Womens And Mens Wedding Rings

Women and men have worn wedding rings for hundreds of years. Originally wedding rings were not just symbolic of the love between two people, but represented the ancient tradition of a "marriage contract". In Greek and Roman civilizations the giving and wearing of gold rings was symbolic of a betrothal, a hoop which represented an eternal bond and also the promise of a dowry or endowment to be exchanged between families.

Today we have retained the ring exchange as a tradition, but the exchange is based on love and a commitment. It used to be the case that only women wore wedding rings, but now it is common for both men and women to have wedding rings.

How To Buy Wedding Rings

It can be confusing when you come to buy wedding rings. Many shops sell the traditional plain wedding rings in the style that have been used for many years. That's fine if you want a womens or mens wedding ring that is plain and functional, but what if you want something different or alternative to celebrate your union?

Metals for wedding rings

Traditionally, mens and womens wedding rings are made from precious metal. The type of metal is down to personal choice, and you may choose to have a platinum, palladium, gold (yellow, white, rose, green) or silver wedding rings. These days there are also non precious metal choices for both womens wedding rings and mens wedding rings; steel, titanium and tungsten are the most common non precious metals for wedding rings. Also there are non metals for wedding rings too including wood and resins though these are really not recommended as they are unlikely to stand the test of time. Brief details about what metals are best for wedding rings are below, but for a more in depth article see our page on metals for wedding rings.

What metals are best for wedding rings ?

Of the precious metals, platinum wedding rings are the hardest and most expensive, although mounting gold prices mean that high carat gold wedding rings are now almost at the same price. Palladium and lower carat golds are less expensive, with silver being a good budget option.

In terms of durability, the list would be platinum, palladium, 18ct gold, 14ct gold, 9ct gold, silver. However, palladium can have the propensity to shatter if given a hard enough knock, so consider your the type of wear your lifestyle will subject your ring to when choosing metals for wedding rings. For the non precious metal, steel is an excellent choice for durability.

His And Hers Wedding Rings

Its acceptable for women and mens wedding rings to be made in different metals – they do not have to match, although some couples choose this option and go for his and hers wedding rings.

Wedding rings can 'match' in variety of ways; they can be the same metals, have the same designs or the same stones. Accordingly they can be made of different metals and have the same design or sentiment engravng. If you are considering his and hers matched wedding rings then you probably want something different than standard rings, its best to visit a bespoke wedding rings designer to speak about the options open to you.

Costs can vary hugely when making his and hers wedding rings, and if you are considering matching wedding rings then its best to look at budget as well as design because a good designer will be able to make matched rings for you according to your budget which is a great help.

What Is The Difference Between Womens And Mens Wedding Rings ?

The main difference is commonly width - womens wedding rings are normally not as wide as mens, but again this is down to personal choice. For women, the best thing is to look at your engagement ring and see what wedding ring looks best alongside it. Mens wedding rings are usually chunky in both width and height and generally heavier than womens wedding rings. This, of course, reflects the normal difference in hand size and finger size between men and women, though it doesn't have to be written in stone as many men have lighter, skinnier bands and some women like chunky rings. The main aspects of wedding rings where differences can occur are listed below.

Weight

The weight of a wedding ring is mostly affected by the width and depth of the band. Wedding rings usually come in light, medium and heavy weight in the more common styles, but the density of the metals used plays a big part in weight too. For example platinum is very dense and is therefore heavier than any other commonly used metals for wedding rings.

Profiles

Womens and mens wedding rings can come in different "profiles". A profile is the shape of the ring in cross section (looking at the end of the metal as if it was a straight piece of wire instead of a joined band). This profile can be flat, D-shaped, court (oval), halo (perfectly round) and easy fit (domed on the inside). Also there are some other less common profile shapes too such as square, slow dome, concave and so on. Alternatively you can have your wedding ring made in a profile of your choosing if you go for handmade wedding rings.

Shaped Wedding Rings

For women, if you have an engagement ring which will not let a wedding ring sit next to it, then you can get a shaped wedding ring. Shaped wedding rings fit around the stone feature of your engagement ring so that your rings sit snugly together. Some stores sell a limited selection of shaped womens wedding rings, but you could also commission a bespoke shaped wedding ring from a bespoke jeweller if you would like a wedding ring that is a perfect match for you.

Poesy Rings

If you like the idea of more historical mens or womens wedding rings then perhaps consider a "poesy ring". Poesy rings date from the 15th century. They grew in popularity during the 16th and 17th century and were often used as "promise" rings, to indicate that a couple were betrothed. Poesy rings also became popular as wedding rings and carried sentiments and phrases of love or fidelity. Old and antique poesy rings are very hard to find, but you could get a bespoke jeweller to make a poesy ring for you using either an old or a new sentiment. Poesy rings make lovely womens or mens wedding rings - you can have matching wedding rings with complimentary sentiments and you might choose to combine your sentiment with stones.

Ultimately there is no limit to what you might choose as a design for your wedding ring – the most important thing is that it is a token of love for the most important occasion of your life, so take your time choosing and make it special!