Matching or Complimentary Rings
One of the first things to consider is whether or not you decide to match or complement each other's rings. In this day and age, it is perfectly acceptable to prefer a different metal than your spouse and different style ring, although some traditionalists will disagree. To be sure you'll enjoy your rings for the years ahead, I feel it is important to choose rings that you love, and this should be utmost in your mind.
The Choice Of Metal And Budget
Many jewellers advise the lady to have the same metal wedding ring as their engagement ring. Often it is said that the different metals will wear at different rates, but if you consider you may have your engagement ring long before you get married, this can be seen as not really necessary. It is purely up to the couple to decide.
Regarding budget, 9ct gold is the cheapest precious metal which is used to make wedding rings, then Palladium, then 18ct gold, and then the finest material is Platinum, which is often described as pure, rare and eternal. 22ct gold wedding rings are rare these days but were popular in times gone by, and are also popular with the Indian community.
9ct gold is made up of 37.5 % gold, the rest is other alloys that are mixed with it, whilst 18ct gold is 75% gold and the rest other alloys. 22 ct gold rings are soft as they are 91% pure gold and thus the gold can wear more. They are also expensive in comparison to other gold rings due to the high percentage of gold. The strongest of these rings is the 9ct ring.
Palladium is from the same family as Platinum and stays true to its colour although it has a slightly grey hue in comparison to white gold or silver. It's a popular choice for men, as it is hard wearing and cost-effective.
Platinum due to its purity stays white and does not fade or tarnish. It is seen as the best metal in which to have diamonds set in as it is strong and will not give a colour cast on the diamond. Platinum is extremely rare and it is said that if all the platinum in the world was put together it would only fill up an Olympic sized swimming pool. Platinum does not wear away, if it is scratched it is a displacement of the metal and no mass is lost, it is therefore thought of as eternal.
If you choose a gold ring you have three choices in the colour - yellow gold, rose gold or white gold. Gold is ultimately yellow so if you choose a white gold wedding ring, it is mixed with white alloys and coated with rhodium to keep its shine and white look. This can wear off with age so you may have to budget to have the rings re-coated with rhodium every 2 or 3 years. This process is relatively inexpensive.
Rose gold has more copper in its composition to give it the rose colour. You can even have mixed metals in your wedding ring and mixed colours too, such as a rose gold centre and a platinum edge.
Design
There are many designs that you can have these days, from floral patterns to diamond set to plain bands, you can even have animal prints. Celtic rings are also popular in Wales, Scotland and Ireland and for those of Celtic descent.
If a lady has a classic solitaire diamond ring she may want a wedding band to fit perfectly with the ring. You can buy rings that are shaped to fit perfectly with the engagement ring or have one made to measure. She may have one of the popular diamond shoulder engagement rings and if so she may want a complimentary diamond inset wedding band too.
When selecting the width of the ring, consider the shape of your hand. Narrow bands can work best on narrow hands while wide bands are often better for broad hands, but the bottom line is always personal preference.
Pin for later
The last thing I would say is that a quality wedding ring should last you a lifetime, so always buy exactly what you want and the best you can afford.
I hope this guide has been useful and I wish you all the best in your wedding plans!
*PR collaboration
This is such a useful post for those who are out on the hunt for a wedding ring, it seems like a such a wide world of choice.
ReplyDeleteThere is a lot of choice, hope this guide helps.
DeleteSuch a great post.. I really wanted a nice simple wedding band but ended up getting a nice sparkly ring that my husband chose.. I don't think I would actually even try it on myself, but I am so happy he did the 'picking' as it is perfect!
ReplyDeleteThat's lovely that he picked the right ring for you!
DeleteI am not married and never have been, but I like the idea of matching rings. They would mean so much more.
ReplyDeleteSo interesting and useful too. I chose my wedding ring to compliment and fit nicely with my engagement ring, I love it!
ReplyDeleteThere is a lot of choice when looking for a wedding ring, this would be really helpful! I like the sparkly ones myself :-)
ReplyDeleteMe too Rebecca.
DeleteWe never "shopped" as much as we looked around for a ring that spoke to us.
ReplyDeleteEven after Lori's passing over 4 years ago,I still wear my wedding ring.
Thank you for commenting. That is so touching.
DeleteI used to love helping people pick out wedding rings when I worked in a jewellers, and having your engagement and wedding ring in the same metals is so so important for longevity x
ReplyDeleteThere is just so much choice out there, isn't there. I went for something simple, as I don't like blingy.
ReplyDeleteThis is such a useful post, a wedding ring is for life so it's important to have the one you're happy with :)
ReplyDeleteIt is, hopefully!
DeleteReally useful post it's such a huge decision! Might leave this open on the laptop 😂
ReplyDeleteI like your thinking Lucy :)
DeleteI'm 38 never been married but previous long term relationship for 10 years and now in another one for 7 year's so unsure whether it will ever happen
ReplyDeleteMy husband went out and chose mine on his own. I loved it as soon as I saw it.
ReplyDelete