Vol. I · May 2026
put a ring on it
An editorial on the small, circular things we keep
Archive · Page 30
No. 292

Is it safe to wear my engagement ring while exercising?

Most engagement rings are not gym-safe. I'll say that flat out. The insurance companies see the claims data every January: bent prongs, lost melee, chipped...

No. 293

What should I do if I have an allergic reaction to the ring metal?

Pull the ring off and wash the area with mild soap. This is not a time for jewelry. Most reactions are irritant contact dermatitis - soap, lotion, or the...

No. 294

What do I do if my ring causes a rash or allergic reaction?

It starts as a little redness, then maybe some itching or peeling. By the time a client emails me, they’re usually worried they’re allergic to their...

No. 295

How do I keep the ring safe during a proposal hike or outdoor adventure?

Jake came in last August, a week before a three-day backpacking trip through the Wind River Range. He'd been planning the proposal for months, and he pulled...

No. 296

What are some signs that an engagement ring might be of poor quality?

Last March, a client named Rachel walked in with a ring her fiancé had bought from a big online retailer. The center stone was a half carat round, set in...

No. 297

How should I store an engagement ring when not wearing it?

Most people do this wrong. Not maliciously - they just don't think about it until a prong is bent or a diamond comes loose. A few months ago a client named...

No. 298

How do I know if a diamond is set too high and prone to snagging?

Rachel came in last fall with a ring she'd owned for three months. The center diamond sat nearly 7mm off her finger-a standard peg head mounted on a 1.6mm...

No. 299

Visually, what's the difference between a natural and lab-grown diamond?

From two feet away? Nothing. Not a thing. I've set thousands of stones and I can't tell them apart with my eyes alone. No jeweler can, not reliably. The...

No. 300

Can I reuse a diamond from an old ring in a new setting?

Yes. Almost always yes. I've reset hundreds of stones in twenty-two years and I can count on one hand the number of times the answer was no - and the answer...

No. 301

What if my girlfriend accidentally finds the ring before I propose?

Marcus texted me at 11:14 on a Tuesday last winter. The message was short: “She found it.” He’d hidden the 2.1-carat oval in a shoebox-not the sock drawer...

A letter, every other Sunday.

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