Rings

People buying their wedding rings tend to fall into two camps; those who breeze into a shop two days before the wedding, quickly choose something ‘off the peg’ that fits their finger, buy it and leave; and those who start trying on rings a year before the wedding.

Whichever camp you fall into, there are a few important factors to bear in mind when you are choosing your wedding rings.

Most importantly, do you like the look of the ring on your finger? Even if the colour of the metal or the design flouts standard jewellery ‘conventions, if you really like ring on your hand, buy it! It is better to have an unconventional wedding ring that you will always love, than to be talked into something by your partner or friends and then find yourself wishing you’d chosen something else after the wedding.

Having said this, it is important to make sure that any wedding ring you choose complements your engagement ring. Men are lucky in this regard, because few wear an engagement ring and so they have a wider choice of metals, widths and patterns. Generally, a wedding ring of the same colour and type of metal as your engagement ring looks good.

The average male finger suits a wedding ring of between 5-7mm. To help you visualize wedding rings of different widths, you can cut out some strips of paper of varying widths and wrap them around your finger. More men these days are choosing to wear a wedding ring which matches their partners’. If you would like to explore this option, you will need to speak to a designer jeweler.

Some metals are harder than others and can wear away a ring made of a softer metal of the years. 9ct gold is harder than 18ct gold and 18ct gold is harder than 22ct gold. Platinum is best worn with platinum because its heavier weight will wear away at other metals.

Some white gold rings are plated with rhodium, a member of the platinum family, to make them that little bit whiter. The rhodium plating wears off over time and causes the white gold to return to its natural creamy colour. White gold rings can be re-rhodium plated for a few pounds at any good jewelers.

Most rings can be engraved. The average ladies ring has room for 30 characters and the average gents ring has room for 50 characters. Most people choose to have their rings engraved with their names and the date of the wedding. The advantage of had engraving is that your choice of lettering will be wider and a good hand engraver can even copy your handwriting, making the wedding rings that little bit more personal.

If you intend to have your rings custom made for you then it is important that you leave enough time for the rings to be made. It is recommended that you place your order up to eight weeks before the wedding. Whilst a wedding ring can be made in less that three weeks, a ring set with stones and engraved with your choice of wording will take longer. Make sure that you try your wedding rings on at least a week before the wedding so any alterations to size can be made before your big day.

By: Nicholas Wylde

Nicholas Wylde (Goldsmith) Ltd
www.nicholaswylde.com