Style, fit, and taste are also essential to any union. So, how do you ensure your wedding ring is the right fit for both of you? Indeed, many concerns and deliberations go into this investment, both financial and emotional.
This article is a wedding ring guide for all the details you need to remember before shopping for a wedding and to seal the deal.
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Understanding Different Metals:
Gold and Silver
These two are arguably some of the most popular choices for jewelry material. Both are primarily inert, hypoallergenic precious metals, which are great for people with sensitive skin. Depending on your undertone, you might suit either one better.
Generally, people with warmer skin undertones suit gold, and people with more fantastic, bluish undertones fit silver or gold wedding rings. Gold is far more expensive due to more laborious mining practices and less availability than silver. Let’s now discuss some of the pros and cons of different wedding ring metals.
Pros of Gold
- It is highly resistant to wear, and pure gold wedding rings never lose their shine and luster.
- It is close to inert and hence widely wearable even for sensitive skin.
- It is highly precious and holds immense cultural significance.
Cons of Gold
- It is pretty expensive.
- It might not suit all skin tones.
Pros of Silver
- Looks great on people with cooler undertones
- It is less expensive but looks just as cheque
- Hypoallergenic
Cons of Silver
- Relatively common and not as precious as a wedding ring
2. Popular Wedding Ring Styles
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Classic: If you’re into a more minimalist look but still like to leave an impression, this might be the right choice! Here, it’s all about the stone and its brilliance, which makes it essential to choose the best cut, clarity, and color for your classic wedding rings. A solitaire is arguably the most structurally sound and durable shape. The round shape is more complex to achieve, making it more expensive and luxurious.
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Modern: For a modern take on the best wedding ring styles band, you can choose from several styles. Art Deco, cubism, and other abstract art styles are sure to set any modern wedding ring. A ring resembling industrial styles or a leaning into art nouveau will be hard to beat.
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Vintage: Most good quality rings and ornaments can be passed down multiple generations. There’s a lot of inspiration available when it comes to vintage wedding rings; you can try replicating its material or styles in your custom cuts! This is where you can take full advantage of the fact that you can tinker with the color of lab-grown moissanite to give you a mosaic effect reminiscent of murals and paintings.
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Custom designs: You can customize your ring through the material, color, shape, and gemstone. For instance, if you get gold custom wedding rings, you could pick a white or rose gold hue. You can play around with the shape of the gems, choosing between many shapes such as solitaire, heart, diamond, etc.
3. Setting Your Budget For Wedding Band
Factors affecting the cost of wedding rings
Several practical matters go into determining how expensive your ring will be.
- The construction of the ring is a significant determinant of how much it costs. More intricate and detailed designs are generally priced higher than simpler ones.
- The material, purity, and rarity will play a part in determining the cost of the ring. The purer the metal, the higher it may cost.
- There are several stones and gems to choose from to adorn your ring. In some cases, you can also determine how they are sourced. For example, lab-grown diamonds can be prepared to meet your purity level and cost less than natural diamonds.
Tips for budgeting
It is easy to overspend when choosing a wedding band because of the high stakes and expectations that go into it. But it’s important to reign yourself in and set a realistic budget based on your financial circumstances. Wedding rings come in a wide price range, so there’s a high chance that there’s something ideal for you, no matter how small or big your budget is. Some strategies for this include:
- Purchasing wedding rings should be made without incurring debts. Having a range for yourself can help you streamline the best options for material, stores, design, etc.
- Lab-grown colored stones are some of the most cost-effective ways to choose tones.
4. Customizing Your Wedding Ring
Engravings
Throughout history, love poetry has been one of the highest praises for romance. Unsurprisingly, several traditions include engraving poetry in wedding and engagement rings. After the Romans popularized ring exchange as a part of courting, the English started the tradition of poesy rings from the 16th century onwards. This gave rise to the culture of concealing a message in a ring only for your beloved to see!
Custom settings
One of the ways to stand out is to move away from the generic formula of diamonds and pick custom wedding ring designs. When choosing your foundation, pay attention to the cut, the clarity, the color, and, of course, the carats of your ring.
Unique Designs
There are also avant-garde options when it comes to ring design. For a completely distinct look, you can look into asymmetrical shapes, large embellishments, and gemstones with occlusions.
5. Final Tips and Considerations For Wedding Rings
Ring sizing
As our body changes with age, rings and jewelry might need to be resized. This is one of the most common repair forms, making them easy to find. It includes soldering, where an open flame attaches a piece of metal, such as gold or silver, to itself. It also uses a mix of alloy and precious metal to lower the melting point of the ring so that it can be effectively resized.
In this process, professionals can also help repair the ring channels that snuggle and hold onto the precious stones on them.
Maintenance
Often, rings can sustain damage like scratches or major wear and tear, such as chemical damage. In such cases, the only way to revive the ring is to take it to a trusted atelier for repair who will use techniques like:
- Rhodium plating: This mainly concerns the repair of white gold jewelry. Over time, the rhodium layer can wear off, revealing the bright yellow metal color within. Replating it with rhodium imparts a bright silver-white color.
- Welding involves using a laser to fix two pieces of metal together. It fuses two metal pieces by meeting them at concentrated temperatures. This is one of the safest repair methods for cracks and crazes, as it doesn’t heat the area outside the weld.
- Polishing: This involves removing any noticeable scuffs and scores on the surface of the metal.
Insurance
Wedding rings are a financial investment, and just like any other expensive purchase, having them insured is a good idea. That way, you can claim damages or seek warranties upon any unexpected tarnishment or wear.
Conclusion
With that, we come to a close on the comprehensive guide to choosing the perfect wedding ring. Marriage as a union between people is filled with beauty and hardships. A good ring is a testament to your strength and endurance.
