There is one thing that takes wedding couples by surprise: the amount of thought, energy and debate that goes into buying wedding bands! You’d think that it is a simple choice but as the wedding day approaches, people suddenly realize that they are about to make a decision that should last their lifetime and that they are about to select a piece of jewelry that symbolizes their love and loyalty. Pretty heady stuff, that! Which explains the heated debates, the tears, the sighs and the endless trips to jewelers.
The first thing you and your betrothed need to decide while buying gold wedding bands is the symbolism behind the piece. Would you like your bands to represent a cultural heritage? Or, do you want to follow a family tradition? These days, many couples like to go for something that looks modern while symbolizing their mutual love and respect.
To identify what exactly you want, take some time discussing your preferences. Some people prefer to have wedding bands that match the engagement ring.
A word of caution: Men, please remember that the one overriding thought in a woman’s mind when she is selecting her wedding band is good looks. She wants something that looks good on her hand, and there’s no compromise on that!
Understand the dimensions of the wedding band. Most men prefer a width of 8mm to 12mm, while ladies want something that is leaner and more delicate, ideally falling in the range of 5mm to 7mm. Since wedding rings are to be worn all the time, it is important that the band be durable and sturdy. Therefore, it makes sense to buy a ring with good metal weight. So, wider bands with less metal weight could be a mistake in the long run.
Wedding bands are available in a wide variety of styles.
Even so, the plain band seems to be the most favorite. One reason is the issue of durability. If the mounting is flimsy, gemstones may be lost or damaged. Many people are superstitious about such things and prefer to take minimal risks. For a firm mounting, the ring would require good metal weight, which makes the ring more expensive.
If you are bored with the plain wedding bands of yore, you can look for stylistic variations of the classic style. Instead of the yellow color, choose white gold. Remember, yellow color sits well with warmer skin tones and white goes well with cool skin tones. White gold wedding bands look like platinum but cost much less.
Wedding bands are never taken out, so they need to be durable and reliable. To ensure this, most people prefer to buy gold wedding bands in 14K gold. True, this gold has more alloy and has only about 58% of pure gold in it. However, the presence of alloy ensures that the rings retain their shape even when it is used everyday.
Wedding bands do not have to be plain. A number of modern designs like rope designs on solid bands or braided ring patterns are great alternatives. These look different although they retain desirable qualities like durability and strength. These days, one can even get wedding bands that intersperse white and yellow gold in an intricate manner. The resulting combinations look stylistic and attractive.