50 / 132
F A S H I O N , J E W E L R Y , A C C E S S O R I E S F O R M E N & W O M E N
C H I C A G O W E D D I N G & P A R T Y R E S O U R C E
W W W . C H I C A G O W E D D I N G R E S O U R C E . C O M
48
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 alarm-
ingly 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 nat-
ural 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 ammo-
nia-based household cleaner,
such as window cleaner. Let
the ring soak overnight and
then brush it with a soft, clean
toothbrush to remove any left-
over 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 clean-
ing. 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 of-
ten 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 ex-
amined 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