Most couples choose an engagement ring that is classic and will work well with the wearer’s lifestyle. But as the years go by lifestyles change, along with other changes in preferences. You may start to feel the need to make changes to your engagement ring to better suit your present life 5, 10, 20, or even 50 years after you said: “I do.” Here are some ideas on how to change and upgrade your engagement ring so that it can keep up with you and your current lifestyle.
Something that you should be doing every year is a professional cleaning of your ring. Each day your ring comes into contact with multiple substances like dirt and oils that over time build up on your ring, taking away its sparkle and shine. Certain chemicals like chlorine can interact with precious metals. There may also be damage that can’t be seen by your naked eye that a jeweler will find as they carefully inspect the ring as part of cleaning it. Prongs may be worn, putting the stone in danger of being lost. Your jeweler can replace and repair it so that you won’t need to worry about losing your engagement diamond.
Anniversary bands are a classic gift for your partner. They are sleek and stackable rings that are an easy addition to your current wedding bands. These rings come in a variety of styles from simple, minimalist bands to more elaborate diamond-encrusted bands. When choosing a band remember to keep in mind how the wearer will be using the band. If they will be adding the band to their wedding ring consider metal that matches the engagement/wedding ring metal.
A great way to use anniversary bands is for the recipient to use a band as a replacement for their wedding ring when they will be using their hands in ways that could damage the wedding band metal and stones. Many jobs can put heavy wear on a wedding ring so having a beautiful/handsome substitute can work out quite well.
Ring guards are another way to enhance a wedding ring. Ring guards are usually a double band that sits on each side of the original ring to add a new sparkle to an “old” ring. Sometimes ring guards are called ring enhancers because they do not change the original ring but they do add to the entire ring ensemble. There is no change in the original stone setting. When picking out a ring guard it is necessary to try it on with the ring to be sure it will work well with it. Not all ring guards will work with every ring but there is always a ring guard available that will work with your ring.
Whenever your weight changes significantly, up or down, you may need to look into ring resizing. Over time our hands will change significantly. You may feel that you can make do with wrapping a little tape around the ring to help snug it up or you might even get a ring resizer kit from Amazon. If you know that your hands are still going to be going through a lot of changes you can use that inexpensive alternative but once you are fairly settled with your new weight you should get your wedding ring resized at a jewelers.
If you are struggling with arthritic changes in your hands, talk with a jeweler about what can be done with rings that will make them easier to get on and off yet still be stable and steady on your finger when on. Age brings changes and we can adapt.
Couples who have been together for many years will sometimes decide to reset and upgrade their wedding bands and engagement ring as part of an anniversary celebration. You can work with your original stones or you might decide to upgrade to a more spectacular stone. This is your chance to get a stone that even better represents your love for each other, the stone that you could have never afforded when you were first married.
E. D. Marshall Jewelers is a great jewelry store in Phoenix, AZ to go to when you are interested in updating and upgrading your wedding and/or engagement ring. They have designers available who you can work with to decide on what changes you want to make. Then their staff will work their magic and return your ring(s) to you with all the improvements you asked for.
