Whenever a ring or piece of fine jewelry is worn, wear will occur. The more frequently it is worn, the more quickly it will wear. Periodic maintenance is required on all jewelry to restore and rebuild worn and damaged parts. Prior to the 1970's, rings were primarily set with diamonds mounted into recessed settings which afforded a high level of protection. As the 1970's progressed, styles changed with the re-emergence of prong type settings, a more delicate, open, airy design. This change in jewelry styles occurred at the same time women were becoming increasingly active. These jewelry designs and life style changes have resulted in a higher vulnerability to wear and damage.

Following is a list of common causes of wear and damage to jewelry and specific recommendations on things you can do to extend the life of your settings and protect your gems.

General Yardwork... Even though you wear gloves, it doesn't protect a ring from bumping against a stone wall and bending a prong. An accident that might occur in a split second could bend or break a prong, causing the loss of a gem worth hundreds or thousands of dollars.

Housework... Imagine cleaning out a cast iron radiator and reaching from beneath to remove a stuck toy. Catching a prong or prongs may seriously damage or destroy a mounting worth hundreds of dollars. Additionally, cleaning out the attic or garage, even making beds can cause damage. Wearing gem set jewelry while doing housework should be avoided.

Working in the Kitchen... A kitchen can seem an innocent place to wear a ring, but it is one of the situations where a woman's hands are the most active. One bump against a metal grate in a stove or hit on the edge of a frying pan, can cause a prong to be bent or broken, or a diamond to be chipped, or a colored gem to be scratched. Ask for a free Cross Kitchen Ring Hook, a safe place for your ring while working in the kitchen.

Sporting Activities... While participating in any of the following: golf, baseball, racquetball, snorkeling, scuba diving, horseback riding, camping, mountain climbing, rowing, chopping wood and similar physical activities, rings and other fine jewelry should be removed. There are too many opportunities for an accident to occur in a split second, which could cause hundreds or thousands of dollars in damage.

Beach... Beaches contain a multitude of perils for rings and fine jewelry. First of all, it is one of the most common places for jewelry to become lost. Hands become cold in our icy Atlantic waters, fingers shrink and rings easily slip off. Necklaces, earrings and bracelets are easily lost in the sand. The greatest risk to gem set jewelry is abrasion from the sand. Typical beach sand in the northeastern United States has a hardness of 7-8, and can act like a coarse sandpaper on gold and colored gems. Building one large sand castle can put more wear on a ring than a year of normal use.

Work... Your place of employment could be very hazardous to the safety and longevity of your fine jewelry. Obviously, any job involving machinery or moving hard solid objects, gem-set jewelry should be removed. Any occupation in which a gem or mounting might come in contact with hard objects presents a possible risk.

Fabric... Many years ago, we reset a family diamond into a 6 prong solitaire for a woman who worked in a local department store's yardgood department measuring fabric. Within 60 days she was back, holding her diamond in one hand and her new mounting in the other hand. The prongs holding the diamond had completely worn off. Upon discussion we learned that when she measured fabric, she would set her left hand on the counter and pull the fabric from the bolts across her hand. Molecule by molecule the gold was slowly but repeatedly, all day long, being pulled from the surface of the prongs until they were worn flat.

Another example of wear caused by contact with fabric: A woman requested we attach an adjustable shank to enable her to wear her ring. Six months later she returned for a cleaning and safety examination. The tips holding the diamond were worn flat, the shank was wafer thin. The ring appeared to have 20 years of wear. Questioning her, we learned that she made beds at a local hotel. Tucking sheets in, dozens of times a day, had accelerated the wear on her ring.

Sleep... Certainly it would seem that wearing rings and jewelry to bed would be safe, and yet prongs on rings can wear out in half the time if worn at night. How? Gold against fabric. Time lapse photography shows that most people move hundreds of times during the night while they sleep. A few molecules of gold here, a few molecules of gold there, multiplied times hundreds of nights over the years, represent a considerable acceleration of wear on your fine jewelry. This wear can be substantially increased if the bed sheets include even the slightest trace of a cosmetic, which is often comprised of microscopic substances possessing a hardness of 7 or more. These substances act like fine sandpaper against gold, causing accelerated wear. All jewelry should be removed prior to going to bed.

Applause... To the owner of fine jewelry, one of the most baffling types of damage to rings can occur while attending a large concert or symphony production. In the midst of deafening applause, which often follows a great performance, rings worn on opposite hands can literally be pummeled with hundred of little flattened spots. Even more serious damage can occur to gem-set rings from applause when gems in rings on opposite hands come in contact with one another. Prongs can be flattened and bent, gems can be chipped and destroyed. In the darkened performance hall with deafening applause, you can neither see nor hear what is happening to your rings. Applause damage is often one of the most mysterious forms of damage. The solution: When wearing rings on opposite hands, applaud with the fingers of the right hand striking the palm of the left hand.

Loose Fitting Rings... No finger has one perfect size for fitting rings. Time of day, temperature, humidity, physical activity, weight gain or loss, all contribute to as much as a size or two difference in some people. This, in combination with enlarged knuckles, can cause rings to fit loosely. Rings should be made as small as possible to provide a snug fit. If enlarged knuckles prevent snug fitting, adjustable shanks or special fitting devices should be considered to reduce turning. When two rings are worn on the same hand together, wear will occur as the rings rub against one another. If the rings fit loosely, the wear will be accelerated. Diamond wedding and engagement rings set with diamonds with exposed edges, should be soldered together to prevent twisting and turning, and reduce the risk of diamonds damaging one another. It is best not to wear gem-set rings on adjacent fingers, as two gems coming in contact with one another can become scratched.

Handshaking... Women are shaking hands with men more often during the last twenty years… a form of greeting, departure or closing a deal. The delicate designs of women's rings can literally be squeezed out of round by a firm handshake. Gems can be loosened and lost. The solution: Avoid shaking hands with people who are known to have too firm a grip. If you get caught, check to be sure gems are still secure.

Shoes wear with use. Tires wear with increased mileage, and yet people often seem surprised that jewelry worn 24 hours a day can show significant signs of wear within a few years. In any activity in which the upper surface of a gem-set ring comes in contact with anything, wear is occurring. It may only be the removal of a few molecules at a time, but wear is occurring. Multiplied times days, months and years, the wear may progress slowly or more quickly. Depending on how active a person you are, daily abrasion is removing molecules of gold and may be wearing your ring out. How and when you wear your jewelry is a personal choice. Many people desire to wear their jewelry all the time. It needs to be clearly understood that doing so will shorten the time between necessary maintenance, or even require replacement of mountings or of gems, which can be lost from settings.

The Gold, Mercury, Chlorine Dilemma

Although gold is impervious to attack from almost all chemical substances, there are two risks of which you should be aware. Mercury is a liquid metal at room temperature. Each year we see several cases of mercury absorption by gold. It causes the yellow metal to turn to a frosty white color. If mercury is not removed immediately, the gold can become brittle and shatter like glass. The common locations to come in contact with mercury are hospitals, doctors and dentists offices, or a broken thermometer at home. Often the person wearing the ring infected with mercury has no knowledge of where they came in contact with the element.

Chlorine, a chemical found in some household cleaning agents and found as an additive in swimming pools, can attack the alloys mixed with karat gold. Prolonged contact will cause pitting and discoloration and ultimately a weakening of the gold in the affected jewelry.

Gold's property of malleability allows it to be crafted into extraordinarily intricate designs. However, because of gold's malleability, even the strongest prong can be bent without you being aware of it occurring. A common example is sitting on the floor and pushing with your hands in the direction of the floor. As you push off, you can easily exert over 100 pounds of pressure against a single prong causing it to bend. This can happen so easily you may never be aware of when or how it occurred.

Gems are among some of the hardest substances on earth, born in fire and intense heat, surviving millions of years in the earth since their formation; and yet all gems, including the hardest - diamond, are subject to wear and damage.

Precautions must be taken to safeguard these precious gems from situations which can cause damage or accelerated wear. Gems, both in storage and while wearing, must be prevented from touching one another. For storage we recommend a jewelry box with assigned storage spaces for each piece of jewelry, or tiny transparent zip lock bags, which provide an excellent means of protecting fine gems and jewelry.

Wear Will Occur

Even with taking all precautions discussed, wear will occur on jewelry with the passage of time. This is natural. Precious metals will develop a patina (microscopic scratches and dings in the surface). It is part of the character a piece naturally acquires. Gems also will show microscopic abrasion on facet junctions. Even diamonds, the hardest substance known to man, are subject to minor nicking on the outer perimeter. Rarely do we see a 100-year old diamond free of microscopic nicks. Wear is a consequence of use. We encourage owners of fine jewelry to use and enjoy their jewelry, but to be aware of the limitations of specific gems, and the care your design selection may require.

If a problem occurs with a piece of jewelry we have created or sold, we first examine it to see if there is any structural reason that could cause the problem, which we would take care of at no charge. Wear which requires restoration work is part of the necessary expected maintenance of a piece of jewelry, the cost of which is the responsibility of the owner. Damage, which is a separate issue from wear, may be covered by the owner's insurance, subject to policy limitations and deductibles. For these risks there is no substitute for quality insurance. As with anything else you purchase, there are different qualities of insurance. Be sure to ask questions of your agent regarding the type and extent of your coverage, including deductibles and other options available for loss, theft and damage, at home and away. Ask your agent if you will receive the full replacement value on an insured piece in the event of a loss, or if the company offers only partial replacement value (a type of coverage, and company to avoid). A quality insurance company will offer replacement at the insured value.

As a balance to all of our cautions, you need to weigh your desire to wear your ring. If a solitaire mounting costs $350 and you wear it out in ten years, it has cost only $35.00 per year. If you have your ring cleaned and checked periodically you can manage the wear appropriately and know when to make the decision to replace the mounting. Understanding how you are wearing your ring and what the consequences of that wear are, are the keys to your success. We want you to wear your jewelry and enjoy it. We hope this information helps you enjoy your fine jewelry for a lifetime.

Finally, we have developed a series of rings which we have specifically designed for changing life styles. These rings are practical and wearable. Ask us, we'll be pleased to show you our newest designs.

Cross' newest ring design is part of a collection we've designed For the Way We Live Here in Maine™.

Designed to be worn 24 hours a day*, 365 days a year, it features a low profile to protect your diamond. The diamond is set with platinum completely encircling it for extra protection, and the heavy gold band provides years of wear, yet maintains a feminine style.

If you are considering buying a diamond, see this ring. If you are considering resetting a diamond, see this ring. This style and others in our collection are each designed For the Way We Live Here in Maine™. A design for the new millennium in all price ranges.

(*in almost all situations)

Gem Durability

This is a simple guide which combines hardness and toughness for an overall durability rating. This presumes all gems to be free of risky flaws or fractures. If an otherwise hard gem poses a higher risk flaw, it will be given the appropriate durability rating. "No gem is indestructible if hit hard enough."

Following is a rating system (A-F) for new gem-set rings. This is a guide to help you make appropriate choices to match proper designs with the contemporary lifestyles. Jewelry design and techniques of construction can be likened to clothing and the various fabrics from which clothing is constructed. It is obvious the type of clothing which is appropriate to wear while skiing, mountain climbing, gardening, as a spectator for a sports event, to the office or to the opera. In a similar way, various design techniques in jewelry affect the appropriateness of wear.

This A-F rating system only considers the security or delicacy of the setting. The toughness, durability, and practicality of the gems themselves are examined on page nine using numbers 1-5. The letter and number combined give guidance for overall performance expectations and can assist in appropriate choices.