June 21st marks the first day of Summer – the beginning of cookouts, swimming pools, and summer getaways.
But before you jump in the pool or head to the beach, it never hurts to know where dangers can lurk. While jewelry care may not be top of mind when you're having fun in the sun, if you’re not careful, summer can take a toll on your jewelry.
In honor of rings resting on the ocean floor, bracelets ruined from gardening and gems fallen victim to a game of beach volleyball, here are six situations when not to wear your wedding ring, or any other fine jewelry you’d hate to damage or lose.
When Not to Wear Your Wedding Ring
- While swimming or exercising. Salt water and chlorine can be damaging, especially for sterling silver jewelry. And sweat can make sterling silver jewelry tarnish quickly.
- While applying sun block or bug spray. Substances like lotion can get stuck in crevices of chains and prongs, making it hard to clean out. Plus these products form a film on your jewelry, making it appear dull and dingy.
- In direct sunlight. The sun can bleach certain materials, especially natural elements and some plastics.
- In cold water. The cold temperature of the water in pools, oceans, lakes and rivers causes your finger size to shrink temporarily. When this happens, rings can easily slip off the finger without your knowledge.
- While using a hot tub or swimming pool. Chlorine can damage and discolor metals such as gold and platinum, and can slowly erode the finish and polish of gemstones.
- While gardening. Dirt and small rocks are abrasive to jewelry. If not cleaned right away, jewelry can be permanently damaged. Beware the dangers of gardening gloves, too.
As always, it’s good practice to bring your jewelry in to your jeweler for regular inspections and cleanings. Your pieces will be in that much better condition to withstand any summer activities.
In between professional cleanings, wipe down and clean jewelry you wear frequently to maintain its sparkle. Use a new, soft toothbrush with a bowl of warm water and a few drops of dish soap.
According to our research, many people feel they do not know how to properly care for their jewelry. Watch this video to see what we found out.
The only surefire way to guarantee not losing or damaging your jewelry this summer is to simply take it off and leave it at home, securely stored of course!
If you must wear your fine jewelry during summer activities, have some peace of mind and insure your jewelry. Jewelers Mutual covers situations like loss, theft, damage and even disappearance (i.e. losing a ring at the beach.)
Not sure how much jewelry insurance could cost you per year? It's less than you think. Click the button below to check your rate.
