I can't stop looking at it now the wedding's over. It all went by in a bit of a haze and I kind of feel sad that I've not got the wedding to look forward to anymore. What am I going to do with all my time now?
If you read my post on Buying an Engagement Ring on a Budget, I outlined the 4 C's of diamond buying - Cut, Clarity, Colour and Carat. All are very important when finding the perfect ring for your big day and also need to be taken into consideration if you're looking for a wedding band with stones in. Of course, the 4 Cs only really apply to Diamonds, so if you're just getting a plain band, don't give yourself the added stress!
There a lots of different places and ways to buy wedding rings. Whether you shop in a local independent jewellers, a larger chain, online, from a catalogue or get yours specially made, every bride is different and has different tastes so there needs to be the options to suit those different needs. Some brides like antique jewellery, some will use family heirlooms, and some love the simplicity of a plain thin band. Wedding rings could not be more personal, so don't let anyone tell you what you should have, I mean, it's going to be on your finger, not theirs!
My engagement ring wasn't the standard solitaire diamond* that people would usually class as an engagement ring like those found in the likes of F Hinds. As I said, it's each to their own, and I'd had my eyes and heart set on this stunning Ruby and Diamond halo ring for years. Each time I went in my local jewellers, I'd tell the jeweller (now a family friend) to save it for me. And he did! With this gorgeous ring on my finger for almost 2 years, I had a long time to think about what I wanted to lay beside it. Being such a unique shape, it was quite hard finding a ring that fit around it perfectly, or one that lay nicely so that the rings weren't too far apart.
I searched online on all the major jewellery chains, looking at all the different styles they had to offer before I ruled any particular design out. Looking online is so convenient, even though you can't physically put the two rings side by side, you can still get a pretty good idea of what they'd look like and you can get some pretty good prices and offers.
Your options for metals is what you need to look at first. You can choose from Silver (which isn't really recommended as it's quite weak and bendable), white gold, yellow gold and platinum. I personally would recommend 18K gold as it's more durable and less likely to warm and bend over time, and less likely to scratch than 9K. If you can afford it, go platinum, always.
You'll also want to look at the thickness of the band and compare it to the band of your engagement ring to make sure they either match or complement each other well. Next is the setting of the stones you may want, if any. There's so many to choose from, there's channel setting, pavé, bar, flush etc. There's just so many ways to set a stone, all giving a different look.
In the end, I went back to my family jeweller and had mine custom made to fit perfectly around my engagement ring, had the inner section of the band thickness matched perfectly and chose the type, setting and placement of the diamonds to ensure that it complemented my engagement ring and didn't detract from it in any way.
Sitting down with your jeweller was great to better understand what was possible and get an idea of costs upfront. For me, I've had rings repaired so many times that it was important to have a ring that was durable and the stones couldn't fall out and I really wanted to include diamonds as they are my birth stone... and a girl's best friend! I was also able to discuss budget and work out how many stones, how big they would be, where they fall within the 4Cs and what I could actually get for my money. Even if you're planning to shop online, getting this expert knowledge is super helpful.
It's important to keep checking back with your jeweller if you're getting your ring made too, as you can make sure it will be exactly as you want it. I was able to try it on a few times before it was finished, and see it at each stage, so there were no last minute disasters.
When choosing the perfect wedding ring, just remember it's what you want and don't settle for anything less than perfect!
What did you choose for your wedding ring? Where did you get it from?
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