Your engagement ring is a symbol of your union, a dream you’ve been holding close since childhood, and a trinket that can be passed to future generations. The last one, only if, you’re able to take good care of it. Surprisingly, the mundane everyday things, let’s say as simple as sanitizing hands (thanks Covid!) can dull the shine of your sparkler. If you’re unsure what things your ring needs protection from, we are here to sort them out. Here are 7 everyday things that make your diamond ring lose its sparkle.
7 Reasons Your Diamond Ring Is Losing Its Sparkle
#1 You’re Wearing The Ring To Rigorous Workouts
The ring is prone to damage by the pieces of equipment at the gym or any rigorous chafing. The equipments causes unnecessary pressure which can loosen the prongs and the settings. A high-setting diamond ring (prong, cathedral, etc.) is automatically more at risk than a low-setting diamond ring (like a bezel). We have also seen women wearing the ring to water activities like swimming. When you’re in the water, there’s a higher risk of the ring slipping away and there are hundreds of stories where someone has lost the ring at the beach during water sports. If you sweat a lot, then also there’s a chance of the ring loosening up. More so, sweat also builds up on the ring causing it to lose its sparkle. Do your precious trinket a favor and leave it at home in a safe place when you’re working out!
#2 You’ve Used Harsh Chemicals To Clean The Stone
The only thing worse than a diamond losing its sparkle that you care for it in the wrong way is the reason behind it. To get the shine back, you can often resort to harsh chemicals such as acetone, bleach, ammonia, etc. which only damage the ring more. Plus, if the diamond ring is studded with other stones like emeralds or sapphires, it can cause harm to them too! Some emeralds and sapphires are even priced higher than diamonds, so you might need a little more care if your bauble is studded with them.
Another damaging at-home cleaner? It surely has to be the ultrasonic jewelry cleaners available at stores. These cleaners might give you a desirable result once but can damage the diamond internally. Worse, it will loosen the setting as it also affects the metal used to secure the solitaire – gold, platinum, and silver alike. Completely sway away from them if your ring is a heirloom piece or involves a delicate setting.
#3 You’ve Got It From A Jeweler Who Arranged It In Loose Setting
When you’re getting the ring from a jeweler, it’s hard to find out if the ring is a loose setting or not. The tell-tale signs of a loose setting are the diamond moving when you use the tip of your nail to move it from the side or if you hear a sound when you shake the ring closer to your ear. Though, sometimes it’s hard to judge. If you haven’t gotten your jewelry from a known store or on a recommendation, then you can get the setting checked by another jeweler. Of course, losing the diamond altogether is worse than losing its sparkle.
Anyway, a loose diamond is inevitably more prone to a dim radiance. The reason is simple, it will rub off the surfaces more and the sides also accumulate more dirt and grime which eventually weakens the diamond’s glow. To stay safe, get the setting checked by a jeweler every 6 months or so. And if you’re doubtful, get it checked right now.
#4 You Keep Touching The Diamond
Your hands aren’t the cleanest all the time. And we know you’re utterly fond of your bauble, but appreciate it from a distance rather than touching it all the time. The dirt, lotions, and any other buildup on your hand will directly get transferred from them to the stone, which will eventually lead to a lesser-than-before sparkle. If you’re showing the ring to your girlfriends or family, they may also have an urge to touch it. Politely, albeit firmly, say no then & there.
Besides the buildup, physically touching a diamond can also potentially scratch its surface, albeit diamonds are one of the hardest substances on Earth. Over time, accumulated scratches and smudges can diminish its sparkle further, requiring professional cleaning and polishing to restore its original brilliance.
#5 You Haven’t Gotten Professional Cleaning In A Long Time
There’s no match for expert maintenance. You might have found hacks that work for cleaning the insides of the washing machine or the dishwasher, perhaps, but cleaning something as precious and gentle as a diamond ring requires expert advice and care. The professional cleaners know how to handle a diamond to make sure the surface gets back to the original gloss without any damage. More so, in the process, they also check the setting of the diamond and arrange it so the chances of the stones getting lost are reduced to a minimum.
Some jewelers offer professional cleaning for free for a lifetime, others offer a package of 3 to 4 times with the purchase. To know more about the policy, ask them before you make a purchase. The majority of them would be more than happy to provide some free professional cleaning with the purchase.
#6 There’s a Build-up of Lotions & Cosmetics Creating A Film
Lotion, cosmetics, and other beauty products can very easily build up the stone, creating a film, and making it glisten lighter than before. If you have a habit of putting in hand cream, then that can also be a reason for your diamond ring to lose its sparkle. Diamonds are renowned for their ability to refract and reflect light, which gives them their characteristic sparkle and brilliance. When they’re clean and free from any obstructions, they can maximize their light performance. However, any contaminants on the surface can disrupt this light interaction, leading to a duller appearance.
Further, some beauty products can also contain harmful chemicals which also damage the diamond’s gorgeous glow. Some common chemicals found in your beauty products include silicones, parabens, perfume (a recurrent in hair sprays and hand creams), etc. which form thin layers on the stone with time.
#7 It’s All About The 4C’s
The 4C’s of the diamond – the cut, the clarity, color, and the carat – of the diamond matters a lot when it comes to defining how much they shine. Surprisingly, the natural diamond stone isn’t sparkly at all. It’s only after they are cut & polished that they sparkle as they do. The color of the diamond is determined when they’re mined though. Some other factors like the imperfections also depend on the stone mined. But others, like the cut, finish, the number of facets, etc. are influenced by how the stone is processed afterward. If your diamond is already low on these factors, let’s say SI clarity and GH color, then it will inherently shine less than those that rank higher on the scale.
The 4C’s of the diamond are listed on the certification provided with the jewelry. You can ask for it if your jeweler hasn’t provided the same with the purchase. Smartly choose the trinket based on these specifications if the sparkle matters to you!
3 Ways You Can Preserve The Shine Of Your Diamond Ring
#1 Wear It After You’re Ready In The Morning
Remove the ring when you go to bed at night (when it can also get rubbed off the bedsheets or the bedding – especially if you’re a side or back sleeper – which leads to buildup and dimming of the sparkle) and put it on in the morning. This prevents the damage done by exercise or lotions or cosmetics, helping to preserve the shine of your bauble for longer.
Safety comes first when you’re removing the ring every day. Have a ring dish where you keep it. If helpers are coming to your home regularly, keep the ring secure in a safety locker just in case you forget to put it on after removing it at night.
#2 Get Professional Cleaning Done Once A Year
We can’t emphasize this enough. There’s no match for professional cleaning. You can clean the diamond at home with part water, and part dish-washing solution, which can get some dirt & grime off the stone, but the professional cleaners have a dedicated solution, a dedicated mop, and a dedicated machine that does the same with the utmost care & no damage at all! Plus, when you give the ring to experts, they do more than cleaning. They also polish the facets of the stone, tighten any loose settings, and repair any band damage.
It’s worth mentioning again in the article that many jewelers offer free cleaning services with the purchase. Ask for it when you’re buying the ring. It’s one of the ways to retain customers, and it’s uncommon for the designer to refuse it outright.
#3 Avoid Needless Wear & Tear
Many hand-heavy activities are not good for your engagement ring! This includes gardening, moving furniture, yoga practice, cleaning, etc. Diamond is the world’s hardest substance but that doesn’t mean it’s not prone to scratching. A knock on the side of the table or an occasional wall rub-off can cause an internal scrape leading the facets to not reflect the light as they’re supposed to and ultimately dimming the shine of the diamond. Remove the ring during these activities. Keep them in the pocket or in a ring dish and wear it after you’re done with these tasks!
We hope this article helps you preserve your most valuable bauble and keep it shining for years to come! For more wedding-related ideas, inspiration, and advice, keep visiting our website wedbook.in, and follow our socials:
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/wed.book/
Pinterest: https://in.pinterest.com/wedbook08/
Bookmark this article by clicking the “Bookmark Now” pop-up on the upper right-hand side and find this edit in the “Your bookmarks” section anytime you visit our website. No need to log-in, just a tap works.
