Vol. I · May 2026
put a ring on it
An editorial on the small, circular things we keep
Archive · Page 6
No. 52

Can I take an engagement ring through airport security?

Yes. Take it through airport security. Wear it on your finger and walk through the metal detector like it's not there, because for a ring it almost...

No. 53

What exactly does engagement ring insurance cover?

Your engagement ring insurance covers three things if it's a proper standalone jewelry policy: theft, accidental damage, and mysterious disappearance. It...

No. 54

Can I wear my engagement ring in the shower?

Your ring isn't going to dissolve in the shower. Gold, platinum, and most engagement-ring stones (diamond, sapphire, ruby, moissanite) are chemically...

No. 55

Does hand sanitizer damage the metal or stones on my ring?

For most rings, hand sanitizer won't damage the metal or the stones, though I hear this question at least once a week now that every client I see keeps a...

No. 56

What is the best engagement ring box for a surprise proposal?

A ring box that disappears in a pocket. That's the whole job. For a surprise proposal, the engagement ring box is not a presentation piece. It's a...

No. 57

How do I choose a sapphire for an engagement ring?

The sapphire that sold me on sapphires sat in a tray on 47th Street for three months because nobody photographed it well. 1.4 carats, unheated Ceylon,...

No. 58

Are lab-grown diamonds more ethical than mined ones?

The question assumes a clean binary where none exists. Lab-grown diamonds can be the more ethical choice, but they aren't automatically, and the marketing...

No. 59

How much does it cost to get an engagement ring resized?

Most independent jewelers charge between $45 and $185 to resize a plain engagement ring. In my shop, a straight 14k gold band moving up or down half a size...

No. 60

Can I exchange an engagement ring if it's the wrong size?

Wrong size is the most fixable problem in this business. Whether you can exchange an engagement ring if it's the wrong size comes down to one thing: whether...

No. 61

How do I propose in a way that feels natural and spontaneous?

The best proposals I've seen were rehearsed within an inch of their lives and still looked unrehearsed. That's the entire secret to proposing in a way that...

A letter, every other Sunday.

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