Advice requested! Wearing engagement ring on a chain

[belleepoque]

Hello all!

I've been a lurker for a while on this fabulous forum and used it to do some research when looking for my engagement ring (... and also to drool over everyone's lovely jewellery).

Said engagement ring has arrived and it's gorgeous! However as a perpetually clumsy person I am worried about misplacing it. I would ordinarily wear it all the time as I do with my gold necklace, but I'm worried about it tarnishing when I shower/clean/cook/work out. I was wondering if any of you use a chain to hold your rings when you're cooking or cleaning/ other similar activities? It is 18kt yellow gold so I would look for a chain of the same gold content. My only worries are a) the possibility of it scratching and b) the symbolism - I've heard that in some cultures wearing your ring on a necklace implies that you're a widower? Would love to hear of anyone's experiences!

Thank you all very much.

 

[belleepoque]

Oh dear! Just realised that this post should perhaps have been in the 'Jewelry Pieces' section so my apologies if it's in the wrong place!

 

[Daisys and Diamonds]

I think wearing it on a chain shouldn't be a problem
Congradulations on your engagement

Put the clumsiness right out of your head, this ring will be with you forever
Make sure its a perfect fit or take it in asap to get sized

what is it made of you are worried about tarnish ?
All rings benift from regular cleaning and also i would think an ER should be having an annual check up at a jewler

If you are going to take it off for dishwashing, showering etc always leave it in the same place
maybe find a sweet little dish for it but get into a routine and good habits now and it was stay safe

 

[Daisys and Diamonds]

Oh dear! Just realised that this post should perhaps have been in the 'Jewelry Pieces' section so my apologies if it's in the wrong place!

Don't worry
Im sure an ER can fit most threads
I find it all too confusing some days

 

[LIGemzGal]

Honestly, I can't understand why anyone would want to wear their engagement ring on a necklace just to wear it like that. I've heard of women doing that when pregnant, but even then I'm giving them the side eye and thinking "really"? If you're cooking/working out/cleaning why not just put in your jewelry box or in some small dish and then put it back on when finished?. I'm not really sure why you think it will tarnish, especially if it's 18k. Do you have jewelry cleaner of some sort? Yes the ring sliding back and forth along the chain will scratch it. I understand you're nervous since it's new and expensive, but the only way to get over that is to just wear it and get used to it. You'll instinctivey know when you need to remove it. If you're constantly taking it on and off to put on a chain I can see more of a chance that it will get lost. You won't remember when or where you last took tt off or put it on at. That's too much back and forth for me.

 

[maryjane04]

I tried this once. Not with my ER but with a ring. Depending on the length of your necklace, the ring kept hitting my teeth whenever I was doing anything strenuous lol.

 

[MRBXXXFVVS1]

I would definitely get the ring insured if you're worried about misplacing it! I only take my ring off if I'm able to put it in a specific spot. If I don't have access to it, I don't take it off. I would be afraid of the ring falling off the necklace.

 

[molecule]

I wear mine on my silicone fitbit band when engaging in activities that may result in loss or "degloving" (Warning: gory).
I also ordered a RingHero Women's Wristband Ring Protector, but the look was commented upon while I was at work and I found it inconvenient to remember to have to put it on when I would need it.

 

[LIGemzGal]

I tried this once. Not with my ER but with a ring. Depending on the length of your necklace, the ring kept hitting my teeth whenever I was doing anything strenuous lol.

Ouch!!

 

[PreRaphaelite]

I often wear my diamond rings on my great-grandmother’s watch chain. Dog clips like this can be found on Etsy, eBay, and so forth. I’ve never known the style to be symbolic of widowhood, but during the Covidian Era, hand washing has inspired us to figure out a balance between sentiment and practicality.

 

[MeowMeow]

I think it might kind of depend on how rough you are. I've had several necklaces in the almost 4 years I've been married and snapped them all and I have 0 clue how because I had never ever broken any prior. If I had been wearing my ring on any of them when they busted it would've been devastating. So I'm not a super fan of putting rings on necklaces. I prefer to just... *gasp* Take it off and leave it in the box for the duration of whatever i am doing that i shouldn't be wearing it. I'll still be married even without my ring xD

YMMV though. Some people never break necklaces. I am not one of them apparently lol.

 

[tisfort]

My friend has been wearing something similar to this for the last 7 years and loves it. The wishbone style is nice too and would look cute as a stand alone necklace. The ring in the picture is size 9.5 for reference.

Video of how to use it.

 

[Big Fat Facets]

I tried this once. Not with my ER but with a ring. Depending on the length of your necklace, the ring kept hitting my teeth whenever I was doing anything strenuous lol.

funny!
but do be careful ... could potentially chip a tooth that would be awful

 

[jBright]

I think it might kind of depend on how rough you are. I've had several necklaces in the almost 4 years I've been married and snapped them all and I have 0 clue how because I had never ever broken any prior. If I had been wearing my ring on any of them when they busted it would've been devastating. So I'm not a super fan of putting rings on necklaces. I prefer to just... *gasp* Take it off and leave it in the box for the duration of whatever i am doing that i shouldn't be wearing it. I'll still be married even without my ring xD

YMMV though. Some people never break necklaces. I am not one of them apparently lol.

I was going to say the same thing.. I’d be petrified. I’ve, without anything crazy happening, had my necklace spontaneous snapped at least 3 times.

 

[Snowdrop13]

We need pictures!

The safest place for the ring is probably on your finger- I’ve heard a couple of tales of women locally who took rings off to wash hands at work, and left them on the sink. Needless to say, they vanished..... Personally, I don’t wear my ring to work, but I’ve done housework, washing etc etc with it on. Are you right handed? I find my right hand rings seem to take more of a beating because of that.

 

[maryjane04]

Ouch!!

funny!
but do be careful ... could potentially chip a tooth that would be awful

Needless to say, that I don't wear it like that anymore lol I don't think I could afford to replace a tooth lol. Other option is to avoid anything strenuous like running, bending over or getting up too quickly lol

 

[ringbling17]

My friend has been wearing something similar to this for the last 7 years and loves it. The wishbone style is nice too and would look cute as a stand alone necklace. The ring in the picture is size 9.5 for reference.

Video of how to use it.

I have the wishbone version and have used it several times. It’s simple and you never have to take off your necklace. I’ve used it on the train, when I was in Europe, even just putting lotion on or at work in the NICU. I feel like it’s safer than putting it in your pocket and you can always double the chain.
It works perfectly when I can’t wear my ring or want to put it away for safe keeping. I have the 20 inch version of it so it is long enough it doesn’t hit my other necklace if I’m wearing one, plus I can hide it underneath my shirt.
I prefer the wishbone version simply because the open space ensures that your diamond won’t get knocked around on the metal.

 

[seaurchin]

I don't know about widowhood symbolism but when you wore it around your neck, it would lose the symbolism of showing that you're engaged, if that matters to you.

And I think it would get annoying to fiddle with taking the ring on and off the chain throughout the day, but the "wishbone" gadget posted earlier looks good. As has been mentioned, you'd probably want to consider the length of the chain for workouts. Also, you could use two chains for extra security.

I know a couple of women who never became at ease with wearing their e-rings. For everyday wear, they'd either just leave their finger bare, wear their wedding band alone or get a less expensive everyday e-ring, like cubic zirconia. They'd save the e-ring for special occasions.

Gold doesn't tarnish so you don't have to worry about that. I have a few little trinket dishes throughout the house, on the bedroom nightstand, the end table by where I usually sit in the living room, and in the kitchen and bathroom (but not too close to the sinks). It's easy to drop my rings into them as needed throughout the day.

I'd also consider everything else that could happen to your ring.

First, there's insurance (I don't have it myself because the premiums would be so high that they'd add up to the cost of the ring in a decade but maybe you'd get better results).

Then there's keeping it from being lost or stolen when you're not wearing it. Pets or kids require extra precautions. (once my cat batted my e-ring under the stove). Also, most of us have extra people enter our homes so a home safe is a good idea if you don't have one already.

You could also make sure the ring fits snugly so it won't slip off your finger. I also put my wedding band on after the e-ring. That's not how I usually see them worn but it's added security because if anything ever slips off my finger, it will be the wedding band first.

Most importantly, when do we get to see the ring lol?

 

[Tonks]

I don't know about widowhood symbolism but when you wore it around your neck, it would lose the symbolism of showing that you're engaged, if that matters to you.

And I think it would get annoying to fiddle with taking the ring on and off the chain throughout the day, but the "wishbone" gadget posted earlier looks good. As has been mentioned, you'd probably want to consider the length of the chain for workouts. Also, as extra security against having the chain break or come unlatched, you could use two chains rather than just one.

I know a couple of women who never became at ease with wearing their e-rings. For everyday wear, they either just left their finger bare, wore their wedding band alone or got a less expensive everyday e-ring, like cubic zirconia. They'd only wear the e-ring for special occasions.

Gold doesn't tarnish so you don't have to worry about that. I have a few little trinket dishes throughout the house, on the bedroom nightstand, the end table by where I usually sit in the living room, and in the kitchen and bathroom (but not too close to the sinks). It's easy to drop my rings into them as needed throughout the day.

I'd also consider everything else that could happen to your ring.

First, there's insurance (I don't have it myself because the premiums would be so high that they'd add up to the cost of the ring in a decade but maybe you'd get better results).

Then there's keeping it from being lost or stolen when you're NOT wearing it. Pets or kids require extra precautions. For ex., once my cat batted my e-ring under the stove. Also, most of us have extra people enter our homes so a home safe is a good idea.

Finally, you could make sure the ring fits snugly so it won't slip off your finger. And I put my wedding band on after the e-ring. That's not how I usually see them worn but it's added security because if anything slips off my finger, it will be the wedding band first.

Most importantly, when do we get to see the ring lol?

My first thought when I read this: if you have a cat, no regular ring dishes. Get a covered butter dish.

 

[Daisys and Diamonds]

My friend has been wearing something similar to this for the last 7 years and loves it. The wishbone style is nice too and would look cute as a stand alone necklace. The ring in the picture is size 9.5 for reference.

Video of how to use it.

I love tbis
I think its clever as well as quite pretty

Plus your ER is close to your heart

Ive never heard of widows doing thid
My mun was widowed for almost 20 years and just wore her ring like before

 

[Daisys and Diamonds]

My first thought when I read this: if you have a cat, no regular ring dishes. Get a covered butter dish.

Good point
My cat likes to flick things off both my dutchess and off the other half's chest of drawers

 

[Tonks]

Good point
My cat likes to flick things off both my dutchess and off the other half's chest of drawers

We have dogs but seriously, the thought of cats flicking rings off tables gives me palpitations.

 

[seaurchin]

My first thought when I read this: if you have a cat, no regular ring dishes. Get a covered butter dish.

Definitely. I should have added that the trinket dishes came into use AFTER dear kitty passed on.

 

[dk168]

I like the idea of wearing a ring holder around my neck with a ring or two on it. However it would mean having to take the necklace on and off whenever I need to take my rings off, which is a faff.

I like the idea of using a large spring clasp like the end of a watch chain on a necklace, as it means I would need to take the whole necklace off each time I take my rings off.

DK

 

[Niel]

I was also going to suggestion one of those wishbone and alike necklaces that hold the ring without you having to take on and off the chain every time you want to take your ring off. You’d get tired of that and stop doing it. You for sure should not shower and go to the gym and do your dishes with it. People do- but it’s not a good idea. Nobody will assume you’re a widow with it on your neck - I wouldn’t worry to hard about that.
You could always just NOT wear it all day. But it doesn’t sound like that’s something you’re interested in. I know people can be sentimental that way. I wouldn’t get a box to leave by all your sinks or whatever. At least for me I’d forget which box I set it in.
I think if you’re really concerned about having it on at all times but are smart enough to want to protect it while doing other things those ring necklaces are the best option.

 

[Niel]

I like the idea of wearing a ring holder around my neck with a ring or two on it. However it would mean having to take the necklace on and off whenever I need to take my rings off, which is a faff.

I like the idea of using a large spring clasp like the end of a watch chain on a necklace, as it means I would need to take the whole necklace off each time I take my rings off.

DK

You don’t need to take those off they are made to slide the ring on while you wear the necklace

 

[headlight]

I have this https://emilyc.com/

 

[foxinsox]

I often wear mine to shower but take it off to garden, cook, etc. It goes in one of two places when I do that so I always know where it is.
When I take my rings off to wash my hands when I’m out, I loop them onto my index finger so they can be rinsed properly and dry them separately. I never leave them on the side of a sink. I’d never wear my rings on a chain because my dog likes to reach up for pats and has snagged two of my necklaces in the past. So I don’t wear necklaces now!
Ps congratulations on your engagement and where are the pics of your lovely new ring?!

 

[caolsen]

Necklace ideas are great, the dog clips or the very cool, puzzle inspired ring pendant. But can I please advocate for NEVER taking your ring off for hand washing when you’re out and about, not at home, in a public bathrooms and the like.

The worst that happens is a little residual soap drys on the ring - wash with warm water when you get home, and it will be fine. It’s SOAP - not nuclear waste.

I’ve never understood taking the rings off for this odd concern about a little soap or such in a places like a public bathroom. Many commercial grade sinks don’t have u bends in the pipes, so a ring down a drain is a ring in the sewer!

 

[Asscherhalo_lover]

I have a ring dish at home, right on top of my dresser. When I'm home, that's where my rings live. I do not wear them for any activities such as dishes, laundry, cleaning, etc. When I go out, they go on and STAY on. I wash my hands with them ON. They do not come off. When I get home they get washed and put back into their dish.