A popular song tells us that “Diamonds are a Girl’s Best Friend,” but some diamond rings are nothing to sing about. The same can be said of the next part in the “I do” sequence, wedding bands. Pain and injury from rings are far from rare. Ergonomics lessens the risk of both, and one jeweler reports that ergonomic rings are a new trend.
The price for choosing an engagement ring designed only to dazzle is discomfort -- and worse. Chances are the dazzler will be a solitaire, standing tall and making a statement in an upswept setting. The trouble is that protruding stones are a danger to anything they brush, including flesh.
And big rings are bulky and heavy. Canadian ergonomics consultancy Back In Action cites as a success story the discovery that an engagement ring was causing tendonitis, one of a host of problems known as musculoskeletal disorders (MSDs). The wearer held her index and little fingers in a contracted and elevated position while she was working in order to protect her large ring, precipitating the symptoms.
There is more potential risk in perfectly round rings, with or without stones. Fingers are not round, which means the ring won’t be snug. A loose fit increases the chance of snagging. Fingers and even limbs are often lost when rings are caught in machinery.
Whiteflash.com reported the trend towards ergonomic rings in a press release in June. The online jewelry boutique sells engagement rings designed both for comfort and to minimize the risk of snagging. The center stone sits down low. Brides-to-be are able to wear the low-set engagement ring at work and play long after they say ‘I Do,’ according to Whiteflash.com President Debi Wexler. “We sell platinum rings that are marketed as ergonomic because of their elliptical and how they follow the true shape of the finger.”
According to GroomsOnline.com, jewelry designers of the last decade have tapped into ergonomics for ways to make rings more comfortable. The company says interiors that are curved rather than flat feel better on the finger. Wedding rings marketed under the trade name of Comfort Fit are rounded inside, so that the edge of the inner part of the ring doesn’t put pressure on the finger.
Whiteflash.com finds more women prizing comfort, fit and practicality as well as beauty in an engagement ring. Rings with these qualities are worth singing about.
