I often see couples who want an engagement ring made. We go through the process and the design aspect and they get exactly what they want. The problems arise when I see people for wedding rings and they haven't had the benefit of my advice because I didn't make their engagement ring. More often than not it's a plain, straight, band and the problem I'm referring to is the fact that it doesn't fit nicely alongside her wedding band. There might be a space between the two rings. The top of the wedding band is rubbing on the engagement ring. The profiles don't match. The metals are different. The finger sizes are different. The list could go on however these are the main points and it's these points I want to address.
From my point of view the best time to make the wedding rings is at the same time as the engagement ring. I agree that this is not an expense you had in mind at the time, however, it can save you a few pounds later on. The thing is that there is inevitably going to be some waste metal, in this case platinum, when making the engagement ring, so if I can incorporate that into the wedding rings, it saves me buying a few extra grams at a later date. it might not sound a lot, but it can save a few hundred pounds.
The fit and ultimate end look is very important to the bride to be. The focal point in her new relationship standing, needs to look it's best at all times, and the future Mrs Bride will want the rings to look perfect. If you've gone for a solitaire ring, make sure the jeweller understands that you want a wedding band to fit close when it's all made and ask to try on some wedding rings to see how the fit will be when you're rings are ready.
The design of engagement ring which seems to be on everyones radar at the moment is the halo. As you can see in the pictures, it's a stunning piece and a great show. Two options are available to you here. You can either have a "fitted" wedding band so that the shape follows the outline of the ring, just like the image, or a straight band. If you go for the straight band, then from the top all you will see will be the engagement ring, and to me this is how it should be.
One of the problems with having a fitted, or shaped, wedding band, is that they always twist around on your finger and that they rarely sit next to each other as you'd like them too. There is a solution, and that would be to have the bands soldered together at the back once the wedding is over. The only draw back being that you won't be able to wear one without the other. Just something else to consider.
One other consideration I hear people ask me about is should they have diamonds in their wedding band or not. Well this too is very dependant on their engagement ring. For example if they have a solitaire diamond which has a plain band, I would recommend a plain band to sit alongside it, no wider than the engagement ring. If, on the other hand, you have diamonds on the shoulders of your wedding band then I recommend you have the same stones on the wedding band and perhaps have them going all the way round. The reason for me suggesting they go all the way round is because the wedding ring is the same depth all over. This means that the ring will naturally spin around during the course of your day. With diamonds going all the way round, you won't have to stop and rearrange your rings each time you want to show them off.
Another point to consider is what metal to have your wedding ring in. On the face of it some people think that they've spent a lot of money on the engagement ring so don't need to worry about the wedding band. Well platinum is more expensive than white gold and they may appear to look identical, however, there is no such thing as natural white gold. When the gold is mined it is naturally yellow and then alloyed with palladium and then rhodium plated for the whiteness. Platinum is naturally white. However when they are next to each other and the rhodium wears off the white gold ring, or the high polish wears off the platinum ring, you will see a colour difference. The platinum is greyer and the white gold has a slight yellow tinge coming through. There is more on my blog "White gold or platinum, can you tell the difference" Don't say you haven't been warned.
If you would like an appointment, then please do call for a free consultation in our central London Hatton Garden office and we would be glad to try and help you. Our details are on the main page of the Lewis Malka London website.
Lewis Malka is a recognised expert in making diamond rings as well as being a famous jeweller to the stars. All his blogs are his own opinions. He is a member of the London Diamond Bourse (LDB) and is currently the Chairman of the Young Persons Committee within the Diamond Bourse. You can follow him daily on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. If you would like any bespoke jewellery made, then please visit his website.
