Newly engaged! - How often should I wear my ring?

brunettebride26 · June 2014

Hello everyone!

I'm new to the site. I've officially been engaged since yesterday to my boyfriend of 5 years.

I have questions about ring-wearing etiquette. I've never really been much of a ring-wearer, so now that I have this gorgeous new ring, how often should I wear it? I don't mind wearing it every day, but what about going to the gym? Going out for a run? Washing the dishes? I'll probably take it off before going to bed.

What are your opinions about when do you think it is ok to not wear the ring?

Thanks!

Angusaur · June 2014

This is more of a matter of personal preference. I don't wear my ring in the shower or doing dishes. I also don't wear it to the gym because my fingers swell when I workout really hard.

Other than that, I'm almost always wearing it. My ring has very sharp prongs so I don't wear it to bed either, just so I don't scratch myself or FI.

Some women have it on 24/7 and never take it off. There's really no right or wrong.

lkristenj · June 2014

I practically live in mine. I only take it off when swimming or working out. Otherwise, it's on my finger.

KatWAG · June 2014

I wear mine almost all the time. I take it off to shower, swim and when I am baking. When I workout I just wear my wedding band.

Its a personal preference. Just make sure its insured.

NowIamMrsKlein · June 2014

First off at night, last on in morning is how I usually do it. I would sleep in it but I've scratched FI a couple times in the night so he nixed that pretty quickly. I put it on in the morning after I've showered etc, because I worry about it slipping with the shampoo and conditioner.

Other than that I wear it all day. May take it off if I'm baking something particularly messy or digging in the garden to save it from getting gunk between the prongs.

But number one rule for me is. If its not on your finger, its in the ring box. No taking it off and leaving it on the counter etc.

(I lost a ring my mother gave me this way. Left it on the counter while doing something and I assume it accidentally got knocked in the trash or something because when i remembered to go put it back on it was long gone.)

ETA: Congrats on the engagement

AddieCake · June 2014

I wear my engagement ring and wedding band whenever I leave the house. If I'm going swimming or something, I wear just the band. At home, I never wear any jewelry.

CMGragain · June 2014

It depends on what kind of ring you have? Is it gold, platinum, silver? Is it a diamond or another softer stone?
If it is a diamond ring, 14K gold, you can wear it all the time. I take mine off if I am making pie dough or scrubbing out the toilet. Otherwise, it has been on my hand for 38 years. I don't worry about losing it if it is on my hand.
If you have a pearl, opal, turquoise, or other soft stone, you need to be more careful about wearing it when you are doing sports or anything active where you might damage it.
Congratulations!

lilacck28 · June 2014

ditto CMGragain. It all depends on what type of ring you have.

I have a diamond, with a platinum pave band. I take my ring off to sleep, shower, and if I'm doing anything particularly messing. For example, I just took it off while squishing the pizza dough into the pan. Or if I am handling raw meat/ chicken. I don't want the ring to get dirty/ sticky or to contaminate it with unnecessary bacteria. Other then that, I wear it all the time, because I like it a lot. If you don't want to wear the ring often, even if your ring would be able to handle it, that's okay too.

I have a ring box on my nightstand where I usually put my ring before I go to sleep, as well as a ring holder (love bunnies! their ears are the part you put your rings on) on my dresser for when I take a shower, and on my kitchen counter (not near the sink) for messy cooking situations. Knowing where your ring is is important. You don't want to lose it. My grandmother lost all of her diamond rings that way. She probably left them on a napkin that got thrown away, and then on the sink or something.

Agree with PP. Insurance is a very good idea. You can really wear the ring without fear if you have it.

raissyrais · June 2014

Ouuuh congratulations!!

I wear my ring all the time, except when I'm at work, baking, washing dishes, swimming, gym, sleeping shower or any other activity that will get dirt on the ring or around the prongs. I never really wear it at home if I'm on my own. It stays in the ring box safely when it's not on my finger.

Can we see a pic of your ring?

manillabar · June 2014

My ring is white gold with diamonds and I basically wear it everywhere except the shower and pool. Also, if I'm doing a lot of housecleaning that involves cleaning solutions (like cleaning the bathroom and kitchen) I'll wear gloves or take it off and put it somewhere safe.

ditto the request for the ring pic!

futuremrsfama · June 2014

I've only been engaged for 2.5 months, but I wear my ring all the time. I would take it off if going swimming, and to do any messy cooking or cleaning. But I wear mine in the shower, sleeping and working out. It occasionally still gets caught on things, but I love it too much to not wear it all the time. Plus I know my FI spent a lot of money and though on (into) it, and I want to make sure he knows how much I love it!!!

CONGRATS!!

Maggie0829 · June 2014

Really it is a matter of personal preference. I pretty much throw on my rings when I am going to leave the house. When I get home they immediately come off because I am just more comfortable that way. When I am on vacation I wear my rings pretty much wherever I go. When I golf I just wear my band because it is slim and fits in my glove. When I workout I don't wear them, but if I am in a race I do. Whenever I am home they are off and sitting on my dresser so I basically don't wear them when I am doing any household chores or getting a shower or when I am sleeping.

So just do what you feel comfortable doing. Your FI bought you the ring for you to wear it so wear it whenever you want.

hellosweetie1015 · June 2014

I try not to take mine off much. I don't really have a safe place to put it, so I'm super paranoid about it, even though it wasn't an expensive ring to the best of my knowledge. That being said, I *do* take it off whenever:

I wash my hair
I'm fiddling with raw meat/chicken, large furniture, or chemicals
I go for my dance-walk thing (which is my new favorite workout routine: it's called the "Wance"TM, and all you really have to have is a mp3 player, some headphones, and the ability to give exactly zero shits if you look like a crazysauce fool walk-dancing down the street in front of all your new neighbors and your 17-year-old sister who now refuses to be seen with you in public).

As far as your situation goes - do what you want. No one is going to behead you for not wearing your e-ring. It's a personal thing, and you should feel happy whenever you wear it - which means wearing it when you choose.

mrsmagicgeek · July 2014

I wear mine all the time. I'm still getting used to it, it's only been a month.

AmaCassidy · July 2014

I've only had my ring two weeks, and I've not worn it since we came back off holiday a week ago. I absolutely adore it, but its not insured yet, so I'm paranoid about losing it. Once it's insured, I'm sure I'll wear it more often.

eilis1228 · July 2014

It's a matter of personal preference, like others have said. I've had an heirloom ring (white gold, sapphire) that I inherited from my great-grandmother, and I've worn it 24/7 for the past 5 or so years. I've never had any issues with it. Same with a plain sterling silver ring from James Avery. I do take my current e-ring off at night, but that's because it has a really thick band and becomes uncomfortable when my fingers swell. I'll also take them off when I'm in the pool or cooking meat/baking, but I usually wear them at the gym, in the shower, etc. Whatever is comfortable for you.

I've almost lost the first two rings I mentioned a few times when I took them off. If you do take them off, I highly recommend a ring box or ring holder... and make a point to ONLY put the rings in the box/holder when they're off your fingers. It will save you a lot of stress, I promise.

GoldenPenguin · July 2014

I have ring holders wherever I would take mine off, so there's always somewhere safe to put it.

I take it off to sleep, so I have one next to the bed. I take it off to do dishes and sometimes when I'm cooking (depending on what it is), so there's one next to the kitchen sink. My cat is a fan of anything small and shiny, so there's one on the bathroom sink.

Otherwise, I wear it all the time. A couple of weeks after he proposed, I was sitting on the couch on a Sunday morning, and FI saw it on the ring holder in the bedroom. He came out and said "you aren't wearing your ring!!" to tease me. I responded with "I'm not even wearing a BRA!" He got the point

hkda2003 · July 2014

I've been engaged since September, and I only take my ring off if im curling my hair, and might get hair spray all over it. And that is maybe once a month at the most. I'm a nanny, and when I first got engaged, I told the mother I work for that I wouldn't wear it to work, for fear that I might scratch the kids. She said I was being silly, and that I should wear it all the time, because she does, and that the kids are used to it! Lol. So I have scratched them very slightly quite a few times, and it's true, they are used to it!

JaimeLynn621 · July 2014

Hi and Congrats!

I got engaged in March and I barely take it off. Pretty much the only times I do is when I take a shower (for fear it might slip off and go down the drain) and when I do my makeup just in case things get messy. Otherwise its on me all day and night and has not slipped off once. I think it is whatever your comfortable with. I was never a big jewelry wearer but it feels weird if I don't have it on now so on it stays:)

jagamac · July 2014

I got engaged in March and I hardly ever take my engagement ring off. Some of the reasons that I do take my ring off are:

to repair computers (my job)
to cook/bake
in the shower

meh0429 · July 2014

When we first got engaged (March 2013), I was so afraid of hurting it that I took it off to wash my hands, do the wishes - pretty sure anything besides just wearing it. Last summer, I wore it to the beach and went into the ocean with it on. After that, I realized, hey this thing isn't really going anywhere. Now 2 months before our wedding, like the PP, I take it off if I'm doing something particularly messy (baking, handling raw meat) and the shower. It's the first thing off when I crawl into bed (put it on my nightstand in the box) and it's the last thing I put on in the morning.

However, I do know people who only wear their rings in public (or wear the band but not the e-ring at home). My bff/MOH is a nurse and she can't wear her e-ring, so she's put it away and only wears her band now. Before that, she wore it 24/7 - going on 8 years and 3 kids later. I think it's just a matter of preference and what feels right for you.

MKM2014 · July 2014

I wear mine every day and even through the night. I only take it off to put on lotion or do dishes and work with messy kitchen ingredients etc. To avoid getting it dirty.

We did get engaged in Mexico and I left it in the safe in our room there a lot so it wouldn't slip off in the ocean or while zip lining etc. I wear it when I run and hike and it doesn't bother me, you'll just have to see if it bothers you. I notice mine all the time because of the sparkle but I really don't physically feel it on my hand anymore. You'll get used to it.

thisismynickname2 · July 2014

I only wear mine if I'm leaving the house, honestly. At home, it's in the ring box.

It's a bit on the flashy side. FI is actually buying me a sterling silver wedding band to match the platinum one so that I can wear something to the gym or while out running.

tinkalf · July 2014

I was going to ask this question! We are traveling at the moment and only just having gotten engaged I love this friggin' ring but with being on the move and in places where theft is high... I've had to decide to mail it home. Once I get back home though, that thing is staying on my hand as often as is practical and I'm glad to know that that isn't a bad thing.

2015kat · July 2014

I just got my engagement ring this week, and the only time I have taken it off is to shower, do makeup or if I am cooking something that I'm working on it with my hands. I've worn it to run (I can wear it at the gym as long as I am not lifting upper body because I wear gloves), sleep, go to work etc.

I'll probably stop wearing it at night, its just that I love it so much and my FI did an amazing job picking it out!!!

Knottie20363977 · July 2014

My fiance and I have gotten really close with those who work at our jeweler, and they have taught me a lot about our rings. He wears an engagement ring as well. It is a little nontraditional, but it makes us happy. Anyway, they told us that it is an absolute must to take rings off at night to keep them in the best condition possible. It keeps them from wearing out, and keeps them looking beautiful for much longer (years longer), without having work done on them. This is especially true if it is white gold, like ours. They mentioned something about how the metal rubs against cotton and wears it down. Also, they suggest not wearing them in the shower, while swimming, and anything else that may be abrasive. It isn't going to hurt it if you fall asleep with it on, or shower/swim with it on; but in the long run, you will have a stronger, more beautiful ring over time. Also, washing dishes, working out, ect, are all choices. It really depends on what you feel. I get mine cleaned regularly, too, which keeps it looking nice. I ask them not to put it in the water to soak, since it takes off less of the white gold 'coating'. (I get it cleaned like, once a week.) Anytime I'm not wearing mine, it goes right into its box. If my fiance and I are out and about (swimming?) he puts both of ours on his silver chain and we put it in a sunglasses case in my purse. We are very careful. Congrats on the engagement!

suzanne10023 · July 2014

I've been engaged for a month, and I've taken it off only once, for an hour, to work in the garden. I have big knuckles, so although the ring fits comfortably where it belongs on my finger, I can't get it off without soaking my finger in ice water - which means I don't have to worry about losing it, in the summer at least! CMGragain is right, gold and diamonds don't wear out: my ring is 100 years old and it looks brand new.

[Deleted User] · July 2014

I've been engaged since March (my birthday, yay!) and I've taken my ring off maybe 10 times. I wear gloves to do dishes so I usually take it off so I don't rip a hole in the glove and get dish water on my hands. I've always had issues with my fingers swelling a bit so I'm not worried about it ever falling off. When I took it off today I noticed I finally have my ring tan line

Congrats and happy planning

Knottie21297615 · August 2014

ALL THE TIME!

At first I was really shocked however, my fiancés parents have been married a long time. One thing that stuck was when he said his mom never took her ring off even to do the dishes. I shower and I even went in the beach with it on from that point on. I love my ring and am proud. I wear it everywhere!

Shelly

CMGragain · August 2014

Knottie21297615 said:

ALL THE TIME!
At first I was really shocked however, my fiancés parents have been married a long time. One thing that stuck was when he said his mom never took her ring off even to do the dishes. I shower and I even went in the beach with it on from that point on. I love my ring and am proud. I wear it everywhere!
Shelly

Ew! It must be filthy!
I take mine off to clean it once a week. Put small squirt of dishwashing liquid in a cup, four squirts of Windex and add water a bit of water, stirring it up with your finger. Microwave 20 seconds. Now drop your rings in the hot liquid to soak for a couple of minutes. Brush rings with an old toothbrush, getting under any prongs. Rinse well in clear water and dry.

KenyanBeauty87 · August 2014

I take mine off when I shower or wash my hands!

Newly engaged! - How often should I wear my ring?

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