Archive for the ‘Wedding Rings’ Category

Selecting Men’s Wedding Rings

Friday, July 3rd, 2009

Selecting Men’s Wedding Rings

wedding-planning-basicsDuring the course of planning a wedding, one aspect of the event that doesn’t seem to get enough thought is the selection of a wedding ring for the groom. The hopeful husband may spend weeks or even months trying to find the perfect engagement ring for his fiancée and then take her to shop around in as many jewelry stores as may be needed to find the perfect wedding ring. Granted, men’s wedding rings are often purchased along with women’s, the couple desiring rings that match, but that is often the only consideration. The fact is that the selection of men’s wedding rings is every bit as important as that of women’s rings and there are some important factors to consider when making such a purchase.

Does His Wedding Ring Match Hers?

This may not really be that important in the great scheme of things, but most couples want their rings to match. If that is the case, it’s usually an easy requirement to meet when selecting men’s wedding rings. Jewelers are accustomed to selling women’s and men’s wedding rings as a set and will usually have men’s wedding rings in stock that complement their selection of women’s wedding rings. This makes it easy to choose a matching design for both rings, as well as choosing a similar weight and the same color of ring. Jewelers tend to recommend 18k gold, platinum, or titanium for wedding rings. Whichever precious metal is chosen, both rings should be the same material and the same karat weight.

Durability

Obviously, all wedding rings should be designed to last. That said, durability is still an important factor in men’s wedding rings, especially if the man in question performs some form of physical labor or works with his hands in some way. Traditionally, men are simply tougher on their wedding rings then women are. A woman will typically take her ring off before doing any kind of work with her hands and replace it afterward. Men often forget this step. The chosen ring should be heavy and durable enough to stand up to the beating that the man is likely to give it.

Comfort

A man’s wedding ring is most likely going to stay on his finger from the day he gets married until the day he dies. In the days before men’s wedding rings were commonplace, there were few choices in them and several of the rings designed for men were quite uncomfortable. They could dig into the skin, cause the finger to perspire and the skin to itch, and could even be partially responsible for chaffing and cracking of skin as well as fungal infections. Men’s wedding rings have come a long way where this is concerned and most jewelers offer “comfort-fit” wedding bands that are designed specifically for such long-term wear. Keep this in mind when choosing men’s wedding rings.

Deciding on a wedding ring for the groom still doesn’t require a lot of thought, but when the couple is shopping for men’s wedding rings, adhering to these simple principles will help them make the right choice and select the right ring. Wearing a comfortable and durable wedding ring will help make for a happy husband.

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The Benefits and Drawbacks of Tension Set Wedding Rings

Friday, July 3rd, 2009

The Benefits and Drawbacks of Tension Set Wedding Rings

unique-wedding-ideasAs an alternative to the traditional channel set wedding and engagement rings, rings created with a process called tension setting have started to become popular in recent years. Tension set wedding rings and engagement rings have a stone (typically a diamond, although tension setting can be used with any precious gem) that is set in an opening in the ring itself and held by tension of the open ends of the ring pressing against the stone. Jewelers agree that there are both positive and negative aspects to choosing tension set rings.

The Benefits

Tension set rings are beautiful. Because the design is so unique, your tension set wedding or engagement ring will definitely draw people’s attention. The rings are available in all the typical styles one would expect, including rings of gold, platinum, titanium, and white gold, but the tension setting gives them a stylized and modernistic look that channel set rings are simply not capable of. People will examine the ring up close and, if they’ve never seen a tension setting before, will wonder how in the world that stone stays in place. You’ll find that your tension set wedding ring will be a topic of conversation at many a social gathering.

Makers of tension set wedding rings insist that the stone is immoveable and will never be lost. Whether this is actually true is the topic of some debate, but it is a claim that can not be made for channel set rings as we know that channel set stones can sometimes work their way loose and be lost.

The Drawbacks

It is difficult for a jeweler to effectively resize a tension set ring of any kind. The process of resizing a ring actually alters the shape and thickness of the metal and this will cause a change in the amount of tension holding the stone in place. This is particularly troubling for someone with a tension set wedding ring, since the ring is meant to be worn forever. As a person ages, their body changes so, even someone who doesn’t gain or lose weight over the years (and that’s a scant few of us) will still likely have a different ring size when he or she reaches the age of fifty than he or she did at age twenty five.

While proponents of tension settings do make the aforementioned claim that the stone is immoveable, opponents of the process say quite the opposite. Several jewelers claim that they have been approached by people looking for advice on how to replace a lost stone from a tension set wedding ring. The jury is still out, therefore, on whether tension settings really are more effective than the more traditional channel settings.

The final drawback is for the jewelers themselves. Jeweler Keith Farley states on the InForm web site that it is very easy for a person to intentionally remove the stone from a tension set ring. This, obviously, makes it that much easier for a dishonest customer to remove the stone and then come back to the jeweler seeking a replacement under the terms of a warranty, claiming that the setting was lost.

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Handcrafted Wedding Rings Make Excellent Choices

Saturday, June 6th, 2009

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Couples searching for wedding rings have many more options today than have been available in the past. Wedding rings in multiple styles and designs are now available and the choices become more diverse practically every day. One option that has been available for a long time but has been traditionally out of reach to many couples due to prohibitive costs is that of custom-ordering handcrafted wedding rings.

Custom-ordered handcrafted wedding rings used to be available only from major jewelers at rather exorbitant prices, making this an option for celebrities or the extremely well-to-do. This is no longer the case. Major changes in the jewelry industry and the prevalence of the Internet in all aspects of commerce have allied to bring the prices of handcrafted wedding rings steadily down.

Handcrafted wedding rings that once cost thousands can now be had for a fraction of their former amount. A custom-ordered handcrafted ring will still cost more than a traditional ring of similar quality, of course, but the price difference is nowhere near what it once was.

Handcrafted wedding rings can be purchased without making a special order these days as well. There are many small companies that specialize in such rings all over the world and they have the advent of the Internet to thank for their inclusion in a far wider market than they ever had before. In many cases these beautiful handcrafted wedding rings can be acquired for much less than the rings available at major jewelry outfits.

For example, a beautiful handcrafted wedding ring I found online was designed with a unique challah braid design and cost about $375.00. Looking at a site that offered more traditional rings, I found a plain gold band of the same dimensions and same karat weight for $425.00. Faced with paying more money for a less interesting ring or less money for a unique handcrafted wedding ring, I think I know which option I would choose.

This may be the exception rather than the rule, of course. Some handcrafted wedding rings will definitely still cost more, but the beautiful workmanship you get for your money makes all the difference in the world.

Of course, handcrafted wedding rings are merely one of many options available. Ultimately, the rings that you choose will reflect your personal tastes and sense of style. They will be a reflection of your inner selves and, of course, a symbol of your undying love and devotion to each other. That’s what a wedding ring is, after all, a symbol.

It’s just very nice to know that there are so many options no available when it comes to selecting that symbol. The ready availability of handcrafted wedding rings has simply added to those options.

It’s good for the small jewelers that create these beautiful rings to now have such a wide market in which to offer them, and having such variety to choose from is a good thing for everyone who is looking for the perfect wedding ring.

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