What Kind of Ring Can I Wear Everyday?

If you've ever had a ring you love so much you never want to take it off, you might start to wonder, Can I wear my ring every day? Can I wear my ring to work every day? When should I take it off? What kind of ring can I wear every day?

As a general rule, when it comes to finding the everyday ring, there are certain criteria the ring has to meet. It has to have a certain form and durability. You'll also have to do simple routine cleaning in order for it to withstand daily wear. To help you out, we've put together a guide on which ring is best for daily use, and how to care for it properly.

How to Choose a Ring for Daily Wear

Some people like wearing rings every day to work. This is a great way to show off your jewelry, your marriage, or your style. Before you start wearing your ring every day, you'll want to make sure your ring fits the criteria for daily wear.

There's not one specific "everyday ring" that works for everyone. Here's a guide to help you know what kind of ring will suit you to wear every day depending on your lifestyle.

Professional

Do you have a job that doesn't require you to perform physical tasks often with your hands? Maybe you're a salesperson, hospitality manager, boutique owner, human resources, radio or television host, real estate agent, professor, etc. For these types of tasks, you have more freedom with the rings you can wear every day:

More elaborate designs
Vintage styles
Thinner ring shank
Larger gemstones
Any kind of gemstones
Prong settings are fine

In some jobs, it might be to your advantage to wear a ring that's flashy or promotes an image of success. It doesn't have to be exorbitant either; there are plenty of affordable yet eye-catching designs out there. You can even look into more elaborate designs, such as vintage or art deco-style rings.

Caretakers, Computer Work, Teaching

Do you have a job where you work with your hands a lot, but aren't exposed to dirt or the elements? Maybe you work a lot on a computer, in a bank, in the arts, in retail, as a nurse, teacher, or as a caretaker. If you want to wear your ring daily, you want to make sure it doesn't have a large, raised stone that could catch on things or knock them:

Tension, bezel, or channel settings
Avoid prong settings (can be okay for computer work/writing)
Smaller or multiple gemstones
Diamond accents

Tension, bezel, and channel settings protect the gemstone better than prong settings. They're good at preventing snags and damage from knocking it against something. Bezel settings in particular are the best option for caretakers because they surround the edges of the center stone, protecting those with whom you work.

To add bling without adding too much size to your ring, diamond accents are a great solution. They're dazzling and you can buy many more of them for much cheaper than a large center stone diamond. Look for diamond accents in a pave or channel setting to protect them.

Elementary school teachers or gym teachers may want to use more discretion when it comes to wearing more blingy rings. If you're a coach, scroll down to the "athletic work" section.

Although high school students are more likely to pay attention to your ring, it's pretty unlikely they'll go as far as the high schooler who went viral on Tik Tok testing his teachers' diamond engagement rings with a device for authenticity.

Skilled Work with Your Hands/Outdoors

Does your daily work require constant working with your hands or specific skills related to handwork? Jobs like restaurant work, mechanics, landscapers, house cleaner, summer camp instructor, knitting, assembling, sculpting, home maintenance. To wear your ring daily, you'll want to choose one that has smooth details and less surface area to avoid getting dirt and other particles in it:

Bands with smooth surfaces
Inset gems
Gems 7 or higher on Mohs scale
Bezel settings
Avoid numerous gemstones/diamond accents
Avoid filigree designs
Sleek/minimal designs if you need to wear gloves

Choosing a ring that's smooth and contains inset gems will keep it safe and out of the way. Whether or not you chose to wear a ring with a larger gemstone will depend on how demanding your tasks are and how likely you are to get dirt or other substances on it.

If you have to wash dishes daily, you should take off your wedding or engagement ring. You may want to look into a silicone stand-in ring to wear at work, or a less expensive stainless steel or a titanium ring.

Athletic Work

If your work requires intense physical activity, being outdoors daily, sweating, lifting weights, or throwing and catching, you'll want to take extra care choosing a ring. Coaches, athletes, personal trainers, lifeguards, swim instructors, surfers, and ultramarathoners, etc, will want to make sure their ring can withstand their activities:

Consider silicone, stainless steel, or titanium
Avoid wearing most metals in chlorine
Avoid gemstones
Thicker ring shanks
Minimalist styles

If you come into contact with salt water or chlorine, your best bet is a silicone or titanium ring. Both of these are inexpensive and can serve as a stand-in for an engagement ring. If you do decide to wear a titanium ring, keep in mind that your finger may contract in water and it could fall off.

If only a portion of your day requires intense physical activity, you may wish to take your ring off and store it somewhere safe in the meantime. Personal trainers and weight-lifters shouldn't wear rings at the gym to avoid getting a ring avulsion.

Even if working out isn't a part of your job, you still may like going to the gym. Here's our guide on working out with rings on.

The Criteria to Consider

If you want an everyday-wear ring, you want to make sure that it meets certain qualifications. Which qualifications matter the most will depend on your job/lifestyle demands, as we've covered in the section above.

The criteria may also differ depending on if you're looking for a daily-wear wedding or engagement ring, or a fashion ring.

In an engagement ring, you'll want to make sure you find a balance between glamor and durability. In order to do this, you'll want to take into consideration the structure of the ring, the material, the gemstones, and the setting.

When choosing rings to accessorize (such as statement rings, accent rings, stacking rings, etc), you'll find a wide range of prices and quality. The most important thing here is choosing a durable material that can withstand daily use and handwashing. You want to avoid buying rings that oxidize easily and turn your fingers green.

1. Type of Metal/Material

When it comes to engagement rings, the standard materials are precious metals. The most common precious metals you'll find in jewelry are gold, silver, and platinum.

Precious metals make excellent metals for daily wear because they're not sensitive to water, they don't rust, they retain their luster, and they're easy to resize (this is really important). Even if precious metals get a bit dim or dirty, they're easier to restore than other metals, making them great for daily wear.

Which Types of Metal Are the Most Durable?

Gold comes in three colors, yellow gold, white gold, and rose gold. The different colors of gold come from the different metals used in the alloy.

The strongest of the three colors of gold is white gold, which makes it the most popular choice for daily-wear engagement rings. It's typically the most durable form of gold because it's usually mixed with strong metals, such as nickel, silver, and palladium, which give it its color.

Its luster comes from its rhodium plating, one of the strongest metals. The rhodium plating adds an extra layer of protection, resisting scratches.

When buying yellow gold or rose gold, 14k and 18k are more durable than 10k or 22k rings. Higher karat gold is more prone to scratching, whilst lower karats are more likely to exhibit tarnishing.

Platinum and Palladium are also great choices for durability, but they can be more expensive and harder to find.

Sterling Silver contains a high percentage of pure silver so it's softer than other metals, but it can still withstand daily wear. It can and will tarnish, but cleaning it properly will remove it.

For more tips, check out our post on the best metals for engagement rings.

Other Metals

When it comes to fashion rings, there's a wide variety of metal choices. Be wary of rings that come in multi-packs, or other cheap rings that you find in clothing stores. Rings made from nickel, copper, bronze, and brass can react with water and the chemistry of your skin.

Good materials for fashion rings are titanium, tungsten carbide, ceramic, and stainless steel, and sterling silver.

2. Structure of the Engagement Ring

When choosing a design for your engagement ring, it's important to pick one that's suited for the types of activities you do daily.

If you work with your hands often, look for rings with thicker shanks. Thicker shanks keep the ring sturdy enough to support its gemstone when it's bumped. You can see how this ruby ring has a thicker shank to support the gems.

You want to make sure that the settings—prongs, channels, and bezels—are strong and secure.

Filigree details and fine metalwork should be avoided with more hands-on jobs.

3. Gemstone Durability

Gemstones that are at 7 or higher on the Mohs scale are less resistant to scratching.

Some of the hardest gemstones for engagement rings are diamonds (10), rubies (9), sapphires (9), topaz (8), emeralds (7.5-8), tourmaline (7-7.5), and citrine (7).

Cubic zirconia (8.5) is one of the best gemstone choices for daily-wear fashion rings.

4. The Fit

The most important requirement for everyday-wear rings is fit. It doesn't matter if your ring is made of platinum, if it has diamond accents, or if it makes you powerful and turns you invisible if it's just going to fall off your finger.

A ring should fit comfortably when you put it on and you should be able to twist it (with some resistance). Your ring can turn slightly, but it shouldn't spin. There are steps you can take to prevent a spinning ring.

When you take it off, your skin should be somewhat compressed. It will sit straight on your finger (rather than at an angle) without any pain or tingling.

Be aware of the signs that your ring doesn't fit. The good news is, if your ring is one of the precious metals, you should be able to resize it even when your finger changes sizes. Having a resizable ring can means you can wear it for as long as you have it.

Everyday Ring Care

If you're going to wear your ring every day, a big part of its longevity comes down to proper jewelry care. Here are some general tips for most metal rings:

Soak it overnight in white vinegar or a small amount of dish soap.
Clean the band with a gentle cloth/soft toothbrush.
Use polishing cloths.
Take it off before swimming/using harsh chemicals.
Have a jeweler inspect it annually for damage.

These are general guidelines. You want to research specific care depending on your ring's details. Different gemstones require special care.

If you have a white gold ring, you will have to get it re-plated with rhodium once it wears off. It's usually inexpensive and worth every penny. Making sure its plating is always sufficient is one of the best ways to keep it fit for daily wear.

To avoid tarnish caused by sweat, some people coat the inside of the ring with clear nail polish. Body chemistry has a lot to do with the issue. There are other treatments for this such as ammonia solutions.