What Should Your Wedding Ring be Made From?
Getting married is a way of getting thrown in the deep end of being an adult with so many decisions to be made – and agreed upon without squabbling so badly that you decide to call the whole thing off! One of these decisions is picking your wedding bands. These are usually part of a matched set, so it is quite important that you have a discussion about them, sooner rather than later in the planning process. You can visit Larsen’s wedding ring guide for an in depth look into metals, gemstones and design styles.
Traditional Gold, Surely?
Of course, you can always opt for the tried and tested yellow gold bands with a sturdy thick version for strong male fingers, and the slender, more delicate seeming band for women, but you do not have to. If your engagement rings – or other jewellery that is commonly worn – are made from other metals, you might find that the variation in metals can look unsightly and lacking in harmony. If you are both happy with yellow gold and have yellow gold engagement rings, then, of course, yellow gold bands are ideal for you.
White Gold
To blend with much-loved silver or other white gold or platinum jewellery, you can opt for white gold. White gold is often yellow gold mixed with white metals such as palladium, silver and nickel. Because the proportion of gold to cheaper metals is permitted to be much lower than with platinum alloys, white gold is often a cheaper alternative. Over time the ring may show signs of yellowing. This is because white gold items are often plated with rhodium, which gives it a lovely silvery-white appearance – but it does tend to come off after a few years. You can leave your ring to temper into pale gold, or you can take it to a jeweller to be replated with rhodium, to return it to sparkling silver once again.
Platinum
Platinum is dense – and therefore heavy – and hardwearing, as well as having a natural silvery sheen that stands up fairly well to the rigours of time and washing up! Its weight can make it more expensive than white gold – but this does vary as uses of platinum in technology waxes and wanes. Reduced demand drives the price down, while innovations using the metal will push it back up again.
If you are going to design your own wedding bands and want to customize them – perhaps with a small precious stone inset into the band, for example, choose your stone first, and then decide which metal will harmonize best with the stone. Emeralds and rubies look great against yellow gold, sapphires enhance rose gold, and diamonds almost invariably look more attractive against white metals. You can buy certified loose diamonds and gemstones from reputable jewellers and dealers to be sure of getting a good quality stone.
Whichever metal you decide upon, make sure your partner is on board. After all, if the wedding is to last, you will both have to live with the consequences of that decision for many years to come!
Images via Unsplash
