When to Consider Taking Off Your Engagement Ring

You love the engagement ring he chose—we get that. And we know you want to wear it. All. The. Time. But for the sake of safety, be it a few minutes or a few hours, is it worth the risk?

Take off engagement ring when you’re sick

Our bodies are pretty amazing when it comes to fighting off bacteria. Despite constant research, the common cold still takes an average of 7 to 10 days to completely work its way out of our systems. You can double that timeline for a virus-based illness. As this is happening, your body is going through a host of secondary symptoms that are a little less obvious. Dehydration, swelling and other reactions can cause your finger to swell or shrink, which can affect the way your ring is fitting. If whatever you’re fighting seems serious (think beyond 2 days of symptoms) consider removing your engagement ring in the meantime. In fact, consider removing all your jewelry. Bacteria hides in all sorts of places and the cleaner you can keep the surfaces of your body (especially your hands) the better!

Making dinner without ring on your finger

Cooking is possibly the biggest contributor to engagement and wedding ring debris. When we make a meal from scratch, we touch a great number of utensils and ingredients. Oily, sticky, smelly and messy things. Baking opens us up to even more elements, especially fat and flour. These are the worst culprits for jewelry damage. Before you cook or bake, take off your engagement ring and be mindful about where you put it. It might seem convenient to leave it somewhere close by but be realistic. Kitchens are black-holes for small things to go missing.

Take off engagement ring in the gym or pool

Any and all forms of exercise are worrisome for engagement rings, be it the squat rack or on the soccer field. Alongside the clear danger of it being lost in motion or damaged by blows, the accelerated movement involved in most sports or workouts can move and tweak the ring. Over time this can lead to a loosening of stones that might not be noticed by you until it’s gone. Most sports are also aerobic and sweat inducing. Sweat is salty and oily and, as discussed, your engagement ring doesn’t need any of that. But be careful to take your ring off before you head out to your workout. Gym lockers or gym bags are no place for diamond!

Go to bed without your engagement ring

This is a personal choice (and a point of contention amongst engagement ring advice-givers) but we think it’s wise to take off your rings before bed. Aside from the worry of snagging your pajamas, your face or your better half, you can actually do damage to your ring while you sleep. If you place your hands under your face while your snooze, your weight can misshape the band. Over time this can change the shape to a point where the diamond becomes loose. There is an argument that, if you’re wearing it, you can’t lose it, but that doesn’t mean you should just accept that the risk of damage is acceptable. Important jewelry was designed to be placed somewhere safe overnight.

Keep in mind your boo might ask why you’re removing your ring on a regular basis. If so, explain that you are doing so because of how much you love it. Cherishing the pieces that we hold most dear is the greatest compliment! We’ve heard the argument that if you’re wearing your ring you can’t lose it, but that doesn’t mean you should just accept the risk of damage.