Diamonds for every day wear

[blueyes157]

In a month or two I will be the proud owner of a diamond engagement ring (Waiting is HARD, let me tell ya

), but knowing that it is so delicate and cost so much, I think I am going to be afraid to wear it.

I do not want to scratch it or heaven for bid loose the center stone!

Do you wear your ring in the shower? pool? ocean? amusement park rides? working out? any other times you take off your ring?

Or when should I not be wearing my ring? Any experiences that scratched or ruined your ring?

 

[Lorelei]

E-rings can take daily wear with ease, but it is best to be cautious and not wear them for swimming, working out, showering, gardening or any heavy work, as damage can occur to the diamond and or the setting, either from chemicals while house cleaning, or knocks etc. Enjoy and wear your ring, but just use commonsense and you will be fine.

 

[neatfreak]

One word for you: INSURANCE!!!


I'm cautious and don't wear it in the ocean, swimming, working with chemicals, gardening, baking, etc. BUT since it's insured, I don't worry about it too much. If it weren't insured I would be paranoid about it all the time...

 

[blueyes157]

How do I go about getting it insured. We are currently renting (we do have renters insurance though). Do I have it appraised and then added to my policy? Can I have the ring appraised at the store I bought it at or do I need to go somewhere else? If so how much do appraisals cost?

I saw a recent post that an appraiser is charging upwards of $200! It seems like a lot, but in the long run I guess it is worth it.

 

[NewEnglandLady]

I''m interested in this as well--we''re currently in the process of getting renters insurance specifically so we can insure the ring, but how does it work? Is it a fraction of the appraised value? Can you insure the ring without renters insurance? I planned to wait to insure it until we bought a home (soon) and had homeowners insurance, but now I''m not comfortable waiting.

 

[Lorelei]

Insurance is a must if replacing a stolen or damaged diamond would be painful financially. You can contact your homeowners to see what they offer, but here are some links to 2 companies which you both may find helpful.

www.jewelersmutual.com

www.chubb.com

 

[Fly Girl]

Begin by calling your insurance agent. There are lots of other threads here about insurance. I have a Personal Articles policy with State Farm covering my jewelry, mainly because we have always used SF insurance.

 

[neatfreak]

Date: 8/7/2007 11:52:34 AM
Author: Lorelei
Insurance is a must if replacing a stolen or damaged diamond would be painful financially. You can contact your homeowners to see what they offer, but here are some links to 2 companies which you both may find helpful.


www.jewelersmutual.com


www.chubb.com

I agree. You CAN get it added onto your renters policy but most often those places then force you to work with a jeweler of THEIR choice for replacement. JM doesn't require this, which is why I went with them instead of similar coverage from State Farm. For a PSer who spent months researching where to find the perfect stone, this was essential for me as I wanted to make sure I could work with Mark for replacement if necessary.

Premiums are 1-3% of the value depending on where you live usually. Well worth it to not have to worry about your ring.

My ring came with a great little appraisal from Mark when we bought it. That coupled with pictures, and the GIA cert was more than enough to insure it in our case. But the more information on the stone/ring the better to make sure the replacement is up to par. Make SURE the specifics of the stone are on the appraisal. If it just says "RB 1.43 carat G SI1", then that is ALL they have to follow to help you replace it.

 

[surfgirl]

If you do a search on this on the Hangout page, you''ll find a long thread with comments about where/when people wear or dont wear their rings...

 

[blueyes157]

Wow that seems really cheap. Just doing a little research at Jewlers Mutual Insurance, to insure a $4,000 ring in PA is only about $50. Well worth it!

 

[Lorelei]

Date: 8/7/2007 11:58:59 AM
Author: neatfreak

Date: 8/7/2007 11:52:34 AM
Author: Lorelei
Insurance is a must if replacing a stolen or damaged diamond would be painful financially. You can contact your homeowners to see what they offer, but here are some links to 2 companies which you both may find helpful.


www.jewelersmutual.com


www.chubb.com

I agree. You CAN get it added onto your renters policy but most often those places then force you to work with a jeweler of THEIR choice for replacement. JM doesn't require this, which is why I went with them instead of similar coverage from State Farm. For a PSer who spent months researching where to find the perfect stone, this was essential for me as I wanted to make sure I could work with Mark for replacement if necessary.

Premiums are 1-3% of the value depending on where you live usually. Well worth it to not have to worry about your ring.

My ring came with a great little appraisal from Mark when we bought it. That coupled with pictures, and the GIA cert was more than enough to insure it in our case. But the more information on the stone/ring the better to make sure the replacement is up to par. Make SURE the specifics of the stone are on the appraisal. If it just says 'RB 1.43 carat G SI1', then that is ALL they have to follow to help you replace it.

EXCELLENT points NF!

 

[ericad]

Make sure whatever insurance you choose covers losses from damage, accidental loss, etc. and not just theft from your home. Also make sure you understand any exclusions, limitations and deductibles, if applicable. Once my diamond is appraised and set I will insure through Jeweler''s Mutual, as they seem to have very comprehensive coverage for the price.

 

[Pandora II]

Mine is insured as a piggyback on my house insurance.

I don''t wear my ring to sleep, shower, cook, garden - I normally take it off when I''m at home and put it in it''s box so I''m not taking it on and off to do things and leaving it lying around.

 

[HappyAnniversary]

I looked into piggy-backing it to my home onwers insurance and it would only cover loss for theft, fire, etc, but not for "oops, I lost it". I forgot to ask about if it just broke, but I think that would be excluded, too, so I didn''t take that insurance out. Still thinking about other kinds, cos mine is a modestly priced ring.

 

[phoenixgirl]

Shower? No. Pool? Maybe, but probably no. Ocean? No. Amusement park rides? Hmmm. I haven''t been on any since I got married. I''d probably put it in my purse for that one. Working out? No.

Other times I take my rings off? Washing dishes (my skin gets irritated if it gets wet under the rings), sitting around the house, walking in a bad part of town.

 

[kcoursolle]

As others have mentioned...number 1 before wearing it is to get it insured. Chubb and jewelers mutual are the top names in insurance and both are fine.

After that, feel free to wear it doing most things. Lifting weights, gardening, doing heavy duty cleaning with harsh cleaning products, and swimming in cholinated pools are especially harsh to the metals of rings, so you should leave your ring at home in a safe place before doing these things. Sleeping is probably fine, but you might end up scratching yourself with it. Shower is probably fine except that your ring is going to get dirty faster with soap buildup.

 

[Stone Hunter]

Date: 8/7/2007 2:49:33 PM
Author: phoenixgirl
Shower? No. Pool? Maybe, but probably no. Ocean? No. Amusement park rides? Hmmm. I haven''t been on any since I got married. I''d probably put it in my purse for that one. Working out? No.

Other times I take my rings off? Washing dishes (my skin gets irritated if it gets wet under the rings), sitting around the house, walking in a bad part of town.

Oh don''t do that. I can just see it falling out of your purse! Besides if the ride is so wild you can''t wear and e ring your purse will be ripped away from you too. I stick to the rides that are fun and try to steer my family to the ones that have Black Fluor. lights so I can see my ring Fluor.

 

[fleur-de-lis]

Date: 8/7/2007 11:09:47 AM
Author:blueyes157

Do you wear your ring in the shower? pool? ocean? amusement park rides? working out? any other times you take off your ring?

Or when should I not be wearing my ring? Any experiences that scratched or ruined your ring?

Hi Blue Eyes, to answer the list:

Shower: No; soap scum is the enemy of sparkle
Pool: My own, no; at other people''s houses, yes
Ocean: Depends on security of hotel/house if not being worn
Amusement Park rides: Yes
Working out: Yes, but I have a sturdy 3-stone ring instead of full eternity band (so I don''t worry about delicate pave being knocked out)

In a nutshell, I take care, but I have insurance for peace of mind. Typically, your ring is safer on your hand than nearly anyplace else, so I wouldn''t leave it in a locker, pinned to a bra, or in a handbag where it could become loose or stolen without a fight.

The only obvious omission from your list I would include is for travel to certain places outside the US/Canada; though great big swaths of this beautiful planet of ours is perfectly safe, I''ve always been of the opinion that it''s easier to leave the real gems in a bank vault at home when hardcore traveling. I''d hate to have a missing earring prevent me from catching a train, or worrying if an eye-catching ring is catching some unwanted eyes in a crowded marketplace; as much as I love learning about other cultures, I''m not particularly drawn to having to learn about the forms at the foreign police stations, you know?

BTW, Blueeyes, congratulations on the upcoming engagement! Waiting can be sooo hard, especially when you''re dying to be able to look at wedding magazines without embarrassment!