Oh so ca-ring

The love of your life has popped the question and now you’re wearing one of the most expensive and precious pieces of jewellery you’ve ever owned.

With that in mind, you want to do all you can to keep your new ring safe so it can live happily ever after on your finger.

But did you know that the sun, along with certain products and activities we often indulge in, can actually pose a risk to your engagement ring?

Aimee Howlett, spokesperson at Diamonds Factory has shared her insights on four common habits that could potentially harm your cherished ring over time:

Prolonged sun exposure

Seeing your engagement ring as it glistens in the sun is a beautiful sight, however, when exposed to sunlight for too long it can cause damage to your ring. Because of their colour-charged atoms, stones like amethyst and topaz can cause their colour to fade or change completely after prolonged exposure to the sun.

As well as the particular stone you have on your ring, the metal band can also be affected. This is because metal is a heat conductor so it can get really hot in the sun. This can cause the band to warp which in turn can cause it to snap over time.

On extremely hot days, consider removing your ring before spending prolonged periods outdoors, or try limited your exposure by going into the shade where possible to prevent this from happening to your beautiful ring.

Hand and body creams

Applying hand and body creams and other lotions won’t actually damage your ring, but leaving your ring on whilst applying these will dull the shine of the gemstone. Over time, minuscule layers of residue from the creams will build up on the stone and the metal, making them appear cloudy and dull. This layer of product can be cleaned from the ring to get the sparkle back. However, if it manages to get underneath the stone and in the setting, it could be a bit more tricky to clean by yourself and may have to be sent to the jewellers for a professional clean. To save yourself the hassle, I would suggest removing your ring when applying sun cream and other lotions.

Chlorine

When it’s hot, many of us jump at the chance to get into the pool. However, long-term exposure to chlorine which is added to the water to kill germs, can not only cause your ring stone to fade but also discolour the metal band of your ring.

For those who have a white gold ring, contact with chlorine could cause even more damage. This is because to make white gold, it is plated with white rhodium and over time, the plating can wear away allowing the gold's natural yellow tint to show through.

Exposing your ring to chlorine or other cleaning-based chemicals will only speed up this process.

Therefore, to be safe, I recommend removing your ring before participating in any water-related activities so it stays in pristine condition.

Gardening jobs

Doing this type of activity accompanied by your engagement ring is not a good idea, as if you’re not careful, your ring could get easily scratched or cracked.

Even wearing protective gloves can give you a good level of protection, however when taken off, your ring can get attached to the material, pulled, and could even get lost if you take off your gloves too vigorously.

So my advice would be to just leave your ring in a safe place indoors.