Many clients searching for their wedding rings come into the shop looking for ‘oh just something simple – plain gold band’. Little do they know...
Shapes
All rings come in different shapes, but with your wedding ring – something you will wear every day – it is important that your chosen piece is as comfortable as it is pretty. There is a wealth of shapes available beyond the traditional ‘flat’ and ‘court’ as outlined here:
Widths
Most wedding bands start at around a 3mm width, with 4-6mm being the most popular. It is worth remembering however that the thicker shapes (like the halo or traditional court) will mean more bulk as the ring gets wider (resulting in the wearer being less able to close their fingers completely together).
Neither the shape nor the width of a ring have a significant impact on the price of a ring by themselves – these are simply design features – but rather, taking the two factors together, along with the overall weight of the design will determine how much metal is needed to produce the chosen ring, which of course is where the cost lies.
Materials
Wedding rings are made from all sorts of things these days (hypoxi-resin, wood, murano glass etc), but the precious metals remain the most popular:
Gold is of course the most common. It remains popular since, even amidst the recent rising prices, a plain band needn’t be all that expensive, is fairly hardwearing and of course comes in the yellow, white and rose colour. The carat of the gold refers to the content of gold (versus other metals) out of 1000 parts: 9 carat gold contains 375 parts gold to 625 parts other metals and 18 carat gold contains 750 parts gold to 250 parts other metals.
Platinum is the purest of metals (hallmarked platinum contains 950 parts platinum to just 50 parts other metal), and is traditionally the most precious – with the price tag to match! If cost is no object, this is certainly the luxe option.
Titanium has enjoyed a period of popularity due to its attractive colour (particularly for men’s rings), but is not widely recommended by jewellers since titanium rings can rarely be re-sized, leaving the wearer to bear the cost of a new ring should their finger size change over time.
For those wanting something a little different, palladium is a fantastic option since it is harder than platinum (and therefore more hard-wearing), and since it can be produced in 500 parts, 950 or 999 parts, can prove an inexpensive way of purchasing a white metal ring.
Production
There are two main production methods in circulation. Cast rings are much cheaper to produce, saving the buyer money, but rings produced by this method can be porous, meaning less gold content and leaving the ring less hard-wearing.
Alternatively, weddings bands can be milled – a process whereby a strip of metal is rolled around and sealed before being sealed and polished.
There is also a third method, known as stamping, but since this requires expensive specialist machinery, and doesn’t allow for any design embellishment, it is rarely seen on the high street.
Settings and finishes
Modern wedding rings come in a wonderful range of finishes with all sorts of decoration. Diamond set rings are proving increasingly popular (although clients do find that when combined with an engagement and eternity ring, their finger gets a little to ‘bling’ to handle), with beaded edges, engraved patterns and bi-colour stripes also selling well. All of these options do add to the overall cost however.
A slightly more cost effective way to obtain a pretty look is to opt for one of the many finishes available – plain polished (the shiny look that you see most often in jewellery) can be replaced with a variety of brushed, hammered or a satin looks
Engraving
Engraving your wedding ring is a lovely and romantic way to personalise your purchase. New rings (as long as they are not hollow or porous) can be laser engraved direct from the manufacturer or machine engraved, however any engraving by this method will not outlive the ring itself.
Hand engraving does cost more, but offers more depth and character and a far better life expectancy.
Care
Plainer wedding bands should require little more care day to day than a hand polish with a soft cloth, although embellished rings may require soaking in warm water with a little washing-up liquid.
Platinum and white gold rings are rhodium plated to give them the best white appearance. Over a period of some years, this plating will wear off and will need replacing in order to look as good as new.
Many customers choose to purchase wedding bands of the same material as their engagement ring so that the rings will wear at the same rate. This is the ideal scenario, but it is also worth noting that all metals will wear over time anyway.
Obviously when it comes to your final choice, there can be no substitute for trying a range on and seeing how they suit your hand, but hopefully our guide has offered you a little food for thought!
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