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What is the best diamond wedding ring for your finger? We help you decide.
Deciding on your wedding ring can be an involved affair. After all, you will be wearing this piece of jewellery for the rest of your life. Things can get complicated when you decide you want a diamond wedding ring. We go through some of the things to consider when choosing the style of diamond wedding band to suit your finger.
Are You Matching an Engagement Ring?
Many countries and cultures around the world do not share the tradition of the bride-to-be wearing an engagement ring in anticipation of marriage. We can thank clever marketing from DeBeers in the 50’s and 60’s to convince us that a diamond ring is a necessity at a time in most couples’ lives when they can least afford it. Go to South America or Eastern Europe and you will find a matching pair of wedding rings for the bride and groom, with no engagement ring in sight. Really, the idea of a big shiny rock to represent an engagement is largely just a thing in the English-speaking world.
If you are one of the lucky ladies planning to wear a wedding ring as an accompaniment to an engagement ring, then you need to find something that works. When we say works, we don’t mean matches. Too many brides obsess with finding a diamond wedding ring that is the perfect match for an engagement ring. From our experience, unless the wedding ring and engagement ring have been designed as a matching set, this can be a fruitless task. You should look for a wedding ring that compliments and enhances your engagement ring.
Thankfully, many engagement ring manufacturers are now creating a matching diamond wedding ring with each engagement ring design. In addition, most modern engagement ring designs are created as wed-fit. This means that the mount for the diamond is set a little higher on the band to accommodate a snug fit for a wedding ring underneath. So, when you are engagement ring shopping, be sure to ask if the ring you are considering is wed-fit or if a matching wedding ring has been designed for it. You will thank yourself when you go wedding ring shopping, knowing which ring you want and how much you expect to pay well in advance.
What Width Should I Choose for My Wedding Ring?
The easiest solution is to match the width of the band of your engagement ring. Most engagement rings will be between 2mm and 3mm wide. Feel free to break the rules, however, bear in mind that if you go too wide your wedding ring will think it is the star of the show and look to overshadow your engagement ring.
What Diamond Setting Should I Choose for My Wedding Ring?
Certainly, if you are going for a band of diamonds, you should start with a half eternity style. A full eternity means that the diamonds go all the way around the band of the ring. A full eternity is great to wear on special occasions, but not for everyday use. With no top or bottom to the ring, the diamonds are constantly exposed to wear and tear increasing the chance of a diamond falling out. A half eternity wedding ring, on the other hand is perfect to be worn every day as the diamonds are always facing up.
Broadly speaking, half eternity bands come with two settings; channel set or claw. A channel-set wedding ring features a row of diamonds set into a channel. This is the most secure setting for diamonds as the rims on either side of the channel provide a high level of protection for the diamonds. A pure channel setting is where the diamonds are slotted into the channel from one end which is then closed in once the channel is full. On close expectation, you will often discover that each diamond in a channel setting is held securely in its own mico-claw setting. A claw setting features the diamonds in an open setting with four claws holding the diamond in place. Prong and pave are variations of this setting. This setting has the advantage of exposing more of the diamond to light and increasing the sparkle. The disadvantage is that the setting is also more exposed, increasing the chance of a diamond loosening or even falling out over time. We recommend that you get your wedding ring cleaned and polished (and dipped if it is white gold) every couple of years and get the settings checked at the same time.
The job of choosing the setting for your wedding ring is made easy if your engagement ring already has diamond shoulders. Just match this setting and you can’t go wrong.
What Diamond Shape Should I Choose for My Wedding Ring?
Most diamond wedding rings are set with round brilliant diamonds. Occasionally, brides might choose a different diamond shape to match the diamond shape in an engagement ring. The most common shapes are princess cut or baguette. However, it is common to choose a setting of round brilliants to match a fancy cut solitaire. In particular, don’t be afraid to match round brilliants with a princess cut engagement ring. A round brilliant has more facets to reflect off, so will give a much more radiant sparkle effect than a row of square diamonds.
Rules Are There To Be Broken
Feel free to tear up the rule book. Remember, beauty is in the eye of the beholder. Trust your instincts. If you try on something you like, go with it regardless of what everyone else thinks. Mix metals if you wish. Try rose gold with platinum, or a combination of white and yellow gold. Also, consider a contemporary wedding ring to go with a traditional engagement ring. Why not? You might be surprised what works.
View our range of diamond wedding rings.
