One of the most important aspects of a wedding and a marriage, is of course the wedding rings. Symbols of commitment to one another, and the pivotal moment in the ceremony, wedding rings have been worn to signify unity for thousands of years.
Traditionally the wedding band and engagement ring are placed together on the ring finger of the left hand. This believed to be because the Roman's thought it contained a vein that ran directly to the heart - the Vena Amoris, or 'the vein of love'. The circular shape of the band is said to represent no beginning or end and ultimately eternal love.
Being a jewellers that specialises in engagement rings and wedding jewellery, we have a fair bit of experience in selling wedding rings, and so we thought we’d break down the process that goes into choosing the perfect bands.
Choosing Your Design
Traditionally, wedding bands are plain and simple without any added stones or embellishments. However, as times have progressed there is now a huge amount of variety available, and the sky is really the limit when it comes to wedding ring designs!
You may want to consider matching your wedding band to your engagement ring - in which case it’s worth checking our our Bridal Sets Page, or matching wedding band bespoke service. We have a large variety of Classic Plain Bands and Lab-Grown Diamond Set Bands to choose from. If you are looking for something truly unique or have a particular design in mind, you can also use our Bespoke Service.
Which Metal Type?
Once you’ve chosen your design, it’s now time to consider which precious metal type you’d like it set in. This comes down to personal preference, which is going to look best against your skin tone, the other jewellery you wear and durability. For more advice on choosing a metal type visit our Choosing Precious Metals Page.
Platinum
A naturally occurring metal, with a lustrous white shine which beautifully accentuates the sparkle of a lab-grown stone or diamond. Platinum will last forever, making it the ultimate symbol for true, enduring, and everlasting love. As it is a naturally white metal, it will always hold its beauty, meaning re-plating is unnecessary. Platinum is also extremely durable, and its density makes it the most secure setting for your lab-grown diamond or stone.
White Gold
18k White Gold is 75% pure gold mixed with white metals such as silver and palladium plated with rhodium. If you wear your ring everyday, expect that it should be re-rhodium plated approximately every 12 to 18 months. For a brighter white metal and less maintenance you may want to consider platinum instead.
Yellow Gold
18k Yellow Gold is an expert mixture of copper, silver and pure gold giving this precious metal its signature warmth and a lovely rich colour. We don't use pure 24k gold as it is too soft to be worn every day. Like all gold jewellery, yellow gold needs to be polished every 12-18 months depending on how often it is worn.
Rose Gold
The beautiful pink blushy hue of rose gold is created by using a copper alloy with the gold. Ethica Diamonds uses 18k gold with 25% copper added to the alloy, to ensure a rose colour that is more pink than red. Rose gold is also sometimes referred to as red or pink gold and can be very flattering and warming on the skin. Like all gold jewellery, rose gold will also need to be polished every 12-18 months.
Width
All our classic plain bands come in a variety of different widths ranging from 2.0mm to 7.0mm. The choice of width is complete personal preference, and depends on how you want the ring to fit and look on your finger. A thin band such as a 2.0mm will be very slim and dainty, suiting a smaller hand whereas a thick band such as 7.0mm will be much more suitable for a bigger hand. Most women's wedding rings tend to be between 2.0mm - 4.0mm and men tend to go for 4.0mm or above. It’s also worth considering the width of your engagement ring when choosing your wedding band if you want them to match.
Band Profiles
The profile or a ring refers to the shape of the band, and it affects the way the band looks and feels when you wear it. Our classic bands come in four different profile types:
Classic Court
Court wedding bands are the most traditional of all wedding bands, with a gentle curve on both the inside and outside for a natural fit on the hand. Blissfully comfortable and effortless to wear, the gentle curves of court wedding bands provide a luxurious weight and a satisfying sturdiness to the band, and is the heaviest of all wedding band profiles. This is our most popular profile, and if you have no idea what to go for, a classic court is a safe bet!
Classic Slight Court
Slight court profile wedding rings have the best of both worlds, with a rectangular shape similar to flat wedding rings, but with rounded edges for a softer and comfortable finish. Particularly popular with young couples, slight court rings are very slightly rounded on the interior and exterior edges, without the strong arc of the D shape and court profile rings. The slight court profile is a contemporary take on the court wedding ring, whilst still retaining the grace of the traditional wedding ring.
D Shaped
The D shaped wedding ring is a popular choice for those who love a classic wedding ring style. Featuring a simple flat interior for a smooth and clean fit and a gently curving exterior, much like the profile of a classic court ring to deliver a natural yet noticeable shape around the finger. Many couples love the fit of the D shape profile as it has a contemporary and comfortable feel of a flat profile ring with the traditional grace of a classic court wedding ring. Its rounded curves lend substance and a satisfying weight to the ring, making D shape rings flattering and overall a delight to wear.
Classic Flat
Court Flat court wedding rings are flat on the outside and gently curved on the inside for a comfortable fit on the hand. Contemporary design and traditional comfort are the foundations of the Flat Court wedding ring, suitable for both him and her who adore the aesthetic of modern minimalism. The simplicity of the Flat court profile makes it ideal for a his and hers matching pair, and fits well against engagement rings with a flat edge, accentuating the sparkle of any set stones.
Band Finishes
So once you’ve got your style, metal type, width and profile sorted - we can now move on to the finish! As standard, our rings are polished - which is the most traditional and classic style for a wedding band. They are reflective and shiny, catching the eye with it’s brightness. However we also have a range of different finishes which can be applied to our classic bands if you want a to customise them with something a little different. To add a finish to your wedding band, simply add the selected finish using the drop down option and corresponding number on the product page.
Engraving
A lot of our customers also customise their wedding bands by adding an engraved message to the inside. We offer this service for an additional £50 - £80, depending on how long your engraving is. We offer engraving in either script of block font as pictured below. For some inspiration on what to engrave on your wedding ring check out our blog post.
Taking Care of your Wedding Rings
Your wedding ring is something you will probably be wearing most of the time, and so there are a few things we recommend doing to keep it in tip top condition.
- Store in a safe place when not wearing - preferable in their ring box
- Clean regularly using warm soapy water and toothbrush
- Take off when doing an activity where it might extra vulnerable eg. extreme sports, the gym, swimming
- ‘MOT’s’ with a jeweller - we offer lifetime aftercare with our workshop.
For more information you can visit on our Caring For Your Jewellery page.
Purchasing your Rings
It's super easy to browse our wedding band collection online and place an order through our website, but our team are on hand from Monday to Friday to offer help and advice if you need any, just get in touch! We also offer showroom appointments where we can show you all the different wedding ring widths, metal types, profiles and finishes. This can also be a great opportunity to try the rings on, see what feels comfortable, what you like the look of and what matches your other jewellery or engagement ring. When it comes to ordering your wedding rings, please allow up to five weeks for production. We hope we can be apart of your journey!
