5 Everyday Activities That Put Your Engagement Ring and Wedding Band at Risk

Have you ever sat down to seriously think about your daily routine? If not, you might be unaware of the fact that you engage in several "risky" activities on a day-to-day basis. Before you start to get nervous, though, we're not talking about anything harmful or detrimental to your health. We're simply referring to the daily activities that put your engagement ring and wedding band at risk. 

Let's face it, it's easy to forget about your wedding rings after being married for several months or years. That's because once you've tied the knot, these pieces easily become a part of your daily routine, causing even the most mindful individuals to forget that they're wearing a ring in the first place. But given that an engagement ring and wedding band are precious pieces of jewelry, it's extremely important to be diligent and aware of the daily projects you partake in, no matter how comfortable you are wearing each accessory.

Ahead, we consulted Grant Mobley, an in-house diamond expert at the Natural Diamond Council, for his expertise on the top five everyday activities that put engagement rings and wedding bands at risk. Read on to learn more. 

Working Out

Whether you regularly head to the gym or prefer the convenience of an at-home sweat session, working out is one of the top ways to quickly and easily damage your wedding rings. "When you work out, lift weights, or carry heavy objects, a majority of the weight falls onto the band and that pressure can bend and misshape the bands," shares Mobley. "A bent band can also have the effect of pulling apart prongs [on your engagement ring] that could loosen stones, causing them to potentially fall out.” Yikes!

Cooking

You should think twice before wearing your rings in the kitchen, especially if you're someone who absolutely loves to cook and/or bake. And while the act of cooking doesn't necessarily harm your wedding rings, according to Mobley, it can cause them to get extremely dirty, and, in turn, lessen the integrity of your pieces. "Things you are cooking with can get inside prongs and under stones and dull the shine of your jewelry," he shares. "So if you want to keep it clean, it's best to take off rings when cooking.”

Cleaning

If you're anything like us, cleaning is likely a part of your daily routine. So before you start scrubbing countertops or putting away clothes, be sure to remove your engagement ring and wedding band if you want these pieces to stay in pristine shape for a lifetime. What's more, “Many household cleaning products have chemicals that are bad for gold, making it porous over time," says Mobley, adding that porous gold can become brittle and potentially break.

Additionally, if any of your rings contain gemstones or lab-grown diamonds, the chemicals you use to clean can harm the integrity of your stones. "Natural diamonds are not affected by these chemicals so you won't be doing any harm to them, whereas some other gems can be damaged by bleach and other household cleaning products," Mobley shares.

Beauty Routines

Did you know that skincare, makeup, and other beauty routines have the potential to harm your engagement ring and wedding band? That's why it's important to remove all jewelry on a day-to-day basis when getting ready in the morning and at night. “Your beauty routine is not inherently bad for your jewelry but, similar to cooking, beauty products are the main cause of making your jewelry dirty and dulling its sparkle," shares Mobley. The solution? Buy a ring dish and leave it in your bathroom or vanity so you have a safe place to store your pieces when getting ready to look your best.

Sleeping

Last, but not least, sleeping is a daily activity (and one that's unavoidable) that has the ability to put your engagement ring and wedding band at risk. How? Well, tossing and turning at night can cause your ring to snag on your bedsheets and potentially loosen the prongs on your sparker. Simply put, don't wear your wedding rings to bed, no matter how much you love them! The last thing you want is to wake up with a loose diamond under your comforter or with a bent wedding band on your pillow.