Keep your ring brilliant.

Daily wearWhat to take it off for

• Swimming, cleaning with bleach, and gardening — chemicals dull metal and can loosen prongs
• Gym sessions and heavy lifting — repeated impact is the leading cause of chipped stones
• Applying lotion, sunscreen or perfume — residue builds up under the stone and dulls sparkle

Professional careGet it checked once a year

Bring your ring in annually to have the prongs checked and the stone re-tightened. Most lost stones happen because a prong wore thin unnoticed — a two-minute check catches it before that happens.