How to Keep your Wedding Ring Looking like New

It may be easy not to notice the wear and tear on your wedding ring if you wear it every day. Over time, though, your ring (and particularly the wedding band itself) may start to grow tight and certain ornamentation may loosen. Here’s what to consider as you look at resizing, re-mounting, and reinvigorating your ring.

Ring resizing is a popular way to ensure that you can keep wearing the same wedding ring for as long as possible. However, resizing can present considerable risks to your wedding band. Typically, a master jeweler will resize the band by spread the metal as much as possible and add additional metal to fill a gap (if enlarging) or cut a strip out of the band and solder the ends together (if narrowing). Some jewelers will provide this service as part of their jewelry insurance, but as you may have guessed, resizing leaves a weak point and can increase the risk for breakage. Working with a trusted jeweler and considering jewelry insurance, particularly for a custom jewelry design, can minimize these risks.

Ring re-mounting refers to the process of reattaching or changing the placement of the gem stone. If you’ve noticed that your gemstone is loose, you can have your ring re-mounted on its current band by creating a new attachment point(the small metal prongs that hold the gemstone in place). If you are also interested in having your ring resized, or it you’d like to change the design of your current band, you can also design your own gemstone ring by mounting the gemstone of your ring on a new band.

If you do choose to remount your gemstone on a new band, consult with a master jeweler whose style is similar to your own. You can either recreate your original wedding ring or create an original jewelry design centered around your gemstone. In addition to gold, silver, and platinum bands, you can now design your own gemstone ring with rose gold, titanium, or blends of recycled metals. Don’t forget–the ring customization process will take a few weeks, and you may need to make further adjustments after you take it home. Investing in jewelry insurance can also allow you to make further adjustments to your band or to protect your new ring in the event of an accident or theft.

Your wedding ring doesn’t have to be limited to the styles in the case at the jewelry store. Redesigning and re-mounting your ring is fantastic opportunity to give new life to your wedding ring to make it as unique as you are. With the proper care and attention, your custom wedding ring design can last a lifetime.