When you wear your favorite ring day in and day out, you may eventually notice that the ring shank (the bottom of the ring) starts to thin out. This can happen gradually as your ring is consistently interacting with other surfaces.
A thin ring is not something that you notice and ignore. If the shank becomes too thin, it can bend, crack, or even break. You don’t want your engagement ring, wedding band, or other previous jewelry to become so damaged that a quick fix isn’t possible!
Understanding why the bottom of your ring gets thin, what to look out for, and knowing when you should take your ring to a jeweler to be inspected is essential so you can solve the problem before even more damage happens.
Table of Contents:
- What Causes the Bottom of a Ring to Thin
- Signs Your Ring Shank Is Getting Thin
- How to Prevent a Ring From Wearing Thin
What Causes the Bottom of a Ring to Thin
Everyday Wear & Friction: The rings that you wear every day come into contact with so many different surfaces and textures that can slowly cause them to thin. They are rubbing against steering wheels, countertops, desks, tools, gloves, gym equipment, and more that you don’t even realize can be affecting them. After many years of normal wear, they’re bound to start losing some of their thickness in the shank.
Wearing Rings During Hands-On Activities: Along those same lines, when you wear your fine jewelry during everyday tasks with your hands, you can unknowingly accelerate the thinning of your ring. Some of these hands-on activities include working out, gardening, washing your hands, cleaning, and working with tools.
Sometimes, the bottom of the ring can thin for reasons outside of your control, like aging and metal type.
Aging: Rings that you inherited may have decades of accumulated wear and tear already on them. If they were previously repaired or resized, that can affect the condition of the metal and how strong it is.
Metal Type: Certain metals are softer than others and therefore can wear down faster. For example, gold is very soft and will be more likely to have faster wear on it, whereas platinum is denser and more durable.
Signs Your Ring Is Getting Thin
There are a few red flags that your ring is starting to get thin that should prompt you to get a ring inspection to see if it needs to be repaired.
Major warning signs include:
- The bottom feels noticeably thinner than the sides.
- The band is becoming flat rather than rounded.
- The ring bends easily.
- Small cracks are developing.
- The ring feels uneven or uncomfortable.
- The band has already split or broken.
You should always take your rings in to be repaired when you notice thinning is starting to happen. This is because early inspection may prevent additional damage from happening to the ring.
Keep in mind that it’s better and less expensive to repair a ring with a thinning shank before it breaks.
Preventing Your Ring From Wearing Thin
We know that rings wearing thin on the bottom is inevitable over time, especially if you’re wearing them every day. But that doesn’t mean you can’t delay it from happening.
Here’s what you can do to prevent your ring from wearing thin:
Remove Rings During Hands-On Activities - If you’re going to be gardening, cooking, washing dishes, working out, or doing anything that requires quite a bit of involvement from your hands, you’ll want to remove your rings. This is because the harsh exposure of your ring to different surfaces will slowly cause damage to your ring.
Have Frequently Worn Rings Professionally Inspected - Rings that you wear daily, such as your engagement ring or wedding band, are going to have more wear on them than other jewelry. Bring these rings in regularly (every 6 months to 1 year) so you can ensure you address any issues before they become bigger problems.
Visit Ware Jewelers to Have Your Ring Inspected
We are located in Auburn, Opelika, Montgomery, and Spanish Fort. Our expert jewelers are here to do free inspections at any of our locations. We are trained to do many types of jewelry repairs, including reshanking, to ensure your treasured jewelry stays looking its best.