Your wedding band is precious to you, so it's only natural that you want to avoid losing or damaging it. I recently read The Patriot Ledger article* from March 25, 2015 about how a few Boston Red Sox baseball players avoid losing their wedding bands.  This article got me thinking about how our customers who have labor-intensive jobs deal with their rings -- risk breaking them at work or possibly losing them from repeatedly taking them off.  The good news is that it doesn't have to come down to a constant cycle of removing and replacing lost rings, such as the case with one of the baseball players.  Here are three ways that married folks with labor-intensive jobs can protect their wedding bands (and their fingers).

SOLUTION 1: One of the easiest solutions-- albeit may not necessarily be the easiest -- is to create a consistent routine of removing and placing a ring in the same, secure spot every time. The key here is constancy. A lot of rings are lost when they're removed and randomly placed in unsecure places such as open pockets, lockers, or next to sinks, and owners forget where they left them or they fall out. For security, place a box, container, or ring holder in your bathroom, nightstand, or somewhere at home and at work, so you have a couple of safe options. Always place the ring in the same protected location every time. For example, one of the Red Sox players puts his wedding band in a hat in his locker. Keeping up with this routine makes it easier to make a habit of keeping your ring relatively safe and avoid replacing it. 

SOLUTION 2: What if you have no reliable place to store your ring? In that case, find a durable chain or leather necklace with a sturdy clasp. String your band along the strand and wear as a necklace tucked inside or outside of your shirt. This way, it'll stay protected, limit any safety risks if a finger injury happens, and be easy to find. The Patriot Ledger article mentions one of the Red Sox players wearing his ring as a necklace, which is a great functional and fashionable idea for both men and women.

SOLUTION 3:  As a last resort, store your wedding band in a jewelry box or safety deposit box, and only take it out and wear it on days when you're off work or special occasions. Similar to Solution 1, make a habit of placing your ring back in the same location. This suggestion may be the least popular. However, it'll decrease the likelihood that your ring will be lost or broken.

Having to replace lost or damaged wedding bands can be as heartbreaking as it is expensive, and yet, it doesn't have to be that way. You can get in the habit of placing your ring in the same, secured area, wear it as a necklace, or only wear it on days when you are off work. No matter how rough a job may be, men and women can rest assured that their wedding rings will be less likely to be lost or damaged by following these solutions.

*Source: The Patriot Ledger article, "Red Sox players vow to hang on to their wedding bands, but it isn't easy," http:/www.patriotledger.com/article/20150325/SPORTS/150327926/2000/NEWS.