Your worst nightmare; you look down at your ring and your diamond is missing. Your heart sinks, you panic, and you start feeling sick. You calm down and begin to retracing your steps. You remember that it was there this morning. After an agonizing three hours you find it on the floor next to the washer. You are one of the lucky ones.

Simple,  periodic inspection of your jewelry can prevent the loss of your prized possessions.

Inspection
You should schedule a once a week inspection and cleaning of your jewelry. When inspecting your ring you should look to see if all of the tips of the prongs on your diamond or colored stone are covering the stone. With a four-prong setting it is in a more precarious condition. With four prongs, if one prong breaks or is pulled off the stone, more that likely the stone will fall out of the setting. With six prongs you actually need to break or move three prongs on the same side before the stone is lost. Having six prongs gives you a couple more second chances of keeping your ring intact.

Different metal alternatives
Some metals are more secure than others. White or yellow gold prongs over time will become brittle and may break off if it is hit hard enough. Platinum prongs are more secure, they will generally not break off but will slowly wear away. You would just have to look at it and make sure it is not too thin. If you like the aesthetic look of four prongs it is recommended that you use platinum prongs and make sure they are thick enough, you will not have a second chance. Platinum is a bit more expensive than white or yellow gold prongs and if it is more than you can afford to spend then it would be best that you use six prongs in white or yellow gold for the added security. If one or two prongs out of six breaks, you can have them repaired have the others checked and or replace the head altogether and start over. In any case you will not loose your center stone.

Cleaning your ring
If your diamond ring is covered with soap film residue, hand lotion or grime it will not be the sparkling beauty it is capable of being. If cleaning is done once a week it will take 30 seconds or so to complete the job. Cleaning is done with a non-abrasive cleaner such as ammonia, Simple Green, Windex or some equivalent. Jewelry cleaners will do the job but they do cost a little more than the household cleaners. Do not use toothpaste! Toothpaste has mild abrasives in it and while it may not harm your diamond it will put fine scratches on you ring and make it dull. Use the non-abrasive cleaner and a toothbrush. Squirt on the solution on your ring and scrub it with the toothbrush, try to get underneath and into the recessed areas, rinse, wipe it with a soft cloth and put it back on. It is not necessary to soak your ring in the cleaning solution. In fact if you are using ammonia based cleaners prolonged soaking will slowly eat into the alloys used to make 14 or 18k gold and over time will pit and weaken prongs. If your ring is encrusted and needs a more thorough cleaning then soaking it in half hot water and cleaning solution for 15 minutes will loosen the buildup of grime and then brushing it will remove most of the accumulation.

A note of caution!
When cleaning your ring you will probably be at a sink or basin. Make sure you have a strainer or stopper so your jewelry will not become decoration for fish.

Cleaning solutions not for all gemstones
Cleaning solutions are not recommended for all gemstones. Gemstones such as amber, emeralds, opals and pearls should definitely not be soaked in or cleaned with the cleaning solutions. Other gemstones that you should approach with caution are; Turquoise, Peridot, malachite, coral and mother of pearl. When in doubt ask a professional.

Polishing
Cleaning your ring or jewelry will definitely make the gemstones look better but for that shiny “just bought” look you would need to have the piece of jewelry polished. Polishing will make the metal shiny and cleaning of the gemstones will restore the ultimate beauty of your jewelry. If you have the right equipment, a Dremmel tool, polishing compounds, buffing wheels and the knowledge and experience of polishing you can do it at home. It is safer to take it to a jewelry shop that can do it for you.

For a pain-free existence you should have your jewelry inspected at least once a year, twice is better or whenever you suspect something may be wrong with your jewelry. There are many jewelry stores that would inspect it for free, some may even clean and polish your jewelry free of charge. We would all like you to enjoy your jewelry for a lifetime.