People buying their wedding rings tend to fall into two categories; those who breeze into a shop two days before the wedding, quickly choose something ‘off the peg’ that fits their finger, buy it and leave and those who start trying rings on a year before the wedding.
There are a few important factors to bear in mind when you are choosing your wedding rings.
Most importantly, do you like the look of the ring on your finger? Even if the colour of the metal or the design flouts standard jewellery ‘conventions’ if you really like the ring on your hand, buy it. It is better to have an unconventional wedding ring that you will always love, than to be talked into something by your partner or friends and then find yourself wishing you’d chosen something else after the wedding.
Having said this, it is important to make sure that any wedding ring you choose complements your engagement ring. Men are lucky in this regard, because few wear an engagement ring and so they have a wider choice of metals, widths and patterns. Generally, a wedding ring of the same colour and type of metal as your engagement ring looks best.
A wedding ring which matches the width and cross section of the shank (i.e. the band) of your engagement ring looks good and will help to make the two rings look like a set. Alternatively, a wedding ring width chosen to match the width of the largest stone in your engagement ring also looks good.
The average male finger suits a wedding ring of between 5 – 7 mm. If you pop into Nicholas Wylde, you can try on a wide range of widths in many different styles. More men these days are choosing to wear a wedding ring which matches their partners’. If you would like to explore this option simply book an appointment with us and we can discuss your ideas.
Some metals are harder than others and can wear away a ring made of a softer metal over the years. 9ct gold is harder than 18ct gold and 18ct gold is harder than 22ct gold. Platinum is best worn with platinum because its heavier weight will wear away at other metals.
Some white gold rings are plated with rhodium, a member of the platinum family, to make them that little bit whiter. The rhodium plating wears off over time and causes the white gold to return to its natural creamy colour. White gold rings can be re-rhodium plated for a few pounds at Nicholas Wylde and any wedding ring we sell will be rhodium-plated free of charge for life.
Most rings can be engraved. The average ladies ring has room for 30 characters and the average gents ring has room for 50 characters. Most people choose to have their rings engraved with their names and the date of the wedding. The advantage of hand engraving, such as that available at Nicholas Wylde, is that your choice of lettering will be wider and a good hand engraver can even copy your handwriting, making the wedding rings that little bit more personal.
If you intend to have your rings custom made for you then it is important that you leave enough time for the rings to be made. It is recommended that you place your order with Nicholas Wylde up to eight weeks before the wedding. Whilst a wedding ring can be made in less than three weeks, a ring set with stones and engraved with your choice of wording will take longer. Make sure that you try your wedding rings on at least a week before the wedding so any alterations to size can be made before your big day.
We also specialise in jewellery for civil partnerships.
At Nicholas Wylde we sell wedding rings made from 9ct yellow, white and rose gold, 18ct yellow, white and rose gold, silver, platinum, titanium and palladium. Metals can be combined to create dramatic or subtle effects and rings can be set with a wide range of gem stones. The team at Nicholas Wylde are happy to sit down and discuss your ideas and you will receive our expert advice.
