Tips For Protecting Your Diamond

Buying a diamond is an investment that you will have for a lifetime. Here are some tips to keeping that investment safe from damage.

Diamonds are known for being one of the hardest substances on earth. It may look beautiful and delicate, but man is it strong! While they are over 50 times harder than corundum, the next hardest mineral on earth, you can still chip the edges of your diamond.

Hitting your ring at just the right angle with just the right impact could chip the diamond. The girdle is the widest part (or the circumference) of the polished diamond and an extremely thin girdle has a slight risk of chipping along the girdle edge during setting or while being worn. That’s why the prongs are located along the girdle of your ring – to hold the diamond in place and prevent it from chipping.

No matter how careful we are, accidents happen. There are some considerations you can take while selecting the perfect diamond as well as preventive measures once you’re wearing it.

1. Know your shapes because those with points or sharp corners can be more susceptible to chipping. Emerald cuts, triangular shapes, radiants and princess cuts are at higher risk for chips. Round, oval and rounded corner cushions are safer, because they don’t have sharp corners or points. Now of course these fancy shapes are widely sought after, so we aren’t suggesting you avoid them if you really love them. Following the other tips below will help protect any shape diamond.
2. Consider the setting, it’s important! Vulnerable points or corners are better protected with bezels, partial bezels or V-shaped prongs. We can help you choose the right shape and setting that will give you the look you want while making sure your diamond is protected.
3. Remove your ring in certain situations. Consider removing your ring and storing it in a safe location if your diamond ring has a good chance of slipping off or hitting something hard. Some examples include exercising, cooking or cleaning in the kitchen, or working in the garden.
4. Watch out for potential problems. Besides being generally cautious when you’re wearing your diamond jewelry, there are also some warning signs to look out for: 
   • Make sure your prongs aren’t too-short, bent or missing. You’d be surprised at how many times we go to look at a ring with our eye loop and see that a prong is broken. You can bring your jewelry to be inspected by our qualified staff who can identify any potential issues.
   • Test how secure it is. If it feels like your ring is loose, bring it in for a proper fitting and re-sizing before it’s too late and slips off without you knowing.
5. Lastly, get your investment Insuranced. Insuring your diamond will give you peace of mind if anything does happen to your cherished item. We trust Jewelers Mutual Insurance Group and it is an option to consider when protecting your jewelry. To learn more, visit JewelersMutual.com. Like us, they’ve been serving customers for over 100 years. You will need an appraisal done on the item(s) and we offer that service in store through an independent appraiser. You can call us to find out when the appraiser will be in store next.

What do I do if there is some damage?

If you think you may have a chip in your diamond or potential damage to a prong, bring it in ASAP for an inspection and we’ll assess your repair options. A chipped diamond is at higher risk of further damage, so the sooner you take care of it, the better. Jewelry repair is just one of the services we are well known for. We have so many repeat customers who value the quality of the work we do. While we hope you don’t need a repair, we are here for you when you do.

All photos are part of our A.Jaffe engagement ring collection. We have many more in store!

Let us know in the comments if these educational blog posts are helpful. If you have any topics you would like us to share, leave that in the comments as well.