Vol. I · May 2026
put a ring on it
An editorial on the small, circular things we keep
Archive · Page 25
No. 242

Can I wear my engagement ring while lifting weights or will I bend it?

No. Not if you're actually lifting. Will you bend it? Almost certainly, if the bar has knurling and the load is heavy enough to matter. I tell clients to...

No. 243

How do I avoid losing my ring when I take it off to wash dishes?

Put a hook by the sink. If you want to stop losing your ring when you take it off to wash dishes, the hook is the whole answer. Not a ring dish, not the...

No. 244

How do I stop a heavy engagement ring from constantly twisting on my finger?

A heavy engagement ring that twists over your knuckle or spins at the base of your finger is usually too big in the lower shank. Not always. Sometimes the...

No. 245

Will my engagement ring get damaged if I swim in the ocean with it on?

Last July, a client named Sarah called me from the beach in Maine, and by the time she got back to the rental house, she'd stopped crying long enough to...

No. 246

How does a rose gold engagement ring look after 10 years compared to white gold?

Rose gold after ten years looks like a deeper, quieter version of the ring that left the bench. White gold after ten years looks like whatever maintenance...

No. 247

Can I add a hidden halo to an engagement ring after it's already made?

Usually, yes. The honest answer is that you can add a hidden halo to an engagement ring after it's already made, but it is closer to rebuilding part of the...

No. 248

How do I pick a ring that will still look good in 20 years?

Most rings that look dated at twenty years were dated the day they were picked. If you want to pick a ring that will still look good in 20 years, the trick...

No. 249

How do I surprise her with the proposal location even if she knows the ring is coming?

The ring was never going to be the surprise. Not really. If she knows the ring is coming, and she probably does after sitting through a stone approval or a...

No. 250

How do I propose with the ring if I'm afraid I'll drop it?

Last October a client named Ben came in with his grandmother's old mine cut in a velvet box, and he told me he was proposing on a sailboat at sunset. He...

No. 251

How do I discreetly open the ring box at a restaurant proposal without being noticed?

The loudest part of most restaurant proposals is not the question. It's the box. If you need to discreetly open a ring box at a restaurant proposal, the...

A letter, every other Sunday.

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