If only you could be like Mel Gibson in “What Women Want” and hear what they are thinking, you’d know what women really want in a wedding band. Your options are to get a ring that:
1. Matches their engagement ring
2. Complements the ring
3. Acts as both ring and band
So when you begin to think about proposing, you should really have both rings in mind when you start exploring options. Matching and complementing a wedding band to an engagement ring gets far more complicated if you haven’t thought about it until after you purchase the first ring.
What’s more, the shopping experience will be less fraught with anxiety if your bride-to-be is in on the decision making — see our guide to men’s wedding bands if you’re shopping for rings together. She can look online with you for styles she likes and you can both visit stores to try on the rings and see what looks best. If you choose to surprise her, it’s best to enlist someone who knows her well and who can try on rings for you to see how well they work together. Consulting our ring size measurement guide wouldn’t hurt either.
Below are the answers to questions that will get you closer to knowing what women really want.
What kind of ring is a classic woman’s wedding band?
There are a range of classic bands, from eternity band styles — with diamonds going all around the band — to beautiful hand-engraved looks and modern rings with textural interest. These are almost always in platinum, 14K or 18K yellow, white, or rose gold. Many times the bride will choose to wear her engagement ring on her right hand and wedding band on her left hand after she has been married for a while. Therefore, the wedding band should be able to stand alone as well as fit with the engagement ring. (Photo of 18K single stone gabby medium eternity band by Greenwich St Jewelers, $6,400).
What are “matching” engagement and wedding rings?
This can be achieved in a few ways:
1. You can buy a “true” set in which the band was specifically designed to go with the engagement ring.
2. You can find rings of the same height and same metal—but you never want your engagement ring to hide the wedding band. So they should be of equal or almost equal heights or your wedding band should be able to sit above or below so it looks like they were created to fit perfectly. Metals look best when they match, unless you are doing a two-tone or tri-tone mix of colors (any mix of yellow, white, and rose gold).
3. You may seek rings that express the same feeling. For example, if you have a clean-lined modern solitaire ring of an emerald cut diamond in a prong setting then you might want to go with smaller emerald cut diamonds in an all-around eternity band. These should also be of equal heights or heights that don’t hide the eternity band.
Quick tip: The diamonds in the band should be proportionately smaller so as to never outshine the engagement ring. (Below, left: Photo of an emerald-cut diamond band ring in platinum by Kwiat. Pricing available upon request. Below, center: Photo of Astor I wedding band by Jade Trau, $1,500. Below, right: Photo of single stone Sierra eternity wedding band in 18K yellow gold by Greenwich St Jewelers, $7,800).
If you choose an antique style engagement ring and want the same vibe in a wedding band — but without diamonds — you can find one that is engraved or has piercing work within a similar feeling and also that rests on the finger next to the ‘main’ ring with ease.
Here’s an example of an engraved wedding band. (Photo of a platinum channel set wedding ring by James Allen, $3,210).
Here’s an eternity band and wedding band over of equal heights. (Photo of Catherine eternity No. 4 wedding band by Jade Trau, $11,800).
What are complementary bands?
This applies to any band that will sit on or next to your engagement ring and can have different styles of diamonds. For example, say you have a cushion cut diamond in a bezel setting with pave on the shoulder, you might want to choose an eternity band with small round diamonds. (Photo of the Catherine ring by Jade Trau, $2,300).
Another example would be if your bride-to-be planned on stacking rings around her engagement ring. This means wearing two eternity bands on either side of the main ring and those could match or be set differently as long as they don’t overwhelm the engagement ring and are in a similar style. But you could have a bezel set round diamond and add a bit of femininity and sparkle to it by putting a marquise and baguette shaped diamond ring on the top and a pear shaped eternity band on the bottom, and it would turn into a really beautiful larger look if your center stone was a bit smaller than you would have preferred due to your budget. (Photo of Clara 1 wedding ring by Jade Trau $1,500).
You could also stack an engraved ring, an eternity band and your engagement ring all in the same metal.
[See if there is a pic in the zip file] KC: There wasn’t for this type of ring that I could see (all the folder pics were used in other places).
Another option is surrounding the main diamond with a little color in eternity bands that features diamonds with pops of precious gemstones such as sapphires, rubies and emeralds. (Photo by Greenwich St Jewelers) –> KC: IS THERE A LINK TO THIS PARTICULAR RING? ONLY THE PHOTO WAS IN THE FOLDER. IT’S ALSO USED AGAIN BELOW, IS THAT OKAY?
What are the most popular styles of women’s wedding bands?
Eternity bands:
With gems all around the ring. Bridal eternity bands are traditionally covered in diamonds but can also be (as we mentioned above) mixed with colored gemstones. Natural colored diamonds are another option for these bands. (Photo of single stone alternating cut wedding band by Greenwich St Jewelers, $6,300).
Half eternity or half hoop bands:
The stones go halfway around the finger. These can be easily sized up or down and therefore a wonderful option for women whose fingers tend to swell more in the summer months and/or those planning to have children relatively early in the marriage. (Photo of Greenwich St collection Mercer half-eternity diamond pave band in 18K gold by Greenwich St Jewelers, $3,500).
Engraved bands
These rings are deeply engraved with patterns that pick up the details of wedding styles, such as scrollwork, floral and lace motifs. (Photo of contoured engaged pave migraine diamond ring by Brilliant Earth. Pricing available upon request)
Solid platinum or 14K or 18K gold bands
For the woman who wants something simple, or if she will be wearing an heirloom that has been handed down by someone in the family. (Photo of coastal crescent wedding band in 14K white gold by Tacori, $1,290).
What kinds of settings and styles are best for eternity and half-eternity bands?
Once again the setting you choose will depend on the style of engagement ring.
Modern Setting
If the ring is modern and, say, bezel set with a simple shank, then an equally modern bezel set diamond eternity band would be the choice to go with. (Photo of Greenwich St. Collection baguette diamond band by Greenwich St Jewelers, $6,400).
Antique Setting
If the ring is more antique in feeling, details such as millegrain can be added to the bezel. (Photo by Megan Thorne)
(KC: The link goes to a bridal homepage. Is there a certain ring you want to highlight? Let me know and I’ll pop it in here ASAP)
Channel Set
It means what it sounds like; the diamonds and/or gemstones are set between two strips of metal that form a channel. Grooves on each wall of the strip of metal hold the stones securely in place. (Photo of a classic crescent wedding band in platinum by Tacori, $4,390).
Prong Set
This setting allows the most light to shine through, resulting in more brilliance as the only metal used in the setting is that which holds the stone. Prongs for eternity bands are generally rounded, although they could be squared off or v-shaped depending on the cut of the diamond. (Photo of a RoyalT wedding band by Tacori, $3,190).
Pavé Set
The word pavé comes from the fact that this type of ring looks like it is ‘paved’ with diamonds. It also looks as if there is no metal between the stones but there are tiny beads which are holding the stones. This setting is best for smaller diamond or gemstone eternity bands. (Photo of a Kwiat pink diamond ring in 18K rose gold Kwiat. Pricing available upon request)
Bezel Set
This setting encases the diamond or gemstone by surrounding the edges with metal, making it the safest type of setting. It’s a good choice for eternity bands that have a pattern of different diamonds or gemstones — for example, baguette-round-baguette all the way around or marquise-princess-marquise all the way around. (Photo of a single stone Gabby large rose cut eternity band in platinum by Greenwich St Jewelers, $10,000).
Burnished
When bands have diamonds ‘burnished’ into the metal it means they are set either with tiny beads or with the metal that surrounds the tiny stones. These are traditionally scattered or in a sprinkling of diamonds to give the band some sparkle. These go best with more modern style engagement rings. (Below, left: Photo of the Dunes Narrow band by Sethi Couture, $1,210. Below, center: Photo by Greenwich St Jewelers [KC: IS THERE A LINK TO THIS PARTICULAR RING?]. Below, right: Photo of Jennie Kwon Designs diamond dot ring by Greenwich St Jewelers, $965).
What types of finishes are most common in women’s wedding bands?
Wedding bands can be high polished (shiny) or matte or satin (toned down) to go with the finish of the engagement ring. There are a lot more finishes to be found in men’s wedding bands. (Photo of RoyalT wedding band in 18K yellow gold by Tacori, $1,890)
Is it common for the wedding band to act as both engagement and marriage ring?
In this day and age where individuality and freedom of choice reign supreme, women no longer acquiesce to societal norms. There are no rules and anything goes. However, we tend to see more than one ring on the hands of women in their second marriages and people getting married later in life. (Below, left: Photo of classic crescent wedding band by Tacori, $5,250. Below, right: Photo of Kwiat diamond band ring in 18K white gold by Kwiat, $9,850).
Some of our favorite online and/or brick and mortar shops:
- Blue Nile
- Material Good
- Greenwich St. Jewelers
- The Clay Pot
- Shopsethi.com
- EstateDiamondJewelry.com (for their new rings)
Best Independent Brands
- Jade Trau
- Suzy Landa
- Megan Thorne
- Just Jules
- Jennifer Dawes
- Rebecca Overmann
- Sofia Kaman
- Sofia Zakia
- TAP by Todd Pownell
- Michelle Fantaci
- Lauren Wolf
- Karen Karch
- Kataoka
- Elizabeth Street
- Talon
- K8 Jewelry
- GiGi Ferranti
- Sethi Couture
Best Manufacturers
