I have NEVER received an engagement ring, and I finally got a wedding ring after Rick and I were married a few years. I made the mistake of wearing it while we were racing, and it almost broke the little finger on my left hand from pulling in a sheet in heavy air. My finger still has a dent in it, and the ring got mooshed into a weird shape. I finally managed to get it off my hand, by bending it with a pliers, and I haven't worn it since.

It is dangerous to wear any kind of jewelry when you are sailing. Fortunately, the ring I had was gold, so it gave before my finger did. I hate to think what would have happened if the ring had been made of stainless steel.