How to avoid bending your ring and how to fix it
Is your ring bent?!
Today, I’m going to talk about when you look down and your ring is bent. Now, for people who don't wear rings, they may sell, “Well, wouldn’t you notice when it happened?” But, generally, when your ring bends, you don't notice it unless it's the result of getting caught in a door or something like that. You don’t notice when it's bent, and suddenly, one day, you look down and it's kind of squared off at the bottom.
What the heck happened to your ring?
What causes this? Here are some reasons this is happening and some possible solutions for it.
1. You grip the steering wheel while driving.
This is probably the most popular cause, and it even sounds funny for me to say it, but this is an actual thing. If you grip your steering wheel tightly when you drive, then there is a good chance that you will bend your ring over time!
With that simple grip, you don’t even realize it because, of course, that's the way you always drive. There’s nothing wrong with gripping your steering wheel nice and firmly, but just know that this could be the one cause as to why your ring is bending or getting flattened in the back.
2. You regularly push a wheelchair.
The second most popular cause relates to people who consistently push wheelchairs. This would be caregivers helping their parents, people in the medical industry and others who use a really firm grip on a wheelchair. Over time, depending on the ring, this can cause your ring to bend, and you may not realize it because it’s not uncomfortable... your ring isn’t round any longer, but your finger isn’t perfectly round.
Your ring conforms to the size of your finger, but this wear and tear on your ring is not good for it. Any time a piece of jewelry is bent sharply in a place, that's going to weaken the metal.
3. You have a ring with exceptionally soft metal.
This happens frequently with sterling silver and karat gold rings. Many military people send us their karat gold rings because they are very soft metals. They are so soft that in some cases, you can actually squish it with your hand. I don’t recommend this, but that’s just how soft it is even though it’s a metal.
4. You have a ring that is worn.
Another cause is that you simply have a ring that is worn thin on the back. If you wore a ring for many years, and suddenly you notice that it is flattened out on the bottom like it never has before, it could be that it's just getting worn out back there.
So, what do you do when your ring is bent?
Well, if you see that your ring is bent maybe once or twice over many years, or it’s just some kind of fluke, you don't need to do anything, quite honestly. But, if this keeps happening, you may want to consider having your ring re-shanked.
What is re-shanking your ring?
This is something that can be done to the back of your ring. The part that goes under your finger is called the shank and that part can be removed, in almost all cases, with another shank put on that is thicker and stronger.
This can take your ring back to its original width and strength. In fact, if you have a ring that has been just worn down over time, you can have this done by a fantastic jeweler and not even be able to tell where it was done. That’s how good it should be done! It’s a seamless and easy process and will not in any way damage your ring.
Watch your activities.
In addition to getting your ring re-shanked, you can also just be cognizant about your activities. If you're going to be driving, pushing someone in a wheelchair or doing other activities that may damage your rings, try to get in the habit of taking your rings off first. This way, you'll save your jewelry and avoid unnecessary emergency repairs.
What causes this? Here are some reasons this is happening and some possible solutions for it.
1. You grip the steering wheel while driving.
This is probably the most popular cause, and it even sounds funny for me to say it, but this is an actual thing. If you grip your steering wheel tightly when you drive, then there is a good chance that you will bend your ring over time!
With that simple grip, you don’t even realize it because, of course, that's the way you always drive. There’s nothing wrong with gripping your steering wheel nice and firmly, but just know that this could be the one cause as to why your ring is bending or getting flattened in the back.
2. You regularly push a wheelchair.
The second most popular cause relates to people who consistently push wheelchairs. This would be caregivers helping their parents, people in the medical industry and others who use a really firm grip on a wheelchair. Over time, depending on the ring, this can cause your ring to bend, and you may not realize it because it’s not uncomfortable... your ring isn’t round any longer, but your finger isn’t perfectly round.
Your ring conforms to the size of your finger, but this wear and tear on your ring is not good for it. Any time a piece of jewelry is bent sharply in a place, that's going to weaken the metal.
3. You have a ring with exceptionally soft metal.
This happens frequently with sterling silver and karat gold rings. Many military people send us their karat gold rings because they are very soft metals. They are so soft that in some cases, you can actually squish it with your hand. I don’t recommend this, but that’s just how soft it is even though it’s a metal.
4. You have a ring that is worn.
Another cause is that you simply have a ring that is worn thin on the back. If you wore a ring for many years, and suddenly you notice that it is flattened out on the bottom like it never has before, it could be that it's just getting worn out back there.
So, what do you do when your ring is bent?
Well, if you see that your ring is bent maybe once or twice over many years, or it’s just some kind of fluke, you don't need to do anything, quite honestly. But, if this keeps happening, you may want to consider having your ring re-shanked.
What is re-shanking your ring?
This is something that can be done to the back of your ring. The part that goes under your finger is called the shank and that part can be removed, in almost all cases, with another shank put on that is thicker and stronger.
This can take your ring back to its original width and strength. In fact, if you have a ring that has been just worn down over time, you can have this done by a fantastic jeweler and not even be able to tell where it was done. That’s how good it should be done! It’s a seamless and easy process and will not in any way damage your ring.
Watch your activities.
In addition to getting your ring re-shanked, you can also just be cognizant about your activities. If you're going to be driving, pushing someone in a wheelchair or doing other activities that may damage your rings, try to get in the habit of taking your rings off first. This way, you'll save your jewelry and avoid unnecessary emergency repairs.
Protect all of your rings with valuable tips from Masterpiece Jewelers!
Jewelry Tips When Your Ring is Bent and More!
These are just a few tips, and I’d like to invite you to get a copy of our free booklet from our Masterpiece Jewelers’ Guide series. This one is called, “5 Things You Should Never Do When You Inherit Jewelry.” If you are in the Daytona Beach area, we welcome you to stop by and pick it up. And if you're outside the Daytona Beach area, we would be glad to mail it to you free of charge.
Just call or text us on our store number, and we will happily mail one to you to help avoid the pitfalls that almost everyone makes when they're going through an estate.
Also, please join us every single Wednesday night at 7:00 p.m. Eastern time on our live online jewelry sale here. You’ll see all new, fine jewelry, estate jewelry and more. And every single Wednesday night, someone wins a piece of jewelry! My sister and I look forward to seeing you there. In the meantime, stay sparkly!
These are just a few tips, and I’d like to invite you to get a copy of our free booklet from our Masterpiece Jewelers’ Guide series. This one is called, “5 Things You Should Never Do When You Inherit Jewelry.” If you are in the Daytona Beach area, we welcome you to stop by and pick it up. And if you're outside the Daytona Beach area, we would be glad to mail it to you free of charge.
Just call or text us on our store number, and we will happily mail one to you to help avoid the pitfalls that almost everyone makes when they're going through an estate.
Also, please join us every single Wednesday night at 7:00 p.m. Eastern time on our live online jewelry sale here. You’ll see all new, fine jewelry, estate jewelry and more. And every single Wednesday night, someone wins a piece of jewelry! My sister and I look forward to seeing you there. In the meantime, stay sparkly!