Your beloved engagement ring is likely to be your most treasured (and expensive!) piece of jewellery. Ryan Thomas Jewellers' rings are designed to be worn and loved everyday, but like any valuable jewel, an engagement ring requires care and maintenance. Here are our 5 simple tips to keep your precious ring as sparkly as the day you received it.

Coloured gemstone engagement rings are seeing a surge in popularity lately. Beautiful, vibrant hues stand out from the crowd and they're a gorgeous choice if you're looking for a ring that's different from the norm.  However not all gemstones are suitable for everyday wear. Some stones have a relative lack of durability (hardness), meaning they can be scratched and damaged more easily. A gemstone's hardness is measured on a scale known as the Mohs scale, ranging from 1 to 10, where 1 is the softest and 10 is the hardest. Diamonds rank at the top of this scale - they are a 10. This means that diamonds have terrific scratch resistant properties and aren't damaged easily.  Our favourite coloured gemstones for engagement rings are rubies and sapphires - since they both rank a 9 on the Mohs scale, they are beautiful and very durable.  Emerald, tanzanite and opal are gemstones that rank lower on the Mohs scale, so they're more at risk of damage than the likes of diamond, ruby and sapphire. 

When we have a customer who would love a coloured gemstone engagement ring, we always recommend choosing a durable stone that's suitable for everyday wear and will last a lifetime. Emerald, tanzanite and opal are examples of gemstones that are more suited to dress rings; ones that aren't worn quite as often and can be cared for appropriately.

2. Clean your engagement ring regularly
Engagement rings will get grubby. Soap, hand sanitiser, lotions and makeup will create a build of dirt on the gemstones and make them look dull.  To bring your ring back to life and make it sparkle like it's brand new, follow these super easy steps at home: 

• - Fill a small bowl with warm to hot water, add a gentle washing up liquid and let the ring soak for a few minutes. 

• - Brush the stones with a soft-bristled toothbrush. A children's toothbrush is best as it's much softer. Make sure to brush the lower part of the diamond as lots of dirt can build up there. 

• - Once you're happy that it's clean, rinse the ring under warm, running water. Do not forget to put the plug in the sink first! 

• - Pat the ring dry with a soft cloth.  For an even brighter shine, bring your engagement ring to a Jeweller for a professional clean and polish. We provide this as a complimentary lifetime service for all our engagement and wedding rings.   

We mentioned that diamonds are really durable but they aren't indestructible! If you're going for a walk or a cycle, leave your engagement ring on, but if you're lifting weights or swimming, we advise taking your ring off. Weightlifting scratches the band over time, while swimming causes your finger to shrink, so there is a risk of losing the ring. If you have a more delicate ring, say with micro pavé diamonds, it's better to avoid wearing it during rigorous activity such a tennis, golf or running.

Jewellery worn every day is exposed to lots of banging, tugging and twisting. Engagement rings especially, so it's important to get the settings inspected by an expert Jeweller once a year. A loose or damaged claw is usually the reason why diamonds fall out of rings and get lost.  Checking the settings just takes a few moments. The Jeweller inspects the ring under a microscope to ensure all the gemstones are secure. We offer this service as complimentary and any rings that require attention are evaluated and restored by our Goldsmith. 

If you have a white gold engagement ring, the whiteness fades over time, sometimes yellowing a little. This is because all gold is yellow in nature. White gold is made by mixing yellow gold with other metals. As it still has a yellowish undertone, it is rhodium plated to give it a smooth, shiny white finish.  Everyday wear will affect the rhodium plating making it wear over time. To restore the shiny white finish to your white gold engagement ring, we recommend having it rhodium plated approximately every 2 years. Yellow gold and platinum require polishing every couple of years to maintain the ring's smooth surface and shine. Our professional cleaning and polishing service is completed in-house by our expert team.