Buying the Perfect Wedding Ring: What You Need to Know

I have to admit it — one of the best aspects of my first marriage was the wedding band. To our great fortune, one of my wife’s good friends was a jeweler. When he learned we were marrying, he insisted on designing our rings, and just as he vowed they would be, they were exquisite and one-of-a-kind.

Her engagement ring looked perfect alone, but the wedding band fit seamlessly around it. My band had a similar and complimentary design. Because he gave us the tools and the gold at cost, I was able to buy a sparklier, bigger solitaire than I ever could have otherwise, and the results were stunning.

Regardless of who designed it or how you go about getting them, wedding rings are probably the most important piece of jewelry you and your groom will ever exchange during your lives. It’s a symbol of your deepest hopes for your relationship, and something you aspire to wear for the rest of your life.

It’s not necessary for the bride and groom to have matching rings, although many choose to. Many couples also alleviate the stress of guessing games by picking out their rings together. It’s no fun wondering whether your future spouse will even like a ring you’ve bought for a lifetime of wearing.

Before you start shopping, there are a few things you should know about the most common metals you’ll encounter: gold, silver and platinum. The most common metal for wedding rings is, of course, gold. There’s more than one kind of gold, though — 14, 18 and 24 karat varieties are common.

14 karat is most commonly recommended for wedding bands, because it’s the hardest of the three, and maintains its luster better over time. Many people consider 18 and 24 karat gold more attractive, but these goals are much softer and prone to scratching and abrasions.

Silver is becoming more popular in wedding rings for reasons of price and aesthetics, but it also comes with some drawbacks. For one, silver is fairly soft and easily scratched. Also, it can tarnish if you don’t keep up on the care.

Platinum is the most precious metal of the three, and is becoming more and more popular. Pure platinum is considered too soft for rings, but jewelers typically add ruthenium and iridium, greatly increasing its hardness. The result is an extremely durable and beautiful ring.

Once you’ve chosen your metal, it’s time to focus on style. The three basic styles of wedding rings are flat bands, half-round bands and comfit bands. If turned on its side, a flat band looks like a rectangle. Flat bands can be engraved, an option that many couples find attractive. On the other hand, half-round bands — flat on the inside and arched on the top — are the most traditional. Comfit bands have an oval cross-section, and are heavier and costlier than other types. If the bride plans to wear her engagement ring with the wedding band, she should choose a style to match that ring.

From Courtney Cox and David Arquette’s A deal’s a deal to a simple infinity symbol, many couples choose to personalize their rings by having them engraved. A competent jeweler can engrave a surprising number of letters, numbers and symbols inside the ring. Popular choices include names or initials, the wedding date, Latin sayings such as Semper Fidelis, or simple statements of love such as “cherished” or “I promise.” There are no hard and fast rules governing what you should or shouldn’t engrave on your rings — it’s completely up to you.

The wedding band is jewelry you buy to wear for lifetime. For men, it may be the only piece of jewelry they wear! For these reasons, choosing the right style, metal and price is extremely important. Taking the time to discover what you want ahead of time can make all these tasks much easier — leaving you free to enjoy the moment when it’s time to peer over the jewelry cases.