Things to NOT Do When Wearing Your Diamond Engagement Ring

People ask us all the time "how can I make sure my diamond doesn't get damaged?" proper care and treatment of your engagement ring or wedding band will allow your ring to sparkle for decades to come. Have other questions about how to care for your engagement ring? Speak to one of our diamond experts today!

• Put On Lotion, Makeup and Hair Products:

Build up of makeup, lotion, hair products and creams can mask the brilliance of the diamonds in your ring. Hairspray and some hair chemicals can eat away at gold and also dull the surface of diamonds and gemstones.

• Swim:

There are many dangers when it comes to swimming with a ring...chlorine in some swimming pools can also cause damage to your ring – especially if it's prolonged. It may cause the metal to deteriorate. Another potential problem is swimming in cold water may cause your ring to come loose and fall off - in a pool, it can be rescued- but if you lose your ring in the ocean or a lake, good luck getting it back. Keep Your Ring Lasting As Long As Your Love Keep your sparkle for years to come with our free jewelry cleaning services! We also offer scratch removal and refurbishment for a small fee. Learn More>

• Clean The House:

This is similar to lotions and hair products - bleach and other chemicals used to clean your house can damage the setting of your ring. Some cleaners can even change the color of the setting or diamond itself.

• Do The Dishes:

Harsh chemicals and dish soaps can discolor, dissolve, or otherwise damage the stone or metal bands.

• Operate Heavy Machinery:

If you have a job that involves manual labor, like construction work, keep your ring at home in a safe place. This will help avoid breaks, splits, cracks, and looseness that are caused by bang-ups.

• Play tennis or golf:

If you have a tight grip, are left-handed and have diamonds all around your band, remove your ring before playing. You could knock out stones and cause excessive wear and tear to your ring.

• Gardening:

The hidden rocks in dirt can chip the diamond or knock the setting loose–on top of getting your stone super dirty!

• Sleep:

Depending on the shape and size of your ring, wear it to sleep at night can be a bad idea. If you have an over-sized stone with lots of edges, remove it before going to bed and avoid scratching you or your bed partner’s face in the night.

• Lifting Weights/Crossfit/Yoga/Pole Dancing:

While wearing your ring is probably OK for most cardio, lifting weights and using weight machines creates a risk for dings and cracks in the stone. It can also scratch up the band. With CrossFit, pull-ups and burpees and rope climbs are NOT things you should be doing with an engagement ring on.

• Clean The Oven:

Oven cleaner Easy Off is a notoriously harsh product (it burns skin to the touch!) and the damage on wedding rings can be catastrophic. Don’t risk it with gloves – remove your ring completely.

• Cooking/Baking:

You actually CAN wear your ring for most cooking and baking projects-but if you are using your hands with something sticky or gooey, like dough, remove your ring. It'll make a mess out of your ring and be a pain to clean. Has Your Ring Been Damaged? Don’t worry, it happens. At Mervis, we have over 80 years of experience caring for diamond jewelry and will take good care of your pieces. Come in today, or contact us online and we’ll see what we can do!