You’ve heard the “4 Cs” of smart diamond buying. But think about the marriage band? Wedding bands are not probably the most expensive wedding purchase you will make, not like spending between $1,000-$10,000 on that beautiful sparkling diamond rock. You may not spend a lot of time researching the wedding band purchase, but many people end up wearing their strap more often and on a day to day basis compared to their engagement ring.

Make the best decision when purchasing your strap.

Do you prefer a traditional plain wedding band or perhaps a design wedding band?

Do you wish to budget in for a designer name brand or do you would rather forgo the brand and opt out for essentially the same ring minus the “name”, thereby significantly reducing costs?

Pricing Your STRAP.

Plain Wedding Bands

You might like to look at a plain band if you need a simple design or aren’t a large “jewelry person”. As a jeweler, I often get women shopping for their husbands wedding bands that are considering an ordinary band because their husband “will not like jewelry”. I recommend a narrower plain wedding band, such as a white gold or yellow gold 4mm wide band. Wedding Band Scotland Although a wider 6mm, 7mm, or 8mm band is standard for most men, someone who does not wear a great deal of jewelry may feel convenient in a narrow band. (Wedding bands are usually measured in millimeters. A 4mm band is approx. �” wide).

If someone wants something with a little more of a design, but still wants an easier band, I may even steer them towards a more subtle design, like a hammered wedding band. Hammered bands remain understated, but a little more exciting than a traditional plain band.

Design Band

There are many types of design wedding bands from which to choose, such as for example braided wedding bands, hammered design bands, paisley bands, and other unique designs, like a Celtic wedding band.

The type of design band wedding you select is really a personal choice. There is nothing scientific or practical in choosing the design wedding band other than primarily deciding which kind of design you merely like.

The only practical considerations that you may want to make in choosing the strap with designs is in knowing that trends come and go and you’ll be wearing and considering the look hopefully forever. Another consideration is in deciding whether you will wear your ring every day and what kind of wear and tear your ring can safely sustain. This usually depends on the sort of work or career or regular hobbies.

Do you work with your hands a whole lot? Do you do construction work or are you experiencing an office job that is not taxing on your own hands? In purchasing a design band, if you are planning to wear your ring to a job that is challenging you really should look at a hammered design band or perhaps a similarly rugged design that may withstand deterioration. You may want to stay away from a braided strap, for example, if you are a officer and desire to wear your ring on the job! In case you are “outdoorsy” and rugged, you might want a far more solid band with less design which could get damaged.

Keep in mind they are acute cases. Most braided wedding bands are tougher than they appear and you will be fine under most conditions.

Design Band or Designer BRAND NAME

Most wedding bands that are available today are actually not designer brand name rings, yet they’re, in my opinion, exactly the same quality as most designer brand name rings. The difference with a designer brand name and a generic version is principally the purchase price. Most design bands range between $300-$350 vs. $600-$800 for the precise ring made by a known designer name.

However, if paying 2-3 times more isn’t a significant difference for you, you might like to consider a name brand exclusively for the security or status that the name you purchase may give you. In searching for a wedding band, whether it is a designer name or not, ensure you understand your wedding or jewelry store’s policies, warranties, and guarantees. Often, the generic brand will offer you the same security, quality, and warranties. Why spend the extra?

Yellow Gold, White Gold, or Two-Tone

This too is really a personal choice, but there are many points to consider in selecting your wedding bands’ color or metal type.

White gold is often more suitable for individuals who aren’t normally big jewelry wearers. White gold is also somewhat more contemporary, although trends suggest that yellow gold may be returning strong into fashion. Ultimately, whether you select yellow or white gold should depend on your personal preference, instead of following any trend, since trends come and go and you plan to wear your ring forever!

You may also desire to consider two-tone gold. Two-tone marriage rings are an excellent compromise between subtle and rich tones plus they serve one additional purpose that people tend to overlook.

Two-tone wedding bands provide you with the flexibility of both yellow and white gold colors so that you could match various other jewelry with your wedding jewelry. If you buy a white gold wedding band, all of your future jewelry purchases will tend to be white gold. Wearing gold or two-tone together with your white gold ring may clash. The same can be said of pure gold. But with a two-tone wedding band, it is possible to wear an all yellow gold bracelet or watch, for example, and interchange jewelry and colors. This adds great versatility to your jewelry line-up.