Your favourite jewellery is meant to be enjoyed, loved, and worn. Most of our rings at Stephen Foster Jewellery are designed for everyday wear, but whether you wear a classic engagement ring, a sparkling half eternity, or a full eternity ring, daily life can take its toll.
Understanding how to care for your diamond and gemstone pieces—and taking advantage of regular maintenance—ensures that your precious jewellery stays as beautiful and secure as the day you first put it on.
Why Does Jewellery Need a Regular Health Check
It’s helpful to remember that all metal is malleable to an extent. Even with normal, careful daily wear, it is completely natural for your ring to come into contact with hard surfaces over time.
Half Eternity Rings: These feature stones set across the top half, leaving the underside (the shank) as solid metal. Daily contact with surfaces will inevitably lead to small dents and surface marks over time—this is entirely normal! During an annual check, these can usually be polished out (as long as they aren't too deep). For white gold pieces, the rhodium plating that gives them their brilliant silver shine will naturally wear over time. An annual health check allows us to polish and re-plate your ring to bring back its original luster.
Full Eternity Rings: With stones set all the way around the band, full eternity rings require just a little extra mindfulness. Contact with everyday items—like grasping door handles, holding banisters, closing a car boot, or even clapping while wearing rings on your opposite hand—can impact the settings.
Everyday Jewellery Care Tips
To protect your rings and gemstones between professional check-ups, keep these simple practices in mind:
Mind Your Activities:
We strongly recommend removing both full and half eternity rings during sports, gym workouts, gardening, or other physical activities that could put undue pressure on the setting or damage the shank.
Avoid Harsh Chemicals: Always remove your rings before using heavy household cleaning products or harsh chemicals, as these can dull or damage gemstones and degrade precious metals.
Smart Washing Advice:
You don't need to take your ring off every time you wash your hands. In fact, if you are out in public, we recommend leaving it on. It is far too easy to accidentally leave a precious ring behind on a washbasin!
Proper Storage:
When you aren't wearing your piece, keep it safely stored in its original box to prevent accidental scratches, damage, or misplacement.
How to Check Stone Tightness at Home: The 'Tapping Test'
Wondering if your stones are still secure? You can perform a quick check at home using this simple method:
The Tap Test: Hold your ring gently between your thumb and middle finger, and lightly tap the band with your index finger near your ear. If any stones have become slightly loose during wear, you will hear a faint, subtle 'jingle'.
If you hear a sound or suspect a stone is loose, it simply means the setter needs to tighten the claws or setting to re-secure the gemstone.
Protecting Your Investment: The Stephen Foster Jewellery Annual Health Check
While home care goes a long way, nothing replaces a professional eye. An annual jewellery health check is the best way to protect your investment for a lifetime.
During your annual ring check-up, our expert team will:
Inspect all claws, prongs, and settings for wear and tear.
Check stone tightness to prevent accidental loss.
Professionally clean and polish out minor surface scratches.
Re-plate white gold rings with rhodium to restore their bright finish.
Need a Check-Up or Aftercare Support?
If you suspect you’ve damaged a setting, noticed a loose stone, or are simply due for your annual ring inspection, we are here to help!
Please reach out to us via our
Contact Form
or send us an email. Let us know how we can assist, and our team will gladly inspect your ring, tighten your settings, and advise on any necessary care to keep your jewellery glowing for years to come.
