.png)
Written by Phillip from Bespoke Wedding Rings Edited by Your Best Day Ever
A wedding ring has been the symbol of the union of two people for hundreds of years. For much of that time a simple metal band in gold has been the traditional wedding ring, the circle being never ending to symbolise never ending love. It is worn on the third finger of the left hand, the Romans thought there was a vein that ran from that finger to the heart called the Vena Amoris or the vein of love. These days many traditions have been relaxed and in recent years, although still worn on the ring finger, the diamond band has become the favoured option. However, in these more liberal times anything goes so some people let their imagination run wild and design some really unusual wedding rings in a variety of materials.
Whatever you choose your wedding ring represents your marriage, love and commitment for each other and in that respect, you want it to last a lifetime. I know from my own experience that you will look at it over and over throughout you life not for the piece of jewellery that it is but for what it represents.
You would think choosing a ring is straight forward but there are millions of options and in this blog we wanted to give you some brief information to help you choose the right ring for you.
1: Finger Size
For both you and your partner you need to know your finger size. As your finger size will change in different temperatures its useful to check it a number of times in different conditions. Amazon sell adjustable ring sizers for under £2 and it is well worth getting one. ABELINI Ring Sizer Measures Ring Sizes UK - A to Z with Ring Size Guide Including Ring Size Chart for Men and Women.: Amazon.co.uk: Jewellery
Make sure the sizer can slide on and off your finger and there is enough resistance at the knuckle for it not to fall off.
2.: Metal
Consider what metal you would like your ring made from. If you have an engagement ring it is preferable generally to have the same metal as your engagement ring. The two rings will then be the same colour. The main choices are yellow white and rose in gold, platinum which is like white gold in colour and palladium which is like platinum but with a slightly gun metal grey colour.
Try and keep the hardness of the metal the same for both rings. If your engagement ring is 18 carat gold then try and choose a wedding ring of the same carat. 18ct is a soft metal and 9ct is much harder so if they are put together the 9ct ring will wear away the 18ct ring.
If your job is physical but you want to wear your ring the whole time choose a durable metal such as platinum, palladium or 9ct yellow or rose gold. 9ct white gold is hard wearing but the rhodium plating that gives it that beautiful finish will wear off very quickly.
3: Shape, width, profile and weight
The shape of your wedding ring may be dictated by your engagement ring. If you have an unusually shaped engagement ring you may need a shaped wedding ring to fit around it but It is important to look closely at how your engagement ring sits on your finger. Most modern large engagement rings particularly cluster and halo rings, although large to look at, are designed so that a straight ring can sit under the stones. Where the stones sit tight to the skin there are a variety of standard shaped rings available which may sit well with your engagement ring or failing that a wedding ring can be made to fit around or against your engagement ring. At BWR-London we have shaped rings that we can send you in the post to try on with your engagement ring Shaped Rings - Bespoke Wedding Rings London (bwr-london.co.uk) and we also have a shaped to fit service where we can take your engagement ring into the workshop and make a wedding ring around it Shaped To Fit - Bespoke Wedding Rings London (bwr-london.co.uk)
Width is a matter of personal preference. If you wear an engagement ring, then it is popular to have a wedding band that is a similar width. If you go for a wider ring, then it is a matter of personal choice but try on different width rings to see what looks best on your finger. Rings are generally made in sizes from 1mm up to 10mm and popular sizes for men are 5mm-7mm and for ladies 1.5mm to 4mm. At BWR-London we can send you 3D prints of rings in various widths so you can try them on in the comfort of your own home and decide in your own time without any pressure.
The shape of the ring if cut through is known as the profile. Generally rings will have a curved or flat outer face and a curved or flat inner face (curved being easier to get on and off and supposedly more comfortable to wear.) Consider the thickness of the ring at the edge, particularly if wearing with an engagement ring. A D-shaped ring has a curved face with a very thin edge which can be good if it needs to slide under the stones of an engagement ring. A court ring has a curved face with a thick edge which looks a lot chunkier and may not sit so well against another ring.
The weight of a ring is the thickness of a ring and these thicknesses are available in most ring profiles. Extra thin, thin, medium, thick, extra thick. Medium is the most popular for many types of ring. Thicker rings look chunkier and tend to be used when diamonds or other gemstones are being set into the ring.
Its important to remember that the larger, wider or thicker the ring the more it will cost as more precious metal has to be used Plain Rings - Bespoke Wedding Rings London (bwr-london.co.uk) .
Diamonds and other gemstones
Diamond wedding bands are very popular at the moment and there are many to choose from. The diamonds can be a variety of shapes and can be set in many ways claw, pave, channel or rub over settings being the most popular.
If a diamond band is to be shaped then pave setting is the most used or channel set with round diamonds.
Patterned rings
Patterned rings offer a chance for the wearer to have an input in the design. There are many designs available both hand cut and for more intricate designs laser cut. Patterned rings generally have to be on medium or thicker base ring to enable the engraving
Two colour rings
Rings can be made using more than one metal in the same ring for example yellow gold and palladium or rose and white gold and this can create some very attractive designs Portfolio - Bespoke Wedding Rings London (bwr-london.co.uk) .
General price ranges
In their raw form prices of the metals and diamonds vary on a day to day basis. At BWR-London we try to be as competitive as we can on price and our rings start at under £100.
An example of some popular rings are as follows:
A 3mm wide medium court shaped band for an average ladies finger size :
9ct white gold is around £200 18ct white gold around £400 platinum around £400
Diamond bands start from around £500 and can go up to around £2,500 depending on the number and size of stones
For a wider mans ring I would suggest a budget of between £500-£1000 depending on metal, size and thickness
At BWR-London we charge £96 to hand engrave a pattern on a ring
£140 to Laser engrave a pattern
£36 per ring to engrave inside the ring
£140 for our shaped to fit service (excludes the cost of the ring)
Although very brief I hope that the above has been useful
You can see many examples of the different types of rings on our website https://BWR-London.co.uk/portfolio/
We also have a free 12 page guide to buying wedding rings so if you would like to find out more please message us now with your e-mail address and we’ll send you a free copy.
If you have any questions or would like any help at all in finding your dream wedding rings please do not hesitate to contact us. We have adapted operating procedures during Covid to give you the same high level of service as we used to on our home visits and we are fully able to help you remotely over the phone and internet.
Philip 07973 960959
philip@BWR-London.co.uk
Comments