Should You Wear Your Engagement Ring All the Time?

If you recently said yes to your fiancé, you are now the proud owner and wearer of an engagement ring, and probably don’t ever want to take it off—and who could blame you? At the same time, you may be wondering if you should wear your engagement ring all of the time.

To Wear or Not to Wear

So, can you wear that engagement ring or wedding band all the time? Of course! There’s nothing wrong with wearing your ring; it symbolizes the love and commitment you have for one another, and your mutual promise to make that commitment for life.

You may have heard that removing an engagement ring is bad luck, but, in reality, the worst luck you can have is to lose your ring. So, you may want to consider taking your ring off for brief periods to keep it looking like the day it was placed on your finger.

When to Take Your Ring Off

You will definitely want to consider removing your ring when engaging in the following activities:

• Swimming
• Moisturizing
• Exercising
• Sleeping
• Cleaning
• Working
• Cooking and baking
• Showering and getting ready

Swimming

Whether you’re swimming in salt or freshwater, you’ll definitely want to remove your ring. Salt water, whether from the ocean or a brine pool, can be corrosive to diamonds and ring metals.

Chlorine can also cause damage to your ring.

Wearing your ring to a sandy beach can cause sand grains to become lodged underneath the prongs that hold your stone in your ring. If this happens, your diamond can be pushed out of its setting slowly over time. 

Cold water and air temperatures can cause your fingers to shrink, making your ring fit more loosely. This raises your risk of losing your ring in a pool, the ocean, or on the beach—and none are ideal scenarios.

Moisturizing

Your favorite lotion or sunblock may smell great and help keep your skin moisturized, but if you’re applying these products with your engagement ring on, you may not like the results.

While they may be great for skin, some of the ingredients in skin lotions and sunblocks aren’t so great for engagement rings. These creams can easily get under settings and stones, trapping moisture that damages and takes all of your ring’s shine and brilliance away. 

In fact, if you keep applying these lotions with your ring on, you may be forced to send it away for professional cleaning, which will leave you without your ring for longer than it would have taken you to remove before moisturizing.

Exercising

Walking, weights, yoga, and other forms of exercising will definitely do your body good. If you plan to sweat, it’s probably best to leave your ring at home. Just like salt water, the salt in your sweat will not do your ring any favors.

The metal of your ring may also undergo unnecessary forces if you wear it while working out. Gold, for example, is a soft metal that can easily bend or dent during weightlifting. Of course, losing your ring at the gym or in the neighborhood is also a possibility.

Sleeping

Wearing your engagement ring to bed may not seem like anything to be concerned about, especially when you consider the risks of wearing it at other times like to the beach. In reality, there are many things that can damage your ring in the bedroom, too.

For example, your setting can get caught in your hair or on your sheets while you’re sleeping, loosening the prongs. The problem with this is that you may not even know that it has happened until you realize your diamond is very loose or, worse, lost.

Cleaning

If you tend to use a number of commercial products when cleaning the house, consider taking your ring off or wearing gloves while you clean. 

The harsh chemicals in cleaning products are typically corrosive to a point; they have to be in order to penetrate and remove grease and grime quickly. These chemicals can combine and end up on your diamond or ring’s material, causing irreversible damage.

Working

Working with your hands means they can undergo a lot of abuse. If you’re also wearing your engagement ring, this can mean bent metal, dings, and scratches on your ring. Leaving your ring off during manual labor of any kind is a good idea that can also keep you safe in situations like using industrial machines, which can cause significant injury if rings or sleeves get caught in them.

Cooking and Baking

Cooking and baking mean being exposed to high temperatures, spices, oils, and steam, and none will benefit the look or feel of your ring. Kneading dough, separating ingredients, and other activities can also cause damage to your ring and make it look a lot older than it actually is.
Frequently washing your hands and cleaning dishes and utensils with soaps and scrubbers can scratch your ring and make your finger slippery as well.

Showering and Getting Ready

Showering and getting ready while wearing your engagement ring should definitely be reconsidered. Not only will soap, water, and shampoo damage your ring’s appearance, but they’ll also make your fingers slippery and increase your risk of losing your engagement ring.

Beauty products like foundation and hairspray can easily get on your ring during styling, collecting on and under surfaces to cause long-term damage, as can wearing your ring in the shower all the time.

It’s Up to You

You may believe the “bad luck” superstition about taking off your engagement ring. You also may not be worrying about doing any of the above things with your ring on. Really, what you do will depend on you, your lifestyle, and how often you want to wear your ring.

If you’re still searching for your perfect engagement ring, The Diamond Vault is Arizona’s superior choice. 

Our master jewelers are happy to educate you about what makes your diamond ring so special and valuable, and we also offer budget-friendly financing options so you can enjoy giving and wearing your ring sooner. Look through our website to browse our vast and beautiful ring collections.