12 Lifestyle Questions to Help You Choose Casual Everyday Rings
If you’re looking for casual everyday rings, you might not realize that certain styles and materials define the worst and best rings for everyday wear.
This article was originally published on a WordPress blog that I’ve retired in favor of Substack. Thanks for reading!
If you’re looking for casual everyday rings, you might not realize that certain styles, stones, and metals are better than others when it comes to being the best rings for everyday wear. To figure out what type of jewelry you should adopt or avoid, think about how your daily routine would impact the delicate gems and metals on your finger.
I’ve rounded up a dozen questions you can ask yourself to narrow down your choices. Each one should direct you a little bit closer toward the ideal casual everyday rings for your lifestyle. I’m also sharing my own examples to show you exactly what I mean!
First, I’ll list out some basic rules of thumb (😉) for choosing the most practical rings for everyday wear. Then I’ll list off questions related to practical matters like your work and hobbies, as well as comfort considerations. And we’ll finish up with style preferences – a.k.a. the fun part!
Expectation vs. reality
Wouldn’t it be easier if we all lived like Kirstin Dunst’s Marie Antoinette? If we did nothing but dress up to eat bonbons and frolic in the fields or lounge around the palace, we wouldn’t even be talking about practical considerations for everyday jewelry.
The reality is that so many of us have jobs and hobbies where we’re constantly working with our hands. And these activities can cause a lot of unintentional wear and tear on our jewelry.
This is the main reason I didn’t use to wear many rings. I’ve spent years on-and-off in the world of theatrical costuming, which often involves lugging around piles of heavy costumes on metal hangers, handling fabrics that could snag, and getting into messy costume crafts like distressing denim with sandpaper.
But I even had an “office job” way back when that primarily involved ripping open cardboard boxes and re-packing the contents. Neither situation was too gentle on my jewelry collection.
Speaking of cardboard boxes, I have a little cautionary tale for you...
Learn from my mistake
A few months before my wedding, I was carrying a moving box from one room to another. It was so cumbersome that I ended up banging my knuckle on the doorframe on the way out. The next time I looked down at my sparkly engagement ring, there was a black hole where there should have been a pavé diamond!
It was so horrifying, my stomach practically dropped down to the basement level of my Chicago apartment. I never found the little escape artist, but thankfully my jewelers were able to pop a new one back in for me, free of charge.
I remember feeling SO ashamed to tell them what happened since they had custom-made it for me just a year before. And, in hindsight, I knew it would have been smarter to just take off my engagement ring before getting into the weeds with packing. But the jewelers were wonderful about it. And I certainly learned my lesson – it hasn’t happened since!
My hope is that, with the practical pointers (😂) below, it won’t happen to you either. 🤞
Tips for choosing the best rings for everyday wear
As you scan through the lifestyle questions that follow, keep these essential factors in mind:
Lower profile rings are less likely to get caught on things or knocked around compared to rings featuring gemstones that sit high off the finger.
For messy activities, simple bands will be easier to keep clean than gemstones in intricate settings.
Stones can more easily fall out of delicate pavé bands upon impact, so consider opting for a more durable metal band.
Choose a more durable gold alloy such as 10k or 14k over a softer 18k ring.
Avoid a gold-plated ring as the finish will wear off or show damage more quickly.
If you’re worried about scratching, consider a platinum ring, since this metal is harder to scratch than gold.
One ring can often be more comfortable than a big stack, but go with your personal preferences.
Now for the big test!
1. Do you work with your hands?
If your work or hobbies involve using your hands in a way that could cause damage to your rings, keep all of the above factors in mind when picking out your everyday jewelry.
2. Do you frequently wear gloves?
Ring prongs and gloves don’t really go hand-in-hand. During the colder months, prongs can easily get caught on the fuzzy linings and elasticated wrists of winter gloves.
Also, there is an alarming amount of these pictures circulating the web. They’re snapshots showing medical professionals whose engagement rings have busted through their nitrile gloves. I guess they’re meant to be amusing? But they’re just incredibly gross when you think about it??
My advice would be to leave the sparkler at home in a beautiful velvet ring box. For daily wear, stick to a low-profile bezel setting that won’t ruin your PPE – or dislodge your diamonds as you’re bundling up for the snowy tundra.
3. Are you constantly reaching into bags, backpacks, and pockets?
The heavy-duty metal zippers often found on structured leather handbags can wreak havoc on your rings if your knuckles repeatedly knock into these types of closures. Even the pockets on your jeans might aggravate delicate prongs.
Avoid wearing more delicate pieces set with softer materials like opal or pearl that might easily get chipped. These rings are better saved for special occasions – where they can make a statement alongside your much gentler clutch bag!
4. Do you handle heavy or metal objects throughout the day?
As I discovered during my moving box debacle, pavé bands really don’t like doing the heavy lifting. Also, my days toting around piles of costumes on metal hangers had me avoiding additional rings at all costs. The potential for pinching, denting, and general damage just didn’t seem worth it.
Depending on what you’re up to, you might opt for something like a sturdy gold signet ring over pavé diamonds and delicate stackable bands. These could easily get bent out of shape against the force of a heavy object, metal tool, or something similar.
5. Do you work at a computer?
If you really aren’t that rough on your hands during a regular workday, it’s probably safe to adorn them with more delicate and eye-catching jewelry to brighten up the 9-to-5.
I personally find that bracelets aren’t too comfortable while working at a computer since they tend to clang all over the desk. However, I love wearing beautiful rings that I can admire while I type. That’s one of the best things about rings compared to earrings and necklaces – you can actually see them the whole time!
6. Do you go see a lot of live shows?
You might not think about it, but all the clapping you do at a concert or live event can damage your jewelry. For instance, if you wear diamond eternity bands on both hands and clap them together, your rings may very well come home dinged up and missing a few stones. Consider opting for rings on just one hand if you go out a lot.
7. How often do you expose your hands to water?
While you could safely take your diamonds to the depths of the sea and they wouldn’t give you any trouble, there are quite a few sensitive gems that shouldn’t be submerged in water. These include coral, turquoise, moonstone, and opals, among others.
Additionally, the finish on gold-plated and gold vermeil rings can wear away if they’re repeatedly exposed to water. So, if you want the type of ring you can wear from the pool to the shower, and from washing the dishes to bathing the dog, avoid these types of materials. Go with versatile 14k gold, sterling silver, or platinum instead.
8. What type of exercise do you do?
If your workout routine involves paddling a kayak, lifting weights, or stuffing your hands into boxing gloves, a dazzling ring stack could be uncomfortable at best – and unsafe at worst. You might need to slip your rings off before hitting the yoga mat or rock wall, too.
In general, it’s best to avoid wearing rings you wouldn’t want to leave in the locker room or suspend from a necklace while you work out. But, if you’re more into running, dance fitness, or something where your hands can’t get into trouble, you can get away with fancier rings for everyday wear.
9. How often are you going to wear and remove your rings?
If you’re looking for the type of ring that you can wear day and night and never take off, you should definitely choose a solid gold piece rather than anything gold-plated.
Diamonds in secure settings are also excellent for everyday wear since they’re the hardest mineral out there. And they instantly add a little sophistication to casual everyday rings.
On the flip side, if you constantly need to slip your rings on and off – maybe tucking them in a pocket while you work on a messy ceramics project, then leaving them in the locker room at the gym – you might not want to choose highly valuable rings as your go-tos.
Just think about how frustrating it would be to lose or misplace pieces you spent a lot of money on. Instead, high-quality, low-cost rings might be better for your lifestyle.
10. What do you consider comfortable on your hands?
Some people love the feeling of loads of rings and texture on their fingers – but other people can’t stand it! The best rings for everyday wear are the ones you find to be the most physically comfortable.
A great way to find out about your preferences is to simply try a bunch of rings on in person. You can compare the feeling of thin vs. thick bands, loaded vs. lightweight ring stacks, and even consider looking into comfort fit bands.
It’s important to purchase rings in the right size, too – or get them sized to fit comfortably by a local jeweler.
11. Do your fingers tend to shrink or swell up?
Speaking of ring sizing… there is a catch! Your fingers actually change sizes throughout the day and from one season to another. It’s completely normal, but good to keep in mind when picking out the best rings for everyday wear.
For instance, my hands are always cold in the morning so the more top-heavy rings in my collection will twirl around like crazy. But then when I’m bundled up in a warm blanket with a glass of wine in the evening, my rings fit a little more snugly.
It can help to have different types or sizes of casual everyday rings for different conditions – especially if your finger size tends to fluctuate enough to make certain rings uncomfortable. Even a quarter size up can make a world of difference in the sultry summer humidity!
12. How would you describe your general style?
Finally – the best part! When choosing casual everyday rings, it’s important to start by considering how rough you are on your hands so you can pick out the right rings for your lifestyle. That way, you can go about your day doing whatever you do without worrying about the risk to your beautiful ring stack.
Once you’ve determined the basic qualities of the best rings for everyday wear, you can have fun exploring the aesthetic qualities of the jewelry. For starters, do you like rose, white, or yellow gold best, or are you more of a mixed metals person? What type of textures, details, and gemstones (if any) do you want to wear on a daily basis? Which design elements work with the rest of your jewelry collection and wardrobe?
You can also think about whether you consider yourself a minimalist or maximalist when it comes to your personal style. This can help you decide if you want to make a big impact with one statement piece, or if you’d rather see just a whisper of gold around your fingers when wearing casual everyday rings. (Don’t forget, you can enjoy a bit of both styles depending on the day, too!)
I hope these questions have helped you narrow down your go-to everyday rings and jewelry choices. After all, even the most casual day can benefit from a bit of sparkle!