Should I take off my engagement ring when working out?

Yes. You should take off your engagement ring when working out, at least for anything that involves gripping metal, lifting heavy, or catching yourself on a bar. I've seen the alternative too many times. Last March a client named Daniel came in with a 14k white gold solitaire he'd worn through eight weeks of CrossFit. The top-right prong was bent back about 30 degrees, and the diamond was missing. He found it in his gym bag two days later. Most people don't get that lucky.

Gold is not rubber. It doesn't bounce back. I tell every client the same thing: your ring is not part of your gym kit. Every time you grab a dumbbell, a barbell, or a pull-up bar, the knurling on that metal digs into your ring. Over weeks, that pressure deforms prongs. Four-prong and six-prong settings are especially vulnerable because each prong takes the full force of whatever you're gripping. Once a prong lifts, the stone can work loose without you ever noticing. At that point it's a matter of time.

What actually happens to a ring at the gym

Pavé and micro-pavé rings have the worst time. Each little stone is held by tiny beads of metal, and those beads shear off under repeated pressure. I charge about $12 per stone to replace pavé, plus the cost of the stone if it's gone. A single workout won't necessarily ruin a ring, but no one does just one workout. The damage is cumulative. You'll notice a few stones missing, bring it in, and then I'll show you where the beads were flattened before they broke.

White gold has its own problem. Rhodium plating wears off faster with sweat and friction. You'll see a yellowish gray cast on the palm side of the band within a few months. That's not damage, but it looks like it. Re-plating runs about $80 to $120, and I'd rather you not need it before the first anniversary.

Diamond chips happen too. A round brilliant has a girdle, and that girdle is the thinnest part of the stone. Smack it against a metal rack or a dumbbell and you can chip it. I've seen clients chip the edge of a stone and not notice for weeks, catch it under magnification, and assume it was always there. It wasn't.

When it's fine to leave it on

• Walking on a treadmill: fine.
• Light yoga where you don't put weight on your hands: probably fine, though a heavy diamond can twist and dig into the adjacent finger during downward dog.
• Barbell, dumbbell, kettlebell, or pull-up work: take it off.
• Swimming laps: take it off. Cold water shrinks fingers, and chlorine isn't kind to white gold.
• Rock climbing, rowing, or anything with a grip: take it off.

If you absolutely won't take it off, get a silicone band. They cost about $30. They tear before your finger does. That's the point. I keep a few in my studio and hand them out to clients who tell me they lift. No jeweler wants to see a finger degloved because a metal band caught a pull-up bar. That's not a rare possibility. It happens, and it's as bad as it sounds.

Leave the engagement ring in a dish at home, or clip it to a carabiner if you must carry it. I've had clients wrap rings in a towel at the gym and forget the towel. Don't do that.