Imagine looking down at your left hand to see your ring’s prongs holding nothing but air, a whole lot of nothingness where your center stone was just moments ago. Shock, tears, disbelief, anxiety….these are horrifying cycles of emotions experienced by anyone who has lost a piece of beloved and precious jewelry or a diamond. You immediately start searching on the floor beneath you, everywhere around you, scanning every surface, corner and crack. But it’s gone. Fortunately, this horrific situation can be prevented if you know what to watch for. Center stones seem to disappear with no notice. But to the slightly trained eyes, there are a few warning signs when your jewelry is about to break:
- Too Short Prongs – If you notice one of your prongs appears slightly shorter than others, or its top seems to be more narrower than others, the security of your center stone may be at risk.
- Missing or Bent prongs – Get to a jeweler ASAP or ship it to us if you see with your naked eye that the prong is damaged or is no longer supporting the stone. If it’s bent, don’t try to bend it back yourself!
- Shifted Stone – If your center stone no longer sitting properly and making a rattling sound when tapped slightly, it indicates that the prongs are no longer holding the stone tight enough.
Rings aren’t the only type of jewelry susceptible to damage and loss of stones. Damaged clasps on your bracelets and necklaces that don’t close tightly and require some finagling to get it close properly are the signs of a possibility to lose the whole piece. Broken or bent earring posts make earring backings less reliable. Realizing that you are unexpectedly rocking the one-earring trend is maybe second to the panic-inducing factors of losing your rings
Hand lotions, hair styling products and every day grime all leave enough of a film on your diamond ring to keep it from looking best. And if you wait too long between cleanings , those materials can accumulate into a thick layer of gunk on the back of your of your diamond, blocking the light and making it appear dull and lifeless. It also creates the space between the diamond(s) and a metal and can make the diamond(s) loose.
If you noticed damage to your jewelry noted above or otherwise, get it to us as soon as possible. The sooner you will catch the problem , the easier and cheaper it will likely to be to have it fixed.
Here are some gentle and effective tips to clean your diamond ring:
- Soak your diamond ring in a hot water solution with the mild liquid detergent (like a dish soap or shampoo)
- Use a soft toothbrush to remove the dirt. “Soft” is a key–don’t use the brush with the bristles that are stiff enough to scratch the ring’s metal.
- Swish the ring around in the solution and then rinse it thoroughly in warm water.
- Dry the diamond ring with the lint free cloth.
We want you to enjoy your jewelry for a lifetime. Therefore, we offer cleaning, polishing, prong-tightening and rhodium-plating services for all jewelry purchased from us. To ensure your jewelry remains in top condition, we recommend having it professionally checked at least once a year. If you have any concerns or questions about your jewelry, please call us at anytime, we would be happy to address any of them to our best ability.