Wedding Tactics

I was just sitting at my desk cursing myself and feeling guilty for neglecting ya’ll and I decided to procrastinate just a few more minutes by reading CNN.com.

I came across a story about a man who took off his ring to wash his hands in the sink of a port-o-potty and dropped his ring into the actual toilet of the port-o-potty. Oh my lord almighty how thoroughly gross!

And, Boom! I have an entry. I will not just link you to this story but I will actually discuss the washing of your hands when wearing several thousand dollars on your finger.

It seems that most newly engaged brides-to-be are neurotic about removing their ring before a shower or sleeping. This quickly fades. In fact, when my last friend got engaged last fall, two of us took bets to see how long it would take her to stop taking her ring off for everything. It was about three months.

In fact, the truth is, I am sometimes very worried that I will bang my ring or bend the prongs or get it dirty when I’m cooking, but the reality is that the ring is much safer on my finger than just about anywhere else. Diamonds, gold and platinum are very sturdy metals that don’t damage easily.

That said, get your ring insured. Like, before you walk another step! It is very cheap. And easy. If you don’t have a homeowners policy to add it to, do you have a renter’s policy? A car policy? Anyone will insure your ring, just call a reputable insurance company and they will tell you how easy it is to do. I think I pay an extra $100 each year on my homeowners insurance to have my ring, engagement and wedding band and my husband’s wedding band insured for the largest amount for which it was appraised.

If you do insist on removing your ring for gardening (not a bad idea) and house-keeping, have one specific safe place, like a drawer or box inside of your jewelry box or a certain dresser drawer where you keep it. This way, you know that if your ring isn’t on your finger it is most certainly in its special place. Also, taking it off and leaving it in a dish can scratch it just as much as wearing it, a soft felt box is really the best place, next to you finger.

Keeping Your Ring Clean:

Rings get icky pretty fast. They collect spots from water and soap and lotions, not to mention food and just about anything else you touch. There are many secret ring cleaning remedies out there, including liquid dish soap which does cut grease very well. However, if you are concerned talk to a jeweler about what they recommend. A jewelry store can clean your ring professionally and it is good to take it in about once a year to get it sized, cleaned and to have the prongs checked for tightness and integrity. Jewelry stores and Target sell little bottles of liquid jewelry cleaner. They come with a little brush and this works wonders for polishing your ring for a special occasion or just to admire it yourself.

I have the pink bottle and it works great and doesn’t cost much at all.