How do I prevent sand from getting into the ring setting during a beach proposal?

You can't prevent sand from getting into the ring setting during a beach proposal, not entirely. A grain of sand can be 0.3mm, and the gap under a prong tip is often 0.4mm. It gets in. But you can keep the worst of it out and make the cleanup simple.

Last June a client named Ben proposed to his girlfriend Molly on a beach in Truro. He kept the ring in a velvet box in his swim trunk pocket for four hours before the moment. By the time he opened it, the box seam had picked up enough sand to coat the entire setting. The proposal went fine, but she spent the rest of the day with sand grinding under the prongs because he'd tried to wipe it clean with his t-shirt, and sunscreen had turned the sand into a paste.

Before you leave the house

Put the ring in a clear zip-top bag first, then drop that into the ring box. Press the zip closed all the way across. This gives you a second layer if the box opens accidentally in a pocket or bag. If you want to be extra careful, use a hard-sided box instead of a velvet box. Velvet and leather hinges are sand traps.

At the beach

At the exact moment, do this. Find a spot where the sand is packed and damp, not dry and loose, if you can. Damp sand doesn't blow around the way dry sand does, and it won't kick up as much when you kneel.

• Turn your back to the wind.
• Open the box low and close to your body.
• Keep the ring in your closed hand until it goes on her finger.
• Close the empty box before standing up.

If you're going to kneel, keep the ring in your closed hand above the sand line until you're already down. A 2.6mm band with a six-prong solitaire will hold less sand than a pavé halo, but no ring is immune. Don't set the ring on a towel, don't rest it on your knee, and don't let anyone else hold it over dry sand.

After the ring is on her hand

Don't wipe it. Not with a shirt, not with a towel, not with your thumb. Sand is harder than gold, and dragging it across the metal with pressure is how you get fine scratches. Your breath is moist, and moisture plus sand makes a grinding slurry under the prongs. Wait until you're indoors and can rinse it in a bowl of lukewarm water. Use a few drops of mild dish soap and a soft baby toothbrush, and brush gently from the back side of the stone so you're not pushing sand deeper into the setting. If the ring has pavé or a channel, don't mess with it at all. Take it to a jeweler for a proper ultrasonic soak and steam. It costs maybe $25 to $60 and takes fifteen minutes.

If you want zero sand in the prongs

Use a placeholder. Get a simple silicone band or a sterling silver band, propose with that on the beach, and put the real ring on her finger later, indoors, after hands are washed and dry. I tell clients this all the time for beach proposals, especially when they're planning to go straight into the water for photos. Some people think it sounds less romantic, but the romance is in the question, not in the sand grinding against a 1.2 carat diamond all afternoon. She still gets the real ring. She just gets it without the cleanup.