Should You Downgrade Your Engagement Ring?

Yesterday we discussed upgrading your engagement ring, or not upgrading it as the case may be. But what about downgrading? Amal Clooney and Mila Kunis are just two celebrity names who have opted to downgrade their bling, and their reasons are actually pretty smart…

In Amal’s case, it was because her  was drawing too much attention while she was working on important human rights cases (she’s an accomplished lawyer, remember). In Mila’s situation, she decided to take it off because ‘someone would have chopped off (her) hand to get it’. Calm down Mila… although we do see your point.

If you have an especially large or expensive ring, there’s no shame in replacing it for something a little less obvious. You don’t have to get rid of your original engagement ring either. Here are some points to consider if you find yourself in a similar situation to Mila or Amal…

Make it special, rather than everyday. While it’s nice to have a constant reminder of one of the best moments of your life, there’s something equally exciting about reserving your engagement ring for special occasions. Absence makes the heart grow fonder, as they say. Plus, it’ll give you all the more reason to make time for special evenings or to plan outings where you can show off your bling.

Downgrading is more practical. You can’t deny the truth of this one. A big carat size means a lifetime of snagging on clothes, pinging off coffee mugs, and sometimes even scratching yourself accidentally! Downgrading to something smaller lessens the chance of this, or if you choose a plain band eliminates it completely. A simpler design also means less maintenance.  

Downgrading is safer. The more valuable the engagement ring, the more you stand to lose if it gets stolen or lost. Although we wish this weren’t the case, a big flashy diamond is always a threat anywhere crime persists (which is sadly most places these days). A smaller, less ostentatious, less elaborate design won’t look as valuable, which means you can walk around feeling that little bit safer.

Downgrading draws less attention (if that’s what you’re into). If you’re not someone who enjoys being in the limelight, then some understated bling will help to not draw so much attention to you. People love beauty, and when they see something beautiful like a big diamond they get naturally curious. If you love being the centre of attention and having people ask about your ring, well… why are you reading this?!

Consider a replica. If you love your ring but don’t feel comfortable wearing it for whatever reason, consider a replica. A good jeweller can easily copy any ring’s design, and you can use less valuable materials (white sapphire instead of diamond, white gold or rhodium plating instead of platinum, etc.) that look just as good as the real deal. The untrained eye won’t be able to tell any difference, and you can keep the original locked away safely where no harm can come to it.