortunate visit down the drain. Just keep it on and leave it alone.

Unless you need to take it off

Alas! Of course there’s an exception to every rule and here it is: take off your ring when dealing with harsh cleaning chemicals (bleach I’m talking to you), when doing a lot of hands-on activities, or even doing day-to-day normal things like applying lotion. Harsh chemicals can dull the metal and lotions and hair products can make your ring sticky and cause build up over time. Activities can weaken the prongs or cause the ring to accidentally slide off your finger and be gone forever.

Clean it

Depending on any warranties initially bought through the jeweler, some require taking your ring in for semi-annual maintenance or the warranty lapses. Keep up on this! Let your jeweler steam clean your ring once or twice a year to keep it looking uber sparkley. At home, you can use warm water, a toothbrush, a mild soap, and microfiber lint-free cloth, for cleans in between, but definitely let your jeweler get their hands on your rock a couple times a year (and especially before your wedding) to keep that diamond sparkling like the sun!

HZ Photography Studios

See, ring maintenance is not hard at all. It is something that needs to be scheduled and you need to be diligent about it, but you’ll thank yourself later when your ring shines bright like the day your person popped the question!