Top 10 Tips for picking the perfect Wedding Ring

Diamond Wedding Ring in white gold

Picking the perfect wedding ring is an important step for any couple as they are the symbol of eternal love and are likely to be worn for the rest of your life. Vashi Dominguez, CEO of DiamondManufacturers.co.uk offers his top 10 tips on how to choose the perfect wedding bands.

1. His and hers
Do you opt for identical his and her wedding rings or buy different wedding bands for you and your partner? Matching wedding rings doesn’t have to mean that you both end up with the exact same wedding ring.

2. Budget
Weddings are expensive, but a wedding ring is for life. You and your partner will need to decide how much you can realistically afford to spend on your wedding rings. Don’t get carried away by fabulous and expensive rings, but don’t buy wedding rings too cheap either and regret it in years to come. Know your budget and stick to it. Do your research and get the best wedding ring you can possibly buy for your money.

3. Combination
Will the wedding ring be worn alongside an engagement ring? If the answer is ‘yes’, then you may want to consider buying her a curved wedding ring or even one that matches and complements the engagement ring. A curved wedding ring will sit smoothly around the diamond on her diamond engagement ring. A popular choice is to have both engagement and wedding rings designed in the same metal and style.

4. Comfort
If you and your partner enjoy sports and an active lifestyle in general, you may want to opt for wedding bands that are robust, secure and don’t scratch easily. A diamond wedding ring with a whopping great stone looks fantastic, but you may find it uncomfortable in the long run. It may also scratch or get caught in clothing more easily.

5. Setting
A flush or bezel setting for a diamond wedding ring is more secure, but a prong setting allows more light to go through the diamond. In other words, a diamond solitaire ring with a prong setting creates more sparkle. Wedding rings with a bezel setting or a flush set diamond show only the top of the gems with a nice edge around it, making it less likely to catch on your clothes.

Channel Set Diamond Wedding Ring

6. Metal
Should you go for white gold wedding rings, platinum wedding bands, silver or for a yellow gold wedding ring? Silver is a relatively soft metal and will tarnish over time. Gold, whether white gold or yellow gold wedding rings, is fine as long as it not more than 18k (pure gold is 24k, whereas 18k gold is made by mixing 75% gold with 25% other metals). White gold is coated in rhodium, a metal similar to platinum, to create a real white look. Unfortunately, this thin layer of rhodium will eventually wear off. To keep a white gold ring looking its best it should be re-rhodium plated approximately every 12 to 18 months. Platinum is the strongest of the jewellery metals, resistant to damage and won’t tarnish, making it a great choice if you can afford it.

7. Style
Remember that you are likely to wear your wedding ring for the rest of your life. A ‘Twilight’ style goth ring may set your pulse racing now, but will it still be a fitting choice twenty years from now?

8. Design your own wedding ring
For something truly unique, why not design your own wedding rings? Although a wide range of beautiful pre-set wedding rings is widely available, you could decide to create your own, very personal wedding ring designs. Just remember though, that you are very likely to be wearing your wedding rings for the rest of your life.

9. Diamonds
It used to be said that the size of a diamond was proportionate to how much you loved your partner. Nowadays we know better. Quality is just as important. When you buy your diamond engagement ring or diamond wedding ring, it pays to read up on “the 4 Cs of diamonds” (cut, colour, clarity and carat weight).

10. Engravings
Engraving your wedding band is the best way to make your rings unique and personal to you. Possibly opt for your names and wedding date, or a message of your choice for a special, personal touch.