Have you taken a good look at your ring recently? If not, take it off and inspect its shank, which is how jewelers refer to the body of your ring (or its band). If the shank’s wall is too thin and bends easily, you might be in for trouble – if you wait too long before having your ring repaired, it may break at some point.
Why Do Rings Bend?
The main reason most rings bend is exerted physical pressure, usually when you are doing some work while wearing your ring. If the ring’s band is thin, bending it is even easier.
Rings made of softer metals, such as yellow gold, are more likely to get deformed.
It is worth noting that rings made of softer metals, such as yellow gold, are more likely to get deformed.
Such rings also wear down more easily with time and become thinner faster.
What Metals Are More Prone to Bending?
As already mentioned, yellow gold is one of the easiest metals to bend, and the higher its karat, the softer and more pliable the gold is.
Another metal that is also not hard to deform is silver.
The softest metals are not the only ones that can bend. Platinum is harder than gold, but a ring made of platinum can still change its shape, although not as easily – that depends on the platinum alloy used (some of them are softer than others). Oftentimes, a white gold alloy can be harder to bend than a platinum alloy.
To deform a more durable metal such as titanium, however, requires exerting some serious force.
How Are Bent Rings Fixed?
Straightening a bent ring is not that hard if it doesn’t have gemstones mounted in it. Jewelers use a cone-like rod called “mandrel,” on which the ring is pushed down until its original shape is restored.
If the band of your bent ring has become too thin, you might need to have it replaced as reshaping it won’t keep it from breaking in the near future. Such replacements can be pretty expensive, and they are recommended only when the band is too worn down.
Repairing a bent ring with gemstones is harder as the jeweler needs to be extra careful not to deform the mounting and damage the stones.
Channel ring settings, in which the gemstones are built in along the band, present a particular challenge as any attempt to change the ring’s shape to its original form may break the stones.
Because of the added complexity of repairs, fixing bent gemstone rings is more expensive than repairing a regular band.
You should also keep in mind that the more durable metals, which are hard to bend, are also harder to fix. That’s why if you need to have your tungsten ring reshaped, for example, it will cost you more than repairing a gold ring would.
Fixing a Worn Shank
Once your shank gets too thin from wearing, the best remedy is to get a new one. A jewelers can replace your old shank with one that is thicker and more durable.
Another possibility is to have only the worn portion of your shank cut out and replaced, but the viability of this option depends on the type of metal or alloy used and the severity of the problem.
You should have your rings inspected by a jeweler for worn shanks at least once every two years. It is even safer to do so every year if your ring is made of a softer material such as yellow gold and you wear it often.
If your shank is so thin as to bend, don’t put off fixing it as it may break very soon. You don’t want to lose your ring and your stones with it, especially if they are more expensive gems such as diamonds.
How to Prevent Your Ring From Bending or Breaking
The easiest way to prevent your ring from deforming is to take it off when you do any intense work with your hands.
In general, if you want your ring to be more durable and last longer, get one with a sturdier band.
This is especially recommended if you are buying a ring made of softer metals such as yellow gold or silver – you want to make sure that such a ring will wear thin more slowly.
Eventually, however, all rings wear down, and sooner or later you will need to have them fixed.
Choose the Material of Your Ring Carefully
One of the most common reasons that rings bend and break is that they get thinner over time as a result of normal wear.
The more often you wear your ring, the more likely it is to wear down.
The result is especially visible in the band’s lower portion, which wears thin the quickest.
One way to ensure that your ring doesn’t wear quickly is to be smart about picking the metal its shank is made of.
Generally, softer metals and alloys are not a good choice if you are looking for durability. Yellow gold, for instance, is more prone to wearing and bending, and that’s why it is most suitable for rings that you will wear less frequently.
If you want a ring that will last a lot longer, go with one whose shank is made of a very durable material. For example, a platinum ring is a jewelry piece you can wear every day without seeing any significant signs of wear.
Don’t Buy Rings That Are Too Thin
Some rings are just not made with particularly thick walls. Before you buy a ring, make sure that its shank is not overly thin.
Before you buy a ring, make sure that its shank is not overly thin.
This is often the case with cheap jewelry, which costs less partly because less material has been used in its making.
Remember that even if you are attracted by the low price, once the ring wears too thin, you may have to pay more money for its shank to be fixed or replaced.
If for some reason you still want to go with that thin ring, at least minimize the risk of damage by picking a durable material or wearing the ring less often.
To keep any possible problems at a minimum, however, it’s best to buy rings with reasonably solid shanks.
Get Your Ring Size Right Before You Buy
There is another way your ring can get thinner – in the process of adjusting its size.
Resizing a ring often involves carving out some material from the shank or cutting and rejoining it followed by polishing.
During this process, the walls of the shank can get too thin, depending on how drastic the change in size is. And sometimes, an inexperienced jeweler may remove too much metal.
Regardless of the particular reason, the best way to avoid ending up with a thinner shank is to make sure your ring fits well before you buy it so it won’t need resizing later.
However, no matter how well your ring fits at the time of purchase, there is always the possibility that the size of your finger may change years later – it happens more often than you think.
To make sure you are not surprised unpleasantly in the future by a resizing procedure that leaves your band too thin, get yourself a ring that is solid enough.
And, of course, pick your jeweler carefully to ensure he or she has enough experience in sizing rings.
