When we look at wedding rings for women, there are a number of considerations. Thankfully, many decisions have been made for us with the engagement ring choice – which usually happens first in the process. However we still have to decide on what wedding band would best suit our engagement ring.

Considerations would be:

  • Metal choice
  • Diamonds or plain
  • Can I wear it at work or can I wear diamonds at work
  • How likely am I to wear it on its own (without engagement ring for work)
  • Do I like thin or wide
  • Am I likely to wear an eternity ring on the same hand at a later date
  • Is my engagement ring wedding ring friendly or do I need a custom design
  • Budget

Once we know the above – or some of the above, we can look at the styles available. So lets jump in.

Wedding Rings

Metal Choice

Generally this will be dependent on the metal of your engagement ring. If you engagement ring is platinum, then stick with platinum for the wedding ring. 18k gold (white, yellow or rose) can be mixed so if your engagement ring is 18k white, you can select any 18k metal to wear with it. Best not to go with platinum in this instance as it may damage the engagement ring.

Diamond or Plain

When looking at wedding rings for women, personal style and preference will be a major factor on this question. So too will the existing style of the engagement ring. Generally, if your engagement

ring has diamond on the band, most people copy this style.

More decisions exist if you have a classic solitaire engagement ring – one stone on a plain band. In these situations both plain and diamond can work. From experience, two main styles work for a plain solitaire. (i) a plain thin band – similar width to the existing engagement ring and (ii) channel set diamond band with subtle diamonds. best to allow the engagement ring be the main focus and have the wedding ring compliment it. The channel band is where you have a bit of metal on both sides of the diamonds – like image shown. It allows you add a bit of diamond but the metal keep the diamonds small and subtle – allowing the engagement ring remain the focus.

With a three stone engagement ring, assuming a plain band, usually a plain wedding ring works best. It is a trial and error. Its very difficult to view wedding rings online – they really need to be tried on in person and see what works and what doesn’t.

Your Job

Other things which may influence the wedding ring decision is your job. Many health care workers are not allowed wear diamonds on their hand. This is for health and safety reasons so this can make the decision a bit easier.

If you are allowed wear a wedding ring but not an engagement ring, many people then want a bit of bling on the wedding ring. Thats fair enough. It nice to have a nit of something on the finger if it will be representing you during your work day!

Eternity Ring Considerations

Many women don’t consider this decision when looking at Wedding rings for women but it can be useful. Are you likely to wear an eternity ring at a later date. If yes, you must decide of you hand can pull off an engagement ring, an eternity ring and a diamond set wedding ring. Often when you think of the eternity ring, a plain wedding ring is decided upon. There is such a thing as having too much bling. However, we do see many people choosing an eternity ring for the right hand and leaving the engagement and wedding combo untouched. The nice thing with all of this is there are so many choices and each one is as individual as you. Thankfully there is not just one option and we all do the same thing!

Budget for Wedding Rings For Women

Unfortunately we all like in a world of bills and expenses. Just because you want something, doesn’t mean it can be yours. Many people are deciding to reduce the size of their wedding and put a bit more into the jewellery. The growing view being the rings will last a life time, a few less people on the day is not as important. Either way, your wedding ring budget will have an impact on your wedding ring.

In simple terms, the cost you the wedding ring will be determined by the amount of metal and quantity and size of the diamonds. A thin plain wedding ring will be much less compared to a 1.0ct claw set wedding ring. Many websites have prices beside their ring so browse online to get an idea of that you can get for the budget. If you need a custom made ring to fit around your engagement ring, this may cost a bit more as there will be a design fee etc. Having something custom made generally only adds about €100 but this can vary widely. Many jewellers like to sell what they have. There is work involved in making a bespoke piece and and many jewellers price this service too high. Shop around!

How Long Does It Take

Many jewellers do not have the wedding rings you see in stock. Many are silver samples and require a number of weeks to get made. 4-5 weeks should be enough time to get a wedding ring made up. Jewellers who get their rings made up in developing countries may need 8+ weeks.
I advise looking at wedding rings 3 months before the wedding. This gives plenty of time to order the wedding ring, get them in and try them on. And if there is a problem, there is sufficient time to get them remade.

Many jewellers who provide in house custom made pieces, could get a diamond set wedding ring done and made in 1-2 weeks.We generally don’t like the stress of this but it can be done if necessary. Never good to leave things to the last minute – especially the one thing you’ll wear every day for the rest of your life!

Once you have a rough idea on the above, you may ask, what styles are available? The short answer is – plenty!

Classic Plain Wedding Rings For Women

This option is as obvious as it sounds. there are a few small points to note.

  • Band Width. This depends on your style. A thin band will show off the diamond in the engagement ring a bit more.
  • Band profile. From flat to slight court to traditional court. This option relates to haw rounded you want the wedding ring to be. Best to match the engagement ring but trial and error will be your friend here.
  • Band depth. Usually women choose a thin band as its more comfortable. However, an option may to to chose a thicker band (approx 1.80mm deep) as this would give the option d adding diamonds at a later date. A nice idea may be use the wedding ring as an eternity ring by adding a few diamonds into it.

Diamond Set Ladies Wedding Ring

There are many styles of wedding rings for women with diamonds on the band.
(i) Channel Set.
This is where you have metal on the outsides and a row of metal in the centre. The metal on channel overlaps the centre diamonds and this keeps the diamonds held in place.

(ii) Claw Set or Scallop Set
This is where you have diamonds on the band with no border. The band is consumed with the width of the diamond. Usually 4 claws hold each diamond. It would be the most bling of the options.

(iii) Pave Set
This is a mix of the above two. Each diamond is held in by 4 claws.
There is a thin metal border between the diamond and the outsize of the band.

90% of diamond set wedding rings would fall into one of these 3 categories. The engagement ring usually determines which looks best or you have a favourite.

The nicest ring may not be the nicest option. Remember this ring will be word as a set to you should try the two rings on at the same time (wedding and engagement).

Curved Wedding Rings for Women

The curved ladies wedding ring is a popular option if a straight wedding ring does not sit flush beside your engagement ring. Many people dislike seeing a gap between the engagement ring and the wedding ring. A subtle curve allows them hug nicely.

Like most things ring related, there are many choices.

(i) Diamonds or plain

Curved wedding rings can be either plain, pave set, claw set or channel set so the same choices exist.

(ii) Curve or V shape

The two main shape options are a U shape curve or a V shape wishbone look. Ofthen, the V shape can look nice on its own. The U curve can look a bit odd on occasion – like a missing piece of a jigsaw. Best to try on both options with and without the engagement ring. This option can work nicely by using a second one as an eternity ring at a later date. These can be referred to as a ring enhancer

(iii) Custom made curve

If the shape of your engagement ring is a bit more unusual, an ‘off the shelf’ ring may not be an option. Having a custom made or a bespoke designed ring may be best. This is effectively getting a wedding ring made to be the perfect match. The best way to have this done is by allowing the jeweller 3D scan your engagement ring. With this 3D scan they can design (on CAD) your wedding ring to match the curvature of the scan. The CAD image is then printed and wax and matched against the engagement ring. Once it fits the jeweller would cast the was into the preferred metal. Polish it up and set diamonds if this was the preference. This would be a perfect jigsaw piece for your engagement ring.

Alternatively, if the jewellers designed the engagement ring, the CAD file may be on file. Making a match may not require the borrowing of your engagement ring.

A bespoke designed option should not be much more expensive assuming the jeweller is able to do this. Most jewellers are not able to design rings. Many are just middlemen between a mass producer and the public with no value added. Shop around, try on loads and take images. However, this piece will be worn for ever so choose wisely!