Most wearers keep their rings on through cooking, sleeping and hiking, yet fewer than half decide to insure them at purchase.

NEENAH, Wis., Oct. 13, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- Jewelers Mutual® Group, the jewelry insurer backed by more than 100 years of expertise, released new findings from its 2026 Engagement Ring Study, examining how couples shop for, wear and protect one of the most meaningful purchases of their lives, and where coverage often falls short. Results indicated that as ring-wearing norms shift, protection habits haven't caught up, leaving a growing gap between what couples own and what they cover.

The generational split is wide. More than 80% of couples ages 55 to 64 both wear a ring, compared with just 43% of couples ages 18 to 24, suggesting mutual ring-wearing, while now the norm overall, is still catching on among the couples getting engaged today.

A Protection Gap That Starts Before the Proposal
The risk window opens well before anyone gets down on one knee. Forty-one percent of proposers hold onto the ring for more than a month before proposing, yet less than half (49%) of respondents decide to insure it at purchase. Worse, nearly half (45%) keep the ring somewhere unsecured, such as a drawer or closet, in the meantime.

Once the ring goes on, it tends to stay on. Ninety percent of wearers travel with their engagement ring, and most keep it on even during activities that put it at risk, including cooking (60%), sleeping (60%) and hiking (65%).

The financial exposure is real: 62% of respondents count their engagement ring among the three most expensive things they own. Still, among uninsured wearers whose ring was damaged, 55% never had it repaired.

"An engagement ring is often one of the most valuable things a couple owns, and one of the most meaningful," said Mike Alexander, President at Jewelers Mutual. "What this research shows us is that people are wearing their rings more than ever and putting them through the full range of daily life, which is exactly when having the right protection matters most."

Alexander recommends couples take a few key steps to protect an engagement ring:

• Purchase insurance before or at the time of the proposal, not after
• Document the ring with photographs and a professional appraisal
• Store the ring in a safe or safety deposit box before the proposal
• Consider specialized jewelry insurance, which covers loss, theft and damage that standard homeowners or renters policies may not adequately address

"Standard homeowners and renters policies often have limits on jewelry that fall short of what an engagement ring is worth today," said Alexander. "Specialized coverage is built specifically for jewelry. It accounts for what the piece means, not just what it costs, and it gives couples the confidence to wear it without holding back."

Design Still Wins Over Price
Design or uniqueness remains the top factor in choosing a ring, cited by 52% of respondents, far ahead of price, stone size and brand. Solitaire settings have become the most popular choice since 2024, now making up 37% of rings versus 22% two years ago, and white gold remains the most common metal, though preference in platinum has grown considerably.

Budget confidence tracks with intention, not price point: respondents who set a ring budget based on personal comfort, rather than an external benchmark, report the highest confidence in their purchase and the lowest financial stress about it. That deliberateness carries past the purchase, too.

Among wearers who don't yet own their final ring, 84% say they're still actively researching options, a sign that even once a ring is on, the decision-making isn't necessarily over. When couples do seek guidance on insuring what they've chosen, they turn to people they trust: jewelers rank as the second most trusted source for jewelry care recommendations, behind only family.

More insights from the 2026 Engagement Ring Study along with shopping and protection tips are available at JewelersMutual.com/engagement-ring-guide.

View the infographic here.

The Jewelers Mutual study was conducted in May 2026. A sample of 2,000 adults in the U.S., age 18+ who were responsible for making insurance decisions in their household, purchased or received an engagement ring in the last 5 years, and were currently engaged or married within the past 5 years, were recruited via an online research panel and surveyed via online self-completion.

ABOUT JEWELERS MUTUAL® GROUP 
Jewelers Mutual was founded in 1913 by a group of Wisconsin jewelers to meet their unique insurance needs. Later, consumers began putting their trust in Jewelers Mutual to protect their jewelry and the special memories each piece holds. Today, Jewelers Mutual continues to support and move the industry forward by listening to jewelers and consumers and offering products and services to meet their evolving needs. Beyond insurance, Jewelers Mutual Group's powerful suite of innovative solutions and digital technology offerings help jewelers strengthen and grow their businesses, mitigate risk, and bring them closer to their customers. The Group insurers' strong financial position is reflected in their 39 consecutive "A+ Superior" ratings from AM Best Company, as of November 2025. Policyholders of the Group insurers are members of Jewelers Mutual Holding Company. Jewelers Mutual is headquartered in Neenah, Wisconsin, with other Group offices in Dallas, Miami, and Raleigh, North Carolina. To learn more, visit JewelersMutual.com.

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SOURCE Jewelers Mutual Group