Wedding Wednesdays: 5 Times You Shouldn't Wear Your Engagement Ring

We know, we know - it's so shiny, sparkly and new but if you want to keep it that way, The Knot recommends you put your engagement ring away. Whether it’s in an attempt to keep it in good condition or to avoid the risk of losing it, there are definitely times where that precious ring should be left at home. Sure, if you lose it there’s always insurance, but no one wants to deal with that headache. Here are the five places you definitely shouldn’t wear your engagement or wedding rings.

1. At the beach
There are a couple reasons for this. The most obvious being if you lose that sucker in the sand or water, it’s a goner. The second and lesser known reason is because of the sand that can wedge itself in the ring setting or under the diamond. And you definitely don’t want to apply sunscreen when you’re wearing your ring, it’ll cloud your stone right up.

2. Hitting the gym
Wearing your ring during cardio activities won’t do it any harm, but it’s the weight lifting that can take a toll. The pressure of the weight’s bars (or really, any amount of strong pressure) that’s applied to your band might bend it, which is especially bad for a pavé band because the smaller stones can fall right out of their setting. As for contact sports, definitely take off the ring, or risk a serious injury thanks to ring avulsion.

3. Taking a shower
Similar to sunscreen, any other soaps, hair or beauty products can cause a cloudy buildup on your stone, or worse, under your stone—which is much harder to clean. Shampoos and body washes are a no-go. The same applies for your favorite scented lotion that you apply post-shower or that hair serum.

4. Soaking in a pool or hot tub
Losing your ring here isn’t as big of an issue compared with the open sea (filters can be checked and the pool can be drained), but it’s the chemicals, like chlorine, that do the damage. After time, they can seriously discolor the metals.

5. Cleaning anything
Washing your car on the weekend? Cleaning the oven? Bleaching the shower? Take off that rock. That’s especially important if your ring has a colored gemstone rather than a diamond, as the chemicals can erode the finish and polish on the gem.

When you do take the ring off, don’t just leave it anywhere willy nilly. Put it in a box or jewelry pouch separate from your other baubles (so it doesn’t scratch them and you'll know exactly where you left it). Treasure your ring and devour the details of keeping it in tip top shape for years to come!