When it comes to buying wedding jewelry, there are a lot of factors involved. The choice is about more than budget, it is about everything from the source of the diamonds, gemstones, and materials the rings are made of to the style that best suits who you are as individuals and a couple.
The selection of any piece of jewelry you will wear all of the time is as individual as your clothing and hairstyle. Here are some tips for getting it right when it comes to selecting wedding jewelry.
Choose Custom or Pre-Made
One of the options with wedding jewelry is you can have it custom made by a jeweler to your specifications and even using materials you provide. For instance, you can take your grandmother’s and great grandmother’s rings and combine the gold and the stones into a new ring that suits you. In this way you are honoring the past while at the same time building your future.
This can also be a great idea if you have a specific idea in mind for design or incorporating an unusual material like wood fused with metal or specific engraving you want to fit on the ring in specific places.
Custom jewelry will take time to make, and does require planning ahead. It can take six months or more for the rings to be created depending on your needs and how easy some materials are to source. Also, you will be paying for labor costs, so they tend to be more expensive as well.
On the other hand, you can often find pre-made jewelry that either fits your style and desires or can be slightly modified to meet them. This will be less expensive, and faster. Other than the time it takes for sizing the rings, they will be ready for you to wear on your big day,
Choose Your Style
From vintage to modern, from intricate to simple, there are many different styles and designs for wedding jewelry, both men’s rings and lady’s wedding sets. There are some things you will want to determine right away.
- Do your rings need to match? On the day of the wedding, this may seem cute and desirable, but it may not work for you long term if your styles and tastes differ in jewelry.
- How tough do they need to be? What do you do for a living and what will the ring endure daily? If you have an active or tough job, and don’t want to take off your ring, soft gold may not be the answer for you.
- What about other jewelry? Do you have other jewelry you already wear? What color and style is it? Your rings should probably fit with that style unless you plan to change it significantly.
You wedding jewelry is something that will last a lifetime, and you may even pass on to your children, so style is of utmost importance.
Choose Your Material
White gold and silver are still popular, there are other materials like tungsten, platinum, white gold, and even wood and other unusual materials that wedding jewelry can be made of. What you want and your style will largely determine what materials you can use.
For instance, you may want the look of wooden rings, but they will deteriorate unless the wood is set into metal and somehow covered and protected. Certain gems chip easily, and also need a special kind of setting.
From toughness to style and type of setting, the material you choose matters.
Choose Your Gemstone and Cut
There has been a lot of publicity about the diamond and gemstone industry. The source of both rubies and diamonds matters to a lot of people, not to mention whether the cut and color match the style they are looking for.
While diamonds are still popular, many other gemstones with unusual cuts and colors are popular as well. Once you have chosen your style and materials, choosing your gemstone will tell you a lot about the setting and how your ring will look.
The selection of wedding jewelry can be one of the most stressful ones of your wedding, but it does not have to be if you follow these tips.
