Saturday, September 19, 2009

A Simple Guide to Wedding Ring Styles

The wedding rings are the ultimate symbols of the couple’s love and devotion to each other. For this reason, many couples strive to find the perfect wedding ring that will forever be a testimony of their intense feelings. This simple guide on wedding ring styles will help you and your spouse-to-be find the right pair of wedding rings to exchange on your special day.
Metal

Wedding rings come in different kinds of metals such as yellow gold, white gold, silver and platinum. Platinum is the most expensive and hardest metal that can endure many long years without acquiring scratches or losing its sheen. It also looks stylish and elegant that would go well with most jewelry like white gold and silver.

Silver, meanwhile, is at the other end of the spectrum in terms of price and durability. It is the common popular choice for couples who want to have beautiful wedding rings but cannot afford white gold or platinum. Couples who have traditional style prefer yellow gold for its timeless beauty and durability. White gold is the modern choice that costs a little more expensive than yellow gold.

If you find it hard to decide between yellow and white, two-tone bands are also a viable choice. These bands are described as the fusion of modern and traditional with both yellow gold and white gold metals incorporated into the ring.

Gemstones

Dubbed as the woman’s best friend, the diamond has always been the most popular of all gemstones. Its popularity does not come cheaply as it is also the most expensive. Other hard stones such as rubies, emeralds, and sapphires are also ideal to use in wedding rings. They can also add a touch of beauty and sophistication to the wedding ring for a lower cost.

Design

As for the design, there are endless options available to incorporate into your wedding ring. You can opt to go for simple plain bands, which even though are plain, are still beautiful and exquisite. Moreover, this kind of ring design never goes out of style. This is more suitable for men but some women also go for this choice.

Alternatively, you can also choose rings with elaborate designs. Ring designs can be anything from braided, carved, engraved, beaded, and so on. Celtic rings are some of the most sought after style in wedding rings that come with intricate Celtic knots that denote symbolic meanings and significance.

Setting

The setting of the ring’s stone is another aspect that contributes to the overall look and style of the wedding ring. The general choice among many brides is the solitaire setting wherein one stone is placed in the middle of the band as the focal point of the ring. Some of the variations of this setting are the tension setting, prong setting, and bezel setting.

Smaller stones can also be placed along the wedding band in the form of channel or pave settings. Now, if you want to incorporate both styles, you can have a solitaire ring with accents, which means there would be a large stone on the center of the band and several stone studs around it.
Wedding rings surely come in a wide variety of styles and you can easily be overwhelmed with the array of choices. But if you know the basic aspects of wedding ring styles, it would be easier for you and your partner to make your decision.