Poor, poor men.
We really get jilted in the Jewelry department. I mean, just walk into any Jewelry store and you'll see an
entire store full of Ladies Jewelry, Pendants, Earrings, Rings, and then you'll see the Men's selection... gasp! It only takes up one little bitty showcase.
It's so depressing! And even then, when you look at the selection, you'll notice that almost all Men's Jewelry is thin, cheap and hollowed out! The horrors!
Why? 1. Men don't normally buy Jewelry for themselves. 2. Ladies are doing the buying for them, and when Ladies buy Jewelry for Men, they usually have one requirement... "CHEAP!"
Truth is, men don't care and don't want to wear Jewelry anyway, let alone any thin piece of Gold that will bend the first time they pick up a crowbar. Men's rings are generally 10kt Gold. 10kt is not a bad choice for Men's Rings because it's more durable than 14kt Gold and it's "cheaper!" But why do they make the rings so thin? Why do the manufacturers feel the need to hollow out the underside of the rings? You got it... it's cheaper!
Men's Rings also contain cheaper stones. Like Black Onyx, which is brittle and frail and chips easily. You'll see Tiger's-Eye and Cat's-Eye and Blue-Star Sapphire Stones. Popular and less expensive. And if you do find Diamonds in the Men's Rings, there's a very good chance that those Diamonds will be extremely low grade, probably an I Clarity, I Color. Let's face it, guys don't want glitz or sparkle. They're going to beat the ring up in the garage and cover it will oil anyways!
So I can understand Jewelers putting low grade stones and Diamonds in the Men's Rings. I can understand the 10kt Gold. Cheap is good! But why hollow them out and make them thin? You'll know you have a thin and hollowed out ring because it will leave painful indentations and grooves in your finger. Dirt and Sweat gets trapped under the ring and irritates the finger, usually resulting in a bright red rash!
So what can be done about it? Beef it up! Take your ring to a Jeweler and have them add a Gold plate to the underside of the ring, leaving a hole for cleaning the stones. (see picture) They'll fill the hollow part in flush with Gold. Trust me, lots of customers have had this done and it works wonders. For the price you'll pay, it'll bring tons of comfort, it'll fit better, feel better and it won't dig into your finger anymore!
So even though you may have a low quality Diamond and a chipped Black Onyx, at least you'll be comfortable wearing it and hopefully rash-free!
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