Most people don't pay much attention to the band or shank of their Diamond Ring.
The shank is the bottom part of the ring that wraps around your finger. People just don't notice how thin their Ring's getting until it
bends, breaks and causes damage to the Rings and Channels!
All the time, people bring their Rings in to get them Cleaned and Polished, and when they take their Rings off, they're surprised to see they are bent on the bottom. Almost shocked! Plus, when they are bent, it makes it tougher to get your Rings off. Some Rings get so thin and bent that they're almost flat on the bottom!
The reason they bend so easily is because they're thin. Very thin! Just the act of wearing your ring and picking things up with your hands can bend the metal. When Gold is thin, it gets very malleable and bends easily. Not to mention that when you're wearing it, your hands heat up the Gold making it even softer. It doesn't take much to bend a thin shank.
3 Things can make the shank on your Ring thin:
1) It was thin when you bought it. No lie! Some manufacturers are cheap and skimp on the bands. Look at the shank or band and see if it's thick and durable before you buy it. Check it out, you want to make sure it's heavy and solid. (see above photo) If it's thin, buyer beware. Cheap Rings won't last long!
2) The Jeweler thinned out the Ring when they sized it. This is one of the biggest reasons for thin shanks. When you size a ring you have to cut and solder the shank back together again. Once soldered together, the Jeweler has to file and smooth and polish the shank again, and sometimes they take too much off the band. If the Jeweler is a bad Jeweler, they can make your band look thin, warped, bent, crooked and very uneven. (See Photo Below) If you pick your Ring up from a repair or a sizing, look at the band. If it's thin or badly done, make the Jeweler re-do the sizing and put on a heavier shank! They won't be happy to do it, but I wouldn't be happy to accept it either!
3) Normal wear and tear. That's right, after years of daily use, Gold will wear down and thin out. Especially on the bottom of the Ring since it takes the most abuse.
So what can you do about thin, weak, bent and breaking bands and shanks? Buy a new shank! That's about all you can do. (Or just trade in the Ring for a new one!) Jewelers can easily remove your old, thin, worn down shank and put on a new, thick, durable band that'll last a lifetime. New shanks won't be cheap though. Depending on the thickness and width of your mounting, it could cost you anywhere from $100 and up. What choice do you have? You either wait until the Ring gets so bad that it breaks and the Ring painfully stabs you in the finger. Or the Ring bends and all the Diamonds in your channel fall out. It's just not worth it. Get it fixed. Get it beefed up. Your Ring will look brand new again and you won't have to worry about a bending band or broken shank again!
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