Where to Wear an Engagement Ring After the Wedding?

In the past, the wedding band was worn alone: it was considered the only piece of jewellery needed, for reasons of simplicity as much as convenience. Practices have changed, and today no one would find any one of these four options unusual.

This is the question we are asked most often, and it has a traditional answer: the wedding band first, at the base of the finger, closest to the heart — with the engagement ring on top. The idea is that nothing should come between you and the wedding ring.

It is a convention, not an obligation. Many reverse them, and for good reason: a wide engagement ring sits better at the base of the finger, where it is more stable. If the engagement ring is noticeably thicker than the wedding band, place it underneath — comfort takes precedence over symbolism.

Another practice is also becoming common on the wedding day: moving the engagement ring to the right hand during the ceremony, so that the wedding band is placed on a bare finger, then putting it back on top afterwards. It has no official significance, but it is a lovely gesture.

This is the most common issue, and the only one that articles on the subject never address. It stems from the setting: a high-set solitaire leaves a V-shaped gap beneath a straight wedding band. The two rings touch at only one point, the set gapes, and the engagement ring tilts.

Three solutions, from the most elegant to the simplest:

• A curved wedding band, designed to follow the exact curve of the engagement setting. This is the true answer: the two rings become a single line. It requires having the wedding band designed from the existing ring — which is precisely what a bespoke creation.
• A thinner wedding band, which makes the gap far less visible without altering anything.
• Having the profile reworked of the engagement ring in the workshop, to create a recess for it. Possible with most settings, delicate with pavé bands.

If the wedding band occupies the left ring finger, moving the engagement ring to the right hand is a simple and very common solution — especially when the two rings do not match, or when you do not wish to have them reworked.

The ring finger remains the most suitable finger: for fit, and because it is where the stone is best showcased. And this practice is far from a compromise — in several countries, it is the right ring finger that has worn the engagement ring from the outset : Germany, Poland, Russia, Spain, Greece. Our guide on which finger to wear an engagement ring explores these traditions, and which hand to wear your wedding band on covers its counterpart.

No longer wearing it every day is a perfectly common choice, and often the most sensible one: manual work, sport, gardening, care work. The ring then comes out for a wedding, anniversary, family celebration or dinner — and gains a certain rarity that suits it well.

Two precautions if you choose this approach:

• Storage. Separate from other jewellery, in an individual pouch or dedicated compartment — a hard stone scratches everything it touches. Keep it away from light, heat and humidity.
• Inspection. A ring worn infrequently still needs to be checked every two or three years: the prongs can loosen even in a jewellery box, under the effect of temperature variations. This is when a stone is lost without understanding why.

Our guide toprecious stone care sets out the cleaning steps, stone by stone.

And if the ring no longer suits you as it is — too high, too fragile, or simply from another period in your life —, the stone can be reset in a new creation. Our creations show several examples, and our engagement rings present the possible settings — in sapphire (including teal sapphires), in emerald or in diamond.