{"id":9782,"date":"2012-10-03T10:58:32","date_gmt":"2012-10-03T14:58:32","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.jewelry-secrets.com\/Blog\/?p=9782"},"modified":"2015-08-16T11:14:37","modified_gmt":"2015-08-16T15:14:37","slug":"why-do-rings-bend","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.jewelry-secrets.com\/Blog\/why-do-rings-bend\/","title":{"rendered":"WHY DO RINGS BEND?"},"content":{"rendered":"<div class=\"blog-image\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.jewelry-secrets.com\/Blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/08\/Why-Rings-Bend.gif\" alt=\"Why Do Rings Bend?\" title=\"Why Do Rings Bend?\" width=\"200\" height=\"200\" class=\"alignright size-full wp-image-9784\" \/><\/div>\n<h2>&#8220;My Ring Bent!&#8221;<\/h2>\n<p>\nA Lady Brings her Diamond Ring up to the Counter. She says to me &#8220;<strong>My Ring Bent! Why would it do that?<\/strong>&#8220;<\/p>\n<p>\nI Pick it up and look at the Ring. <\/p>\n<p>\n&#8220;It&#8217;s because your Shank is Very Thin. How long have you had it?&#8221;<\/p>\n<p>\n&#8220;<strong>35 Years!<\/strong>&#8220;<\/p>\n<p><h2>DOH!<\/h2>\n<p>\nThat&#8217;s Quite a long time for a Ring to Endure Wear and Tear. You can&#8217;t Blame it for Wearing out.<\/p>\n<p><h2>But you know what?<\/h2>\n<p>\nI&#8217;ve seen Rings Bend and Break after only a Couple of Years of use.<\/p>\n<p><h2>So why do Rings Bend?<\/h2>\n<p>\nThe <strong>#1 Reason Why<\/strong>, is because the Shank (or Band) of your Ring <strong>is too Thin<\/strong>.<\/p>\n<p>\nSo then, the Real Question becomes:<\/p>\n<p><h2>Why Does the Shank get Thin?<\/h2>\n<p>\nThere are Plenty of Good Reasons why they Wear Thin. <strong>Let&#8217;s take a look&#8230;<\/strong><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><strong>1) It&#8217;s Worn or Old<\/strong><\/li>\n<li><strong>2) It was Thin to Begin with<\/strong><\/li>\n<li><strong>3) Sizing Thinned it out<\/strong><\/li>\n<li><strong>4) The Ring Size is too Big<\/strong><\/li>\n<li><strong>5) It was Crushed<\/strong><\/li>\n<li><strong>6) The Metal is Soft<\/strong><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><strong>Ready for the Good Stuff?<\/strong> Let&#8217;s begin&#8230;<\/p>\n<p><h2>1) It&#8217;s Worn or Old<\/h2>\n<p>\nYears and Years of Wearing a Ring will Wear Down the Metal. It will Slowly Wither Away on the Bottom Section of the Ring, <strong>where it takes the Most Abuse<\/strong>, until the Band gets Paper Thin Down There.<\/p>\n<p>\nThin Bands also get Warm from your Hands and this makes Thin Metal Easier to Bend. <strong>Picture Bending a Paper Clip over and over again until it Snaps!<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>\nEven if you don&#8217;t do anything Physical, you&#8217;ll probably take your Ring off and see that the Band is Flat or Ovaled out in Shape. <\/p>\n<p>\nThe Point is, it&#8217;s Not Durable anymore and <strong>should be Replaced<\/strong>.<\/p>\n<p><h2>2) It was Thin to Begin with<\/h2>\n<p>\n<strong>Some Rings are Thin at the Start<\/strong>. This is all Due to Price and Design. If the Ring is a Cheap Ring that falls into the $69 Price Range, there&#8217;s a Good Chance that the Band will already be Thin from the get go. If Jewelers Beefed up the Shank, it would Beef up the Price as well. <strong>It&#8217;s just how things are<\/strong>.<\/p>\n<p>\n<strong>Trio Sets are known for having Thin Bands<\/strong>. But, that&#8217;s what you can Expect when you pay $300 for an Engagement Ring and 2 Wedding Bands. <strong>THIN!<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>\nThere&#8217;s no way around this. Some things gotta give, and the Thickness of the Band is one of them.<\/p>\n<p>\nMany Men&#8217;s Wedding Bands used to be Ultra Thin back in the days. Thankfully, Modern Times have made Men&#8217;s Rings Thicker, Comfort Fit, and now even Stainless Steel and Titanium. <strong>BONUS!<\/strong> Check out your Grandpa&#8217;s Ring to see how thin things used to be. <strong>Some were insanely thin! <\/strong><\/p>\n<p><h2>3) Sizing Thinned it out<\/h2>\n<p>\n<strong>If the Jeweler is not Careful enough<\/strong>, the Band on your Ring can come back Quite Thin after a Sizing.<\/p>\n<p>\nI know why this Happens; it&#8217;s because the Ring has to be Cut and Soldered back together again. The Filing and Polishing and Smoothing Wears away some Gold. <strong>It&#8217;s Inevitable!<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>\n<strong>Sometimes this Process takes away too much away<\/strong> and it becomes Noticeable. Sometimes it leaves a Narrow Band much Thinner than it was to begin with. Take a look at the Image below&#8230;<\/p>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.jewelry-secrets.com\/Blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/08\/Thin-Rings-Bend-And-Break.jpg\" alt=\"Thin Bands Bend and Break!\" title=\"Thin Bands Bend and Break!\"width=\"502\" height=\"375\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-9783\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.jewelry-secrets.com\/Blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/08\/Thin-Rings-Bend-And-Break.jpg 502w, https:\/\/www.jewelry-secrets.com\/Blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/08\/Thin-Rings-Bend-And-Break-300x224.jpg 300w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 502px) 100vw, 502px\" \/><\/p>\n<p>\n<strong>Sometimes it&#8217;s also the Fault of a Sloppy Jeweler<\/strong>. Too Quick, Heading out for Lunch, Not in a Good Mood&#8230; No matter what, <strong>it can happen<\/strong>.<\/p>\n<p>\nSo take a look at the Shank of your Ring when you Drop it off for Sizing. If Done Properly, <strong>it should look the Same Thickness when you get it back<\/strong>. And you should also see No Sizing Marks!<\/p>\n<p>\n<strong>P.S.<\/strong> Also make sure that the <strong>Karat Stamp<\/strong> (i.e. 14k) is still inside the Ring. Sometimes Sizing will Remove this and it will need to be Marked again.<\/p>\n<p><h2>4) The Ring Size is too Big<\/h2>\n<p>\nIf your ring is slightly too big on your finger, <strong>your finger can&#8217;t cushion your band<\/strong> as you wear it. This can quickly oval out a ring and make the band vulnerable and weak.<\/p>\n<p>\nIf the Ring Fits Properly, it actually Helps to Protect and Preserve the Mounting and Metal.<\/p>\n<p>\nAlso, if the Ring is a Very Dainty Ring, with a Thin Band (<strong>like 2mm Wide<\/strong>), and you Size it up to a Size 14 (<strong>Standard Size being a Size 6<\/strong>), then that Band will probably be Thin, Weak and Bend Easily. <strong>A Wider Band is Advisable for Larger Sized Fingers<\/strong>.<\/p>\n<p><h2>5) It was Crushed<\/h2>\n<p>\nLet&#8217;s Face it, <strong>if you Lift Weights with your Rings on<\/strong>, you&#8217;ll probably do Damage or Bend or Break your Band. Gold is Malleable and Heats up as you Wear it. Adding in Heavy Pressure or Physical Activity just Amplifies this. <\/p>\n<p>\nI hear people all the time saying they Lift: Luggage, <strong>Baby Buggies<\/strong>, Sledge Hammers, <strong>Cases of Pop<\/strong>&#8230; anything that is Solid and Heavy can Crush or Weaken your Ring.<\/p>\n<p>\nPlus, I&#8217;ve also heard people say they&#8217;ve Stepped on it, Sat on it, <strong>got it Caught in a Car Door<\/strong> (ouch), <strong>Been Run over by a Train<\/strong> (don&#8217;t ask me how that happened), or even the Dog Ate it! Yes! <strong>It happened!<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>\nA Bent Ring Weakens the Metal and the Entire Structure of the Mounting. It can Wear Down, Break, and even Damage the Stones.<\/p>\n<p><h2>6) The Metal is Soft<\/h2>\n<p>\nRich Gold, or Gold in Higher Content like <strong>18k, 20k, or 22k Gold<\/strong>, makes the Ring and Mounting Softer (it has less Alloys that make the Ring Durable). This tends to make the Ring and Band Bend Easier and <strong>Wear Down Faster<\/strong>.<\/p>\n<p>\nIt&#8217;s better to Stick with a More Durable Gold like 14k or even 10k, even though 10k is more Alloy than actual Gold, so I really Prefer and Advise people to Purchase 14k (<strong>Yellow or White Gold is all the same<\/strong>).<\/p>\n<p>\n14k is the Perfect Combination of a Beautiful Luster, Shine and Durability!<\/p>\n<p><h2>You can&#8217;t ask for more than that!<\/h2>\n<p>\n<strong>So those are the Main Reasons why your Ring Bends<\/strong>.<\/p>\n<p>\nChances are, you&#8217;ll Fit into one of those Categories. If not, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.jewelry-secrets.com\/Blog\/contact\/\">Drop me a line<\/a>, I may have to Update my Post! :)<\/p>\n<p><h2>What can you do?<\/h2>\n<p>\nTake your Ring into a Local Jewelry Store and see if they can Thicken up, or <strong>put a New Shank on your Ring<\/strong>.<\/p>\n<p>\nIt may Cost a Bit (<strong>it&#8217;s Not Cheap<\/strong> &#8211; it could run anywhere from <strong>$100 &#8211; $500<\/strong> or more Depending on the Width and Amount of Gold used). But, in the Long Run, a Heavier Shank will Save and Protect your Ring, Gemstones, Diamonds, and of course <strong>your Hands<\/strong>. :)<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<div class=\"mh-excerpt\"><p>&#8220;My Ring Bent!&#8221; A Lady Brings her Diamond Ring up to the Counter. She says to me &#8220;My Ring Bent! Why would it do that?&#8220; I Pick it up and look at the Ring. &#8220;It&#8217;s <a class=\"mh-excerpt-more\" href=\"https:\/\/www.jewelry-secrets.com\/Blog\/why-do-rings-bend\/\" title=\"WHY DO RINGS BEND?\">[Read More&#8230;]<\/a><\/p>\n<\/div>","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":9784,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[4,17],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-9782","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-jewelry","category-repairs"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.jewelry-secrets.com\/Blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/9782"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.jewelry-secrets.com\/Blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.jewelry-secrets.com\/Blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.jewelry-secrets.com\/Blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.jewelry-secrets.com\/Blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=9782"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.jewelry-secrets.com\/Blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/9782\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.jewelry-secrets.com\/Blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/9784"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.jewelry-secrets.com\/Blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=9782"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.jewelry-secrets.com\/Blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=9782"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.jewelry-secrets.com\/Blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=9782"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}