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WEDDING PLANNER
CHICAGOWEDDINGRESOURCE.COMCHICAGO WEDDING & PARTY RESOURCE
SPRING 2018
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By Jill Jaracz, CTW Features
Diamonds may be forever, but it
takes work to keep diamond jewelry
looking its best.
Wendy O’Donnell discovered this the
hard way. The diamond had fallen
out of O’Donnell’s ring, something
she alarmingly discovered in the
shower when her stoneless ring got
caught in her hair. O’Donnell couldn’t find
the diamond in the drain catcher, either.
“I was freaking out,” she says.
Eventually O’Donnell found the diamond
inside a gardening glove. The prongs on the
ring had become loose, and the stone slipped
out. This incident helped O’Donnell learn
that rings need regular care.
Diamond jewelry is durable but not
indestructible.
KEEP IT CLEAN
Rings need regular cleaning in order to
maintain their sparkle. Diamonds can easily
pick up grease, even from the natural oils in
skin, and that can change the appearance of
the stone. Clean your rings frequently with
warm water, mild soap and a soft brush.
The GIA recommends cleaning diamond
rings once or twice a week by soaking in
an ammonia-based household cleaner,
such as window cleaner. Let the ring soak
overnight and then brush it with a soft, clean
toothbrush to remove any leftover dirt. For
rings with fragile settings or estate jewelry,
skip the brushing step. Simply rinse the ring
with water and dry with a lint-free cloth.
If the ring has a lot of built-up dirt on the
diamond, the GIA suggests taking it to
a professional jeweler for an ultrasonic
cleaning. This process sends high frequency
sound waves through a detergent solution to
clean the stone. While this method can be
very effective, it can also be tough on rings
with fragile settings.
MAKE SURE IT FITS
Proper sizing may also be an issue with a
ring, particularly if you inherit a ring that’s
a much different size than your finger. To
resize a ring a jeweler will cut the ring and
either add a piece to make it larger or remove
a piece to make it smaller. Accurate sizing
can be difficult.
You really are trying to hit a moving target.
The size of your finger at 11 a.m. may not
be the size of your finger at 7 p.m.. The best
sizing is slightly tight once in a while and
slightly loose once in a while.
If you need to resize your ring, have your
finger measured at least three times at
different times of the day, to ensure the best
fit. Rings should be snug going over the
knuckle, but fit comfortably once on.
TEND TO WEAR AND TEAR
Everyday use can also do damage to a
ring, including causing stones to fall out.
Something as simple as opening a metal
filing cabinet can hurt a ring if it’s done often
enough. Every shock you put into that metal
is a shock to the ring’s system.
If you wear your diamond rings every
day, have them professionally cleaned and
examined about every six months to prevent
the loss of a stone.
As O’Donnell knows, you never know when
that could occur.
© CTW Features
How to Care for Your Ring
Your bling needs
some TLC to keep
it looking shiny and
bright.
Follow these steps
to care for your
carats