Vol. I · May 2026
put a ring on it
An editorial on the small, circular things we keep
Archive · Page 15
No. 142

How do I clean an engagement ring at home without damaging it?

Most of what people think about how to clean an engagement ring at home is wrong, and the wrong advice is usually what brings a ring to my bench. Last March...

No. 143

How do I make the diamond look extra sparkly in photos?

It's not about more light. It's about better contrast. An extra sparkly diamond photo needs less light, not more. Most people photographing a diamond turn...

No. 144

Is it okay to try on someone else's engagement ring for luck?

I don't believe in luck. I believe in ring shanks, knuckles, and gravity. You want to know if it's okay to try on someone else's engagement ring for luck....

No. 145

What should I do if the ring feels too tight after wearing it a while?

A ring that slips on at 8 a.m. can turn into something that feels too tight by 6 p.m. Fingers change size constantly. Heat, salt, hormones, and plain old...

No. 146

How can I tell if my diamond is loose in the setting by checking at home?

A loose diamond rarely falls out without warning. It gives you a week, sometimes two, of small signals before the prong lets go. You can tell if your...

No. 147

Is moissanite as brilliant as diamond for an engagement ring?

A 1.5 carat equivalent round moissanite has a refractive index of about 2.65 and a dispersion of 0.104. Diamond sits at 2.42 and 0.044. Those numbers...

No. 148

What does a three-stone engagement ring symbolize?

Most people will tell you a three-stone engagement ring symbolizes past, present, and future . That line came from a De Beers campaign around 2001, and it...

No. 149

What do I do if she doesn't like the engagement ring?

Last March a client named Daniel sat in my studio with a ring his fiancée handed back to him after two days. Not the proposal. The ring. He kept apologizing...

No. 150

How do I store an engagement ring safely at home?

Most engagement ring damage happens at home, not out in the world. A ring gets dropped on a tile floor while being cleaned, or left on a nightstand where a...

No. 151

What paperwork should I get when buying an engagement ring?

Three pieces of paper matter when you buy an engagement ring. The rest is padding. The paperwork you should get when buying an engagement ring starts with...

A letter, every other Sunday.

One essay, one object, one quiet recommendation — delivered slowly, the way these things ought to be.