Engagement Ring Care & Cleaning Guide 2024

Written by Nick Ireland, January 2024

Engagement rings require proper cleaning and care to maintain their beauty and durability. 

The diamond will accumulate grime if you wear your ring daily without cleaning it. 

It will then lose its alluring shine. A lack of maintenance may also weaken the prongs and cause the diamond to fall out.

Diamonds may have unmatched hardness, but that doesn’t mean they’re indestructible.

Here are some tips you can use to preserve your engagement ring

Cleaning ring with a microfibre cloth

How To Clean Your Engagement Ring

Your engagement ring isn’t just a symbol of love. 

It can also be a family heirloom to pass down to future generations. That is if you care for it well enough. 

It’s essential to clean your engagement ring regularly to help it last through the years. 

You can do the cleaning yourself at home or entrust it to the hands of a professional.

Steps to Cleaning Your Engagement Ring at Home

To keep your engagement ring’s lustre, clean it at least twice a month at home.

The DIY cleaning method is a gentle way to remove oil and dirt buildup on your ring.

It will also restore the diamond’s brilliance.

  1. Start by filling a bowl with warm water. Add a drop or two of dish soap and stir with a spoon.
    Body wash or shampoo are other suitable alternatives, as long as they’re not moisturising.
    Whatever you do, avoid using products with harsh chemicals like acetone, bleach, and chlorine.
  2. Once the mixture is ready, place your engagement ring in the bowl and let it soak for 10 minutes.
  3. Remove any remaining grime with a soft-bristled toothbrush. Gently brush the crevices, the back of the diamond, and other areas with dirt buildup.
  4. Rinse the ring thoroughly with warm water and set it down on a paper towel to air dry. And you’re done! 
 
If you’re doing these steps over a sink, here’s your gentle reminder to close the drainage hole to prevent heartbreaking accidents.
 

What about ultrasonic jewellery cleaners? Should you have one at home for your engagement ring?

While this machine will leave your ring as shiny as ever, its movements can be too vigorous. The process might loosen the stones on your ring and cause them to fall out. It’s best not to use these machines without the guidance of an expert. 

Steam cleaner professionally cleaning an engagement ring

Having Your Engagement Ring Professionally Cleaned

While DIY cleaning sessions at home will do wonders for your engagement ring, they don’t replace professional maintenance.

Visit us at least once a year so we can restore your ring to perfection! It’ll be as beautiful as the day you got it. After all, who better to look after your ring than the people who created it?

Our experienced jewellers will examine your ring under magnification, checking for unstable prongs and loose stones.

They’ll perform the necessary repairs to ensure everything is safe and secure.

After that, your ring will be ready for the cleaning process. Depending on the design and materials of your ring, they might use ultrasonic vibrations or a high-grade cleaning solution.

For the finishing touches, our jewellers will polish and steam clean the ring.

These cleaning processes will make your ring shine like new, free of stubborn dirt, smudges, and tarnishing. Your ring will get a final inspection before being returned to you.

How To Care for Your Engagement Ring

Do you always want your engagement ring on your finger so you can keep admiring it?

We don’t blame you! Just know that daily wear will inevitably lead to wear and tear.

Be as careful as possible so it can keep looking incredible for many years.

These engagement ring care tips can help:

Remove It Before Performing Hands-On Activities

Are you planning to move furniture? Maybe you want to get your hands dirty in the garden? Or are you at the beach and excited to do some kayaking?

Be sure to remove your engagement ring before doing hands-on activities like these. 

You might end up with a scratched-up ring if you don’t. 

You could even knock the diamond against a hard surface and cause it to chip. Worse, you might lose your ring forever!

Always keep a fabric pouch in your bag. 

That way, you can store your ring when needed. When you have a designated container for it, you’re less likely to leave it in random spots and forget about it. 

You can also wear it around your neck on a chain if your hands are busy.

Take It Off Before Going to Bed

Parting with your beloved engagement ring can be difficult, especially during the first few days. 

But trust us, it’s better to remove it before you get your beauty rest. You don’t know what could happen while you’re sleeping.

It might get caught on your hair or a loose thread, causing the stone to loosen and fall out. 

The ring may also end up sliding off your finger if you move around a lot during sleep.

Have a jewellery dish on your bedside table so your ring has somewhere to rest every night.

Bottles of chemicals on display

Avoid Harsh Chemicals

Put your engagement ring away before cleaning the bathroom with bleach, spraying perfume on yourself, or jumping in a chlorinated pool.

Harsh chemicals like these can harm the metal and affect the diamond’s shine. 

White gold, in particular, is susceptible to damage. It usually has a white rhodium plating for added shine and durability.

But that layer will wear down much faster with exposure to harsh chemicals. 

Resize With Caution

Our weight is constantly fluctuating, and there’s nothing wrong with that.

In the same way, our fingers keep changing size. It’s just part of being alive!

They tend to be puffier during certain stages in life, like pregnancy and postpartum periods.

But then they’re magically thinner once the cold season hits.

That doesn’t mean you have to keep resizing your engagement ring. Your fingers will probably return to their regular size in time.

In the meantime, you can wear your wedding band on its own. We don’t recommend resizing your engagement ring more than once because it leaves the metal more fragile.

Touching diamond on ring

Avoid Touching the Diamond

We get it. It’s beautiful! But try to admire your diamond without touching it. 

Diamonds may have impressive resistance against scratches, but you’d be surprised by how easily they absorb oil. 

That includes the sebum on your skin. It can lose its sparkle if you touch it too much.

There might be an oily layer on your diamond if it’s looking hazy. 

Bring your ring to us so we can bring its sparkle back! As a tip, try to hold the sides of the band instead of the stone whenever you put on and take off your engagement ring.

Avoid Unnecessary Polishing

It’s crucial to keep your engagement ring clean to lengthen its lifespan. 

But is it necessary to have it polished often? That’s a no. 

Excessive polishing harms your beloved ring because the process removes little bits of metal each time. 

That will thin out the ring and make it more fragile.

When you have your ring professionally cleaned, you can ask the jeweller to skip the polishing part. 

Your ring needs a polish every year to help get the scratches out.

Do You Need to Get Your Engagement Ring Insured?

Is it necessary to purchase insurance for your engagement ring? 

There’s no right or wrong answer to this. It’s entirely up to you.

Engagement ring insurance is an additional expense, but the extra peace of mind can be worth it. 

You’ll enjoy wearing your engagement ring more knowing you have a financial safeguard. This is especially true if you frequently travel.

If you’re wondering how much insurance for engagement rings costs, it depends on several factors. 

That includes the value of your ring, where you live, your deductible, and risk characteristics.

Have a trustworthy appraiser determine the value of your engagement ring. 

You can then insure it for its entire replacement value. Explore all insurance plan options before deciding on the best one for your needs and budget. 

Also, ensure you understand every detail of your chosen policy. 

Go for an appraisal every five years because metals and diamonds tend to become more valuable over time.