Caring For Your Wedding Ring: Preserving Its Timeless Beauty
We want all good things to last; your wedding ring is listed at the top. When it comes to your wedding day, there are not many things you can take away except for the photos and videos, your dress, jewellery and the beautiful memories of the most important day with your other half. Out of those things you want to last a long time, a wedding ring matters the most, especially since you are most likely to be wearing it almost every day for the foreseeable future.
Generally, the jewellery we wear on our hands, like rings, bracelets and bangles, are more prone to different kinds of damage that can disturb the gorgeous look that you splurged on when you bought them. Unlike necklaces and earrings, rings receive more contact with external materials and are, therefore, more exposed to wear and tear damage, affecting their shine and design. Ideally, your wedding band is something you should be able to wear every single day, reminding you of the sweet memories of your special day with your special person.
We are here to help you wear the symbol of your eternal love forever and ever without losing its spark. Rings should be treasured and loved as they deserve, that means showered with consideration from you. Let us show you how to protect and preserve the timeless beauty of your wedding ring with the little guide below. We'll cover cleaning, storing, caring and maintenance tips for your love band.
Keep your wedding ring clean.
Most of us may fuzz over keeping our bodies, clothes, and homes clean with regular washing and cleaning routines, but we rarely think about the cleanliness of our jewellery. This is mostly because most jewellery, including wedding rings, does not "look dirty" or "smell funky", unlike a sofa, bedspread or your favourite shirt. Most jewellery might lose its glossy appearance when not cleaned properly, but it happens very slowly sometimes, and it's hard to notice it right away.
Even though not visible to the naked eye, wedding rings, just like our fingers, collect dust, oils and numerous bacteria and germs throughout the day. Because of this, regular wear rings can lose their appeal and value over time if cleaning is ignored in the long term.
The good news is that it is absolutely not much work to keep your wedding ring clean and looking super fresh. As a wedding band is something you often wear, you might need to clean it weekly to keep it looking its best. You'll need two bowls, water and a clean towel.
- Take two small bowls and fill them with lukewarm water.
- Choose a mild soap; you can take your dish soap and mix some into the first bowl.
- Take your ring and, put it into the soapy water bowl, and soak it for about 5-10 minutes.
- Take a soft washcloth or a soft-bristled brush to scrub and clean the ring gently.
- Now tap off the soap and transfer the ring to the clean water bowl.
- Make sure you get all the soap off the ring.
- Place it on the clean towel and pat dry until all the moisture is gone
And voila, you have a clean wedding ring!
Important considerations...
- Skip the soaking part if your ring has additions like gemstones or pearls.
- Avoid using abrasive or paper cleaning towels.
- Ensure your cleaning liquid does not have chlorine in it.
- Your water should not be hot or cold.
Store it properly.
It is vital that you store your wedding ring safely and soundly so that it is protected even when it is shining on your finger. The only way your wedding band can get scratched and damaged is not just during wear but also where and how you store it.
When it comes to metals such as yellow gold, white gold and rose gold, experts say rings need to be stored in cool, dry places. So what does this mean?
Rings of non-reactive metals like gold thrive in mild room temperatures, while high temperatures or really low temperatures pose real threats to the structural and visual integrity of the jewellery when exposed for a prolonged period. This is also why you should not leave your ring on the window sill where the sun pours in, even though it is convenient.
You can choose to place it in your jewellery box without physical contact with your other gold jewellery so that it is safe from scratches and has less chance of tangling. You can have a separate box, like the box your ing came in, to store it as well. If you are not in a hurry, you can use a little patch of silk to wrap or cover your ring when storing it inside.
When it comes to humidity, the good thing is you can control the little climate inside your jewellery or ring box by placing a moisture-absorbing agent alongside your wedding ring. You can buy small silicone packets at your local supermarket, and they will do the job just right.
Stay clear from harmful agents.
Even though compared to other metals, gold is less reactive to external agents, there are still things that can cause harm and impairments to the ring when exposed and contacted. In the cleaning section, we already covered how chlorine can ignite unwanted relations in the metal alloys of your gold wedding ring, resulting in the disintegration of the precious metals and causing physical damage to the jewellery.
Harsh chemicals like chlorine and bleach will not "clean" any of your gold jewellery better; they will only disturb the finish and make it prone to more permanent damage. This is why you should not do cleaning chores while wearing your ring. Even if you are wearing gloves, the sharp edges of your ring can cut the rubber and expose it to harmful chemicals, leading to irreversible damage to your symbol of eternal love.
This includes removing your wedding ring before getting into pools, hot tubs, and natural waters like oceans and lakes to avoid abrasives like sand found in these places. Even if it might feel like too much of a hassle to take your gold jewellery, when you are having fun with your friends, just take a few seconds to remove your wedding ring before.
Choose a few temporary storage places.
We already talked about suitable storage spaces to store your wedding ring when you are not wearing it. However, it is true that it's not always so convenient to run to your room to put your ring in the jewellery box every time you want to take it off before starting a specific chore. We recommend having a few places around the house to safely store the ring until you are done with the task at hand and want to put it back on your finger.
One easy thing you can do is keep some ring dishes around the places in the house you spend the most time in. For example, you can keep one somewhere in your kitchen so you can take off your ring and place it there until you are done cooking. You can also install small hooks in those places on the walls so that you can hand the ring when you are busy. An added benefit is that if you are someone who is not used to taking off gold jewellery before you engage in work or cannot remember to simply see the ring dishes or hooks, it will remind you to do so.
This will also help you to keep your wedding ring from getting lost; as you now have clear specific spaces, you can keep the ring temporarily without just taking off and leaving it wherever you are, which can result in a nightmare when you try to find it later. If you are out of the house and you need to take it off your hands, you can put it on your necklace as a pendant.
Insure what's close to your heart.
The true value of a wedding ring lies not only in its nostalgic, sentimental nature but also in its property value of presence. This is why it is a good idea to get your wedding ring insured pretty early on, in case it gets lost, stolen or damaged.
Expensive investments such as engagement and wedding rings need a safety net which acts both as financial and psychological reassurance in case of an unfortunate event. You and your partner can discuss your needs and requirements with your insurance provider and negotiate what you feel comfortable with in keeping both the wedding rings safe and secure. In a situation where fixable damage occurs to the ring, you can pay for the repair with the help of your insurance in the future.
Consult your jeweller once in a while.
When it comes to gold jewellery, while it is okay to do everything on your own in terms of caring for your ring, it is recommended that you take your jewellery for checkups to your trusted jeweller once in a while. They can give you advice on maintenance as well as do a proper cleaning and polishing of the ring for you.
So, now that you know how to sustain the true beauty of your wedding ring, make sure that you use all the tips we have given you when caring for your love band. Focus on proper wear, cleaning, storage and maintenance and keep those in mind even when you go to select your gold wedding ring.