Engagement rings are the head turners of the jewelry world, attracting attention with their sparkle and enjoying the limelight – literally in the case of diamonds which are at their best under good lights. But it is wedding rings that carry the burden of symbolism and the weight of a marriage. Think of the engagement as being the froth on your cappuccino – fun, light-hearted and attractive – while your marriage is the coffee – sustaining, reliable and warming. So when it comes to choosing your wedding bands, you are no longer looking for the sparkle and glitter of a diamond* but rather a sturdy and relatively simple ring that can be worn every day. Here are some points to ponder when it comes to your wedding rings.
Should They Match the Engagement Ring?
You can mix and match metals when it comes to engagement and wedding rings, so if you have opted for a white gold engagement ring to enhance the look of your diamond, you can opt for a rose gold or yellow gold wedding band to sit alongside it. Of course, the various golds are not the only metals that can be used in a wedding band, although they do tend to be the traditional metals in which wedding bands are offered.
Which metal to use and why
On the colorful metal side, there is rose gold, yellow gold and, paradoxically, white gold too. Rose gold has been alloyed with reddish metals (usually copper), which infuse it will a lovely warm hue that looks great, especially against most skin tones. It is usually also alloyed with a little silver to add some needed hardness. Without it, rose gold will be too soft for daily use, especially at the higher carat levels. 22-carat-carat yellow gold is also very soft, but it is a beautiful golden color. As it descends through 18-carat, 14-carat and 9-carat gold, it becomes progressively paler and harder. As a result, it is18 and 14-carat gold (both yellow and rose) that is most often found in wedding bands, offering good durability and a nice gleam.
White metals descend through the shades from rhodium, which is a beautiful white silver, through sterling silver, platinum and palladium, to titanium, various shades of zirconium (which are gunmetal grey and very nearly black) to tungsten carbide.
This give you a huge range of metals to choose from, and you can opt for almost black rings if you like: they are durable, touch, and quirky, sure to make your marriage memorable to all who see them!
*Stones or not
Wedding bands traditionally are just metal, but often a small gemstone is placed within the band to add a point of interest or to add to its value. You can find loose diamonds for sale and choose the cut that best suits your tastes – as long as there are two: you must have one in each band, of course!
Your wedding band might seem like a small and insignificant part of your wedding planning (which is truly arduous with so many details to go over!) but it is an important part: one that, unlike the reception, the dress, the flowers and so on, will be with you for years afterwards!
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