After the engagement ring, a wedding ring is perhaps the most important piece of jewellery you will ever choose and wear. The good thing about wedding bands is that they are usually chosen together with your partner. You can consult each other’s tastes and end up with pieces you both will truly love for years. The downside is however that just like engagement rings, wedding rings offer an almost infinite amount of possible designs and options. During such a hectic time as planning your wedding, you don’t want to spend hours agonizing over choosing the rings. We’ve created a quick guide to wedding rings to help you consider all you need to know before heading to the jewellery store.
Materials
As with all jewellery, wedding bands come in a lot of materials. From silver to titanium your options are, once again, endless. It’s really important to consider the amount of activity you do with your hands on a daily bases. Some metals are a lot softer than others and tend to scratch and lose their shine a lot easier. This might not matter to you that much if you work in an office, but it’s definitely something to consider.
If you’re after a harder precious metal, we suggest platinum as it is 4-4.5 on the Mohs scale of hardness. This beautiful platinum ring (WP217) is a perfect example of a classy yet durable engagement band. The ring has a polished finish and a 50% diamond channel eternity ring. The clarity of the diamonds is SI1. If on the other hand, you’re a fan of gold, we suggest an 18ct gold band such as this 18ct rose gold triple row diamond set ring (RDQ730R). 18ct gold is a lot more durable than pure gold due to the presence of alloys that strengthen the otherwise soft 24ct gold. 9ct gold can also be a good choice, however, it does tend to be more brittle than 18ct, so keep that in mind.
Styles
The majority of wedding bands are either diamond set or plain. The most popular styles are half eternity rings. This means that gemstones are set on 50% or on half of the wedding band. These rings are beloved by many as the gems don’t dig into the wearer’s fingers and they have an appealing sparkle. Just as popular are the plain bands which can be easily engraved with a personal message. Full eternity rings also exist, however, as the diamonds are set on the full circumference of the ring. If you want a full eternity ring, we recommend a band with a channel setting such as this one (RD735). In this type of ring, the diamonds are set in a track on the ring, between the metal, making sure they can as easily snag on things and dig into your finger.
If none of these wedding bands takes your fancy there’s always the option of a custom-designed ring. This can be a fantastic way to get exactly what you want at the right price for your budget. You can not only choose the setting and metal but the design, engraving, width, weight and gemstones.
Men’s Wedding Bands
Men’s wedding bands don’t need to be plain or boring. Most people assume that ornate unique wedding bands aren’t available for men. This however isn’t true and men’s wedding bands can be just as beautiful as women’s. A subtle way to add more style to a men’s wedding band is through the ring’s finish. A partial brushed finish can create an intriguing effect like in this ring (G7181). Another way is through embossing. It doesn’t need to be very obvious but even subtle embossing like on this band (G7755/N) can make a difference.
If you want something truly different and out there you can also choose a wedding band set with diamonds. Just because it has a diamond doesn’t necessarily make the ring feminine. A great example is this gold 9ct ring (RD732). The band features two groves on the top and bottom with a single 0.010ct diamond set in the centre.
Did you find our quick guide to wedding rings helpful? Let us know in the comments below.
