Being a cop is a dangerous job, and many cops choose not to wear their wedding rings. Recently, however, there has been a trend of cops seen wearing simple, black wedding rings.
Police officers wear black silicone wedding bands during work because they are less valuable than traditional wedding bands, are less likely to be a target for thieves, and are easily replaced. Silicone wedding bands are also more flexible and won’t interfere with firearm usage.
What is the significance of black wedding rings specifically? Are Silicone rings really that much safer?
Here is everything you need to know about cops and their black wedding bands.
Why black specifically?
Cops can often be seen wearing black wedding bands, but what is the importance of the color black?
According to a forum of police officers, it is not the color that matters, more so it is the material of the ring that makes a difference.
Generally, the black wedding bands that you see on a police officer’s hand are made out of silicone, which is cheaper, safer, and more flexible for the job.
Although there are other colors of silicone rings, black is the most practical and matches with police uniforms.
Contrary to popular rumors, black wedding rings do not symbolize that a police officer has killed somebody.
Nor does it have any significant symbolism for police officers.
Black wedding bands, specifically silicone, are simply the most practical for this profession.
Black Silicone Rings are less valuable
The risk of loss is minimized:
Black rings made out of silicone are less valuable than silver, gold, or diamond rings.
Cops generally choose these rings because they are in a high-risk job that can land them in dangerous situations without any warning.
These situations, such as search and rescue missions, can place these police officers in areas where they might lose or damage their ring.
For example, they might have to rescue someone from drowning, and while they are in the water their ring might slip off.
Or they may have to pull someone out of a car crash and have their ring get caught and pulled off of their finger.
Similarly, ornate wedding rings are at a higher risk for damage.
A police officer might accidentally bang their hand against something and cause the precious stone to fall out.
Or they could scuff up the valuable metal on their band.
Since this is the case, many police officers do not want to worry about losing or damaging valuable metal and opt for a simple, less expensive wedding ring.
Thieves target fancy wedding rings:
Police officers deal with a lot of crime in their careers, which means that they are aware of the things that thieves target.
Police officers do not want to make themselves a target by flashing expensive jewelry.
Even simple gold or silver bands can be a target for thieves, so police officers choose a simple, black band.
Ornate Wedding Rings are Unsafe for the Job
Ornate wedding rings can interfere with a firearm:
Police officers need to know how to use and safely operate firearms while they are on the job.
Unfortunately, wearing a ring of hard metal can compromise your grip on a firearm.
The metal of the ring gets in the way and makes it so that you cannot properly wrap your fingers around the firearm.
This can cause cops’ aim to be off, which is dangerous in a job where firearm precision is key.
On the other hand, Silicone rings are soft and flexible so they cause minimal interference with firearms.
Ornate Rings are more likely to snag and cause harm:
I am sure you have heard horror stories about people losing their fingers due to their ring snagging or getting caught on something.
Cops have to be extra careful about this, as they encounter tight situations and dangerous circumstances all the time on their job.
If metal rings get caught, there is a chance that it can cause ring avulsion.
Ring avulsion is when a ring gets caught or snagged on something and is jerked suddenly, causing the skin and muscle of the finger to come off.
In certain cases, the whole finger can come completely off.
Ring avulsion is a gruesome nightmare, but luckily, it does not happen with silicone rings.
Silicone rings can take, at most, 17 pounds of force before snapping.
If these rings are caught on something, they will stretch and then snap, saving your finger from a painful experience.
Ornate Rings are Harder to Clean:
It is no secret that police officers have to do some dirty work, and that dirtiness can affect every aspect of their clothing, especially rings.
In a police forum, one female officer states that she no longer wears her diamond wedding ring to work because “blood is hard to clean out of diamond”.
Not only is it difficult to clean out blood from diamonds, but other grime and dirt, and rust can easily affect ornate rings.
On the other hand, silicone rings can be easily cleaned off, and if they get too dirty, they are easily replaced.
This makes them a better alternative for an on-the-job wedding band.
Black Silicone rings are more comfortable:
Police officers need a ring that is comfortable for long shifts:
Police officers work long, irregular hours on their job, and wedding rings that are large, ornate, or made out of hard metal can be just plain uncomfortable.
Fancy, elaborate jewelry can get in the way of both intense police work and boring tasks such as filing a report.
Police officers choose black, silicone rings because they are lightweight, flexible, and comfortable for them to wear.
Can Cops wear ornate rings off duty?
There are no rules or regulations for what cops can or cannot wear while they are off duty, however, in this line of work, cops can be called into work at a moment’s notice.
When rushing to duty, it can be difficult to remember to swap out their precious, expensive wedding ring for a simple black one.
Therefore, most cops wear their black silicone rings at all times.
