Choosing the right wedding ring may, at first, seem like a relatively easy decision and all too often a task that is put on the long finger in the lead up to your wedding day. With the excitement and celebrations of your engagement followed by the mind numbing number of decisions required in the lead up to a wedding, making a decision on which wedding ring to choose is often set aside. In recent years couples have been moving away from having matching wedding bands to incorporating more individuality into their rings.
You choose rings of a similar shape and style and then customise them by having different engravings, finishes, and so on. The possibilities are endless! Just remember that above all else, your wedding ring should be something that reflects your personality, your love and commitment to your significant other, and your own personal taste.
There is no right or wrong style, shape, or way to wear it. Whatever you like best is what you should get, so go with your heart – it's been right so far with finding your significant for you! Believe us when we say, you will always have your memories. You'll look back through your wedding album or rewatch your wedding video to bring you back to that special day.
But it is your wedding rings that you will wear each and every day, as a reminder and symbol of the commitment you will make to each other. So before you rush out in panic and choose the first wedding ring you see, here are just a few important points to consider before you make your decision.
So What Wedding Ring will suit you?
This is a ring you will wear for the rest of your life so we know you want to get this right! As a jewelry designer and silversmith, we have been working with couples to create their perfect wedding rings for over 20 years. We also redesign wedding rings for those that may have been a little too hasty in choosing their wedding band or simply lacked the budget at the time. We create and adapt designs to suit the individual couples personal style, everything from stunning contemporary Claddagh Wedding Rings in white Gold to contemporary plain men's rings with engravings. So let us share a few questions you should ask yourself to avoid pitfalls and buyers regret when choosing one of the most important items you will ever purchase.
Gold or Silver Wedding Bands?
The first decision and usually the easiest is what metal you'd like for your wedding ring. While the majority of brides choosing the same metal and carat as their engagement ring and grooms sticking with the same tone of jewelry they normally wear. The most popular of the precious metals used are white gold and gold. If those that don't normally wear jewelry, yellow or white gold looks particularly well on olive skin and white gold or platinum tend looks particularly nice on fair skin. But of course this will be very much down to style preferences
Once you've chosen your metal, decide on the carat of the metal. The higher the carat, the more valuable the ring will be. In saying that, gold by nature is a malleable metal meaning a lower carat will show less signs of wear and tear over time. The reason, of course, is the higher content of harder metal alloys improve the durability of lower carat wedding rings.
Also worth considering, a high carat yellow gold will be more 'yellow' in colour than in the lower carats.
Beware if you have 18 carat next to 9 carat, the harder alloy (9 carat) will wear down the 18 carat over time. So if possible, keep the carats of your wedding and engagement rings equal.
Style and Shape
Many grooms prefer a wider flat band. These tend to range from 4mm to 6mm in width depending on finger size. For ladies, the wedding ring and engagement ring will usually be of the same thickness. Wedding rings for women range from 2.5mm which is an extremely light and narrow band all the way up to 4mm band width. For long or narrow fingers the thin bands generally look best and for those of us with a broader finger we can carry off a wider band.
There are a number of different shapes to choose form for your ring. This is known as the 'profile' which is how the ring looks when you view it as a cross section. Curved or Oval profiles known as court are slightly rounded on both the interior and exterior. A rectangular profile is called a flat wedding band on both sides with straight edges. Then there is a easi-fit (flat court) profile which is flat on the outside and rounded on the inside.
Which Finish should you choose for your rings?
Finally, consider the finish you would like your wedding ring to have. An engagement ring will more often than now be highly polished and you may wish for your wedding ring to be the same. Other finishes are also available and such as hammered or satin/matte to add texture. Below are examples of these three finishes.
Matching your Engagement Ring
For the brides-to-be we are sure you will want your wedding ring to compliment your engagement ring! It is usually best for your wedding band to be be of equal thickness, the same or complimenting metals. A wedding ring of equal measurements to your engagement ring will wear at the same rate. For unusually shaped engagement ring it is best to order a custom wedding band to ensure they fit perfectly together. Below is an example of a custom wedding ring we created for one of our customers.
Wedding Ring Tradition
Couples have been giving wedding rings to one another since ancient Roman times, and probably much earlier than that too. Tradition dictates that the ring is worn on the fourth finger of the left hand, as the vein from this finger leads directly to the heart. Although the wearing of rings originated in Europe, it has now spread to the rest of the western world and even to some other cultures and religions too. In the United States, wedding rings were originally only worn by the wife. The tradition of each partner exchanging rings only became popular in the 20th century after a clever marketing campaign by American jewelers.
In medieval Europe the giving of rings was also linked with giving money; a leather purse of gold and silver coins was supposedly given by the groom to the bride after the ring with the words 'with this ring I thee wed, this gold and silver I give thee.' During these times weddings weren't exactly the romantic affair they are today, and were mostly about creating a legal contact between two families recognised by the church. Sometimes the entire wedding was conditional until an exchange of money was made!
Other cultures today also have variations of the ring tradition. In India for example, it is common for the woman to wear a toe ring, sometimes along with a ring on the hand. An iron bangle, called an 'ioha', is another common custom. In Romania couples exchange silver rings on their 25th anniversary which sit alongside their original gold rings.
You may also be interested in visiting our online store to view our range of
If you like any of our designs and would like to make any alternations we would be designed to discuss this with you.