Hello everyone. Today we’re talking about how to choose the perfect wedding rings.
Proposing to your girlfriend or boyfriend is probably one of the most nerve-racking experiences that anyone will go through. Most of us spend a fair amount of time researching which engagement ring to choose, spending a lot of hours online or maybe even going into a local jewelry store to do some browsing.
It usually involves high-pressure sales people trying to convince you to spend more money than you wanted to or buying something that is completely not your style. Despite all the time you spend trying to find the perfect ring for your future fiancé most of us don’t spend as much time figuring out which wedding rings they should buy. It is quite often we end up with a basic plain wedding bands.
Of course there is nothing wrong with classic and simple wedding bands, but I think it’s important to make sure that your wedding rings are well fitted, comfortable and most of all suit your style.
Let’s start by discussing types of wedding bands. First you have your classic wedding band this is your traditional wedding ring. It doesn’t have any stones or engravings on the outside or any carving. It’s timeless, it is traditional and it’s one of the best and most popular choices.
Next you have your carved wedding bands. These type of wedding rings can either have beveled edges or different shapes, but they don’t have a completely smooth surface like a traditional wedding bands. They can also be etched or just have other little design elements that make them a little bit unique.
Then you have diamond wedding bands. Now if you want something a little bit flashy a diamond band might be the way to go. There are no really specific rules here. You could have one embedded or it could be channel cut with a row of diamonds.
If you don’t like diamonds you could go with a synthetic diamond or an alternative like some sort of gemstone. You could go with your favorite color like ruby or sapphire or even onyx. Now if you do go with a wedding band that has diamonds or gemstones in, it it’s probably going to be slightly more expensive. Especially if you do diamonds and you know the more diamonds it has the more expensive it’ll be.
Next up you have your alternative wedding bands. These are made from non-traditional metals like titanium or cobalt or chrome. These definitely have contemporary look and I think usually guys who already wear a lot of jeweler will choose something like this versus something more classic.
You can also find wedding rings made out of wood or silicone, which are made from medical grade silicone. They are great choice if you live a very active lifestyle, as they fit very securely around your finger and they won’t get snagged on anything.
They’re also a great choice for food service workers or fire fighters, who are not allowed to wear metal rings/metal jewelry.
Let’s talk about the different types of materials that are often used for wedding bands. Let’s be honest here if you had to pick the perfect metal for your ring it would probably be Adamantium . It is practically indestructible metal alloy and only exists in the fictional Marvel Universe. If you can’t find this material anywhere fortunately you still have some exotic options here that look amazing in wedding pictures.
Our first choice would platinum. It is one of those popular metals used in rings which are a bit ironic because it’s actually one of the rarest elements found in nature. It’s a white silver metal which is very durable and offers a very sophisticated look. It’s hypoallergenic so if you’re allergic to other precious metals such as silver or gold, platinum might be a good option.
Our next choice as a material for your wedding rings might be palladium. Now palladium is a metal found within the platinum family so as you might expect the two metals look and feel pretty much the same. Palladium is a tiny bit lighter so if you really like that barely there feeling palladium is a good way to go. Palladium is also typically more affordable than platinum.
Next we have white gold. Now this is definitely one of the most popular types of metal for men’s wedding bands. White gold is made with rhodium which is a soft metal that’s found in the palladium family. It can also be plated with nickel or silver or something else to give it that white gold look. Regardless of what it’s plated with it’s always going to have that bright white color.
One caveat – a white gold ring will fade after about 10 to 15 years so if you’d like you can get it replated and that’s one of the other advantages of platinum over white gold.
Our last choice is yellow gold. Now this is a very classic color. It gives off a soft pleasant glow and it’s noticeable but understated. I think yellow gold is a really good choice especially if you like other gold accessories like gold watches or necklaces.
Gold purity is measured in karats. Each karat is one twenty-fourth of a gold portion so pure gold is a 24 karat gold. If you have 14 karat gold that’s 14 parts gold and then the rest of it is another metal. Don’t assume that pure gold like 24 karat gold is better than 14 or 18 karat gold. Once you go lower than 18 karats it gets significantly less expensive and it becomes a lot more durable, because it has that harder more durable metal mixed in.
Another popular option for wedding bands is so called rose gold. This metal is a mix of gold and copper and usually with a dash of silver. Depending on the exact amounts of each metal, the wedding rings are either going to have more of a reddish or a pinkish tint.
I get it not every guy wants a pink ring but it does create a very distinctive kind of vintage look. Rose gold is really good for some skin tones. Best way is to try it on and see if you matches your skin tone.
Now let’s look at sizing of wedding rings. There’s a difference between ring fit and ring size. If a ring is too big even just a little bit it can slide right off your finger, especially if you’re swimming or if you’re doing dishes or taking a shower. Then again if it’s too small it can damage your circulation so you want to find a ring that fits perfectly.
In order to find your ring size you can go to a local jewelry store and get measured in person. Most stores are going to do this for free.
Another option is to use an online sizing tool like the one at James Allen website. This allows you to size your finger from the comfort of your home. Some jewelry companies actually send you a free ring sizing kit that you can use to find the exact size.
And remember you can always get your ring adjusted for size for that perfect fit.
Let’s talk about width of your wedding bands – one of the most important aspects of your wedding ring. You can have a very wide band, you can have a more narrow band and it’s really going to change the way it looks on your finger.
For guys out there a narrow band is anywhere in the three and a half to five millimeters wide. The average is probably about six or six and a half and then a wider band will be eight or nine millimeters wide. I wear a four millimeter band which think is a really good size for my hand. There are no rules how wide the wedding band should be but the size of the ring should complement the side of your hands. It’s should be about proportions and the final look.
I think a lot of jewelry stores will push you to get wider bands because that’s seen as more masculine but I really I don’t agree with that. I think that you should shop for a band that fits your finger and your hand.
When it comes to the fit you really have two types of fits. There’s your standard traditional fit and there’s your compact fit. I will take mine off here to show you. So I have a traditional fit and then this is a comfort fit. And as you can see a traditional fit basically has a flat inside and the comfort fit has a convex shape on the inside, which it makes the ring slide on and off your finger a little easier.
I personally don’t see too much of a difference and I like that the traditional fit sits a little closer to your finger so the height off your finger is a little shorter. Keep in mind though you can have a traditional fit or a comfort fit and that’s not going to affect the shape of the outside of your ring. This is more about how the ring fits and feels on your finger.
If you have a bigger ring like an 8 or 9 millimeter comfort fit is probably the way to go.
Finally we have to talk about shape of the profile of your ring. This is especially important if you go with a classic wedding band. Now there are a lot of different words to describe it and it can get a little bit confusing.
I’m going to break down really simply – think of a shape or profile as a spectrum, on one end of the spectrum you have flat rings and on the other end of the spectrum you have D-shapped rings, or domed shaped rings. It comes off your finger in that D-shaped and that makes it very tall so it’s going to sit farther off your finger. You’re going to feel it when you put your fingers together and a dome shape is kind of classic traditional fit it’s a little more retro in my opinion.
On the other side of the spectrum you have a totally flat shape which is very modern and contemporary but in-between domed and flat there’s a ton of middle ground. You can have slightly curved or slightly flat or slightly domed and I think that this middle ground is actually a great place to shop. It offers a nice blend of classic and timeless but also kind of contemporary.
So this is it guys. I hope this article will help you choose the perfect wedding band or at least make it a little easier. Remember these things are designed to last a lifetime so I think it makes sense to put in a little bit extra time and effort and really find that one that you’re going to love wearing.
How to choose a perfect wedding ring
Source: YouTube Toronto Wedding Photographer