Jewellery Care & Service
How to take care of your Hancocks diamonds
Your Hancocks ring is likely to be one of the most special and important items of jewellery you will ever own.
It is also likely to be one of your most frequently worn pieces, for some people that will mean all day every day. Below is our advice for taking the very best care of it so that it stays looking beautiful for this lifetime and beyond.
Wearing
We want you to be able to wear and enjoy your ring for decades to come so it pays to practice a little caution when wearing it to help ensure its safety and security. Damage to a ring and its setting can occur gradually over time rather like a repetitive strain injury. Therefore, we advise removing it before doing any activity that is likely to put pressure on the ring or expose it to potential knocks such as gardening, carrying heavy bags, using weights at the gym or similar activities.
A ring should always be taken on and off by holding the band and not the stone. Regular downward pressure on the gemstone will result in it becoming loose in the setting.
We're all familiar with the saying 'diamonds are forever' and whilst it's true that diamonds are the hardest of all gemstones and therefore unlikely to scratch, this doesn't preclude them from chipping or even breaking if knocked with enough force. Other softer gemstones, especially emeralds and aquamarines, require further mindfulness.
Storing
We recommend storing your engagement ring in its box whenever you're not wearing it. This will keep it separate from your other jewellery and well protected by the hard case. We would also suggest keeping it in there if travelling and not allowing it to come into contact with other loose jewellery pieces in a jewellery box or jewellery roll.
Ideally, all fine jewellery should be stored in such a way as to enable it to be kept apart from other pieces and therefore avoid the possibility of gemstones and metal becoming scratched, chains becoming tangled or pairs of earrings becoming separated.
We're all familiar with the saying 'diamonds are forever' and whilst it's true that diamonds are the hardest of all gemstones and therefore unlikely to scratch, this doesn't preclude them from chipping or even breaking if knocked with enough force. Other softer gemstones, especially emeralds and aquamarines, require further mindfulness.
Home Cleaning
Over the course of the days and weeks, products such as soap, hand cream, make-up and hair products can build up on your ring, particularly around the setting and behind the stone. Diamonds naturally attract grease and repel water meaning that even the oils in your skin will appear to dull the surface of your diamond over time. You can easily keep your Hancocks ring sparkling clean at home by giving it a thorough wash on a weekly basis. Here's how we recommend you do it, and don't worry, there's no need to waste your gin in the process – we think gin is for drinking not cleaning our diamonds!
- Fill a small bowl with hand hot water and add a couple of drops of dish washing liquid.
- Place your ring in the bowl and leave it to soak for 10 minutes.
- Using a small brush, a toothbrush is ideal, give the ring a clean paying particular attention to the back of the setting behind the stone as this is where dirt likes to lurk.
- Rinse in clean water (remembering to use the sink plug) and then dry with a soft lint free cloth, the sort you get to clean sun/glasses is ideal.
Note of warning – beware if using jewellery cleaning chemicals as these can damage certain gemstones such as emeralds, aquamarines, opals, pearls etc.
Hancocks Cleaning and Check-Up
Even the most secure settings may loosen over time, particularly on jewellery worn daily. It is therefore important to have your engagement ring checked at least annually for any signs of wear, such as loosened setting claws that could make your ring less secure.
We will always be happy to clean and check over your Hancocks ring to ensure everything is as it should be as a complimentary service for our clients. We can then either reassure you that everything is secure or advise you on any potential work or repairs required to maintain its security and integrity.
Having an annual professional clean and check-up will ensure our ring stays looking its best year after year after year.
Insurance
We advise getting your engagement ring properly insured for its full replacement value. Whilst we appreciate that nothing can replace the sentimental value of your engagement ring, you will at least be covered in the unfortunate event that it is lost, stolen or damaged.
