Oh no—you look down and realize your ring is bent. It’s a sinking feeling, but don’t worry, these things happen.
How Did I Bend My Ring?
We often hear people say they “did nothing” to their ring, and that it just bent. Even if you don’t remember what you did, your ring definitely endured some kind of trauma. Metal doesn’t bend on its own, after all!
A majority of the time we see rings bent in the gym. Lifting weights with your rings is a very common way that jewelry becomes damaged. The force of the weights on the rings can easily bend the metal.
Sometimes we’ve had clients bend their rings because they grip the steering wheel so tightly while driving, or because of the way they grip a golf club or tennis racquet.
Is Having a Bent Ring Bad?
Beyond just making your ring look less attractive, a bent ring can cause other problems with your piece. Sometimes a bent ring can result in loose or lost stones. It makes sense if you think about it. Your stones are set initially in a perfectly round ring. If that shape changes to say, an oval, the stones can no longer sit at the proper angle. That can loosen them, or in some cases, force them to pop right out. That's what you see below--a stone that popped out after being bent slightly.
How do I fix my bent ring, and what does it cost to fix a bent ring?
The cost to repair a bent ring depends on just how bent it is. Minor damage can be repaired for less than $100. If your ring is badly damaged, with lost stones that need to be replaced, the repair cost could be thousands.
Always check to see if your insurance will cover the damage—in some cases it will, costing you nothing out of pocket!
If you find that you’ve bent your ring, stop by for us to assess the damage. Our service team will provide you an estimate for the repair to get your ring looking like new in no time!
How Can I Avoid Bending My Ring?
The best prevention starts during the design process. We typically do not recommend creating a ring, especially one you’ll wear regularly like an engagement ring, with a width less than 1.5mm. The thicker the ring, the sturdier it will be—but of course we know that changes the look of the piece.
Once you have your ring, regardless of the thickness, you should always take it off when working out. Taking your jewelry off while gardening, or doing things like dishes and laundry around the house, will also greatly reduce the risk of damaging your ring.