Wedding bands recommendation

[kevindd992002]

@sledge Following the engagement ring discussion we had here, we are now looking into buying wedding bands and need your help again. For starters:

1. Do both groom and bride wedding bands need to match?
2. Or, does the bride wedding band need to match here engagement ring?
3. What should I be looking for in wedding bands?

My fiance wants something like this when I showed her some of BGD's rings:

 

[tyty333]

@sledge Following the engagement ring discussion we had here, we are now looking into buying wedding bands and need your help again. For starters:

1. Do both groom and bride wedding bands need to match?
2. Or, does the bride wedding band need to match here engagement ring?
3. What should I be looking for in wedding bands?

My fiance wants something like this when I showed her some of BGD's rings:

Not sledge but I'll add my 2 cents. Hopefully, @sledge will be along soon.

1) No, they do not need to match (unless that's important to you). I would say most people who pick out wedding bands these
day do not pick out matching bands.

2) Her ring does not have to be exactly what her wedding band is but IMO it should coordinate nicely. They should sit nicely
together and look pleasing together (that is somewhat subjective).

3) You need to go try on a lot of different bands to see what you like. Do you like a thinner band like maybe 4mm or a thicker
band? Do you prefer yellow gold or white metal? Do you easily lose things? If so, you might want to use a less expensive
metal that you can replace when necessary. My DH's band is platinum with diamonds. It's 22 years old and the style definitely
makes it look old IMO. If you want a band that's going to age well you might want to go with a simple design. I would definitely
pick something that is comfort fit. I'll leave it at that. I'm sure sledge has lots of input on this subject.

BTW...that's a pretty wedding band. If your SO wants an eternity band you need to go slightly larger than finger size and maybe
use speed bumps to tighten it up. Sometimes fingers don't stay the same size due to weight changes and pregnancies. You are
taking a little bit of a chance going with an eternity band that it may not fit in the future and can not be resized. Hence recommending
going with a larger size and using speed bumps.

Good luck...I'm curious to see what you end up with!

 

[WDWDiamond]

Great advice from @tyty333 I will add on with my personal experience. It was very important for my wedding band and engagement ring to “match”. That was my personal preference. However, I truly do not think there are any rules when it comes to a wedding band. If your SO likes it, that’s all that matters.

As far as your wedding band, I will tell you that at the time (about 7 years ago) my husband wanted diamonds on his band so he got a very nice white gold band with diamonds down the middle which he really liked at the time. Now he wishes he would have gotten a simple yellow gold wedding band. Again, it all comes down to personal preference. Good luck with your shopping!

 

[UrsTx]

IMO the couple’s rings do not need to match but obviously can. Mine matches my personality and his matches his personality.

I don’t think a wedding band needs to match the ER but it’s more pleasing to the eye if it at least compliments the ER. And I think a gap between an ER and the band is nice but that’s my opinion. #rockthegap

 

[AllAboardTheBlingTrain]

I don’t think the wedding bands need to match but imo it does look nice if they are cohesive.

I like the band that is pictured! Though you may want to get a partial/ 3/4 eternity because of potential sizing issues in the future etc.

Also, you’ll want to make sure that the heights etc on the band sit correctly so there’s no chance that the diamonds come in contact with prongs or head because that could weaken the ering.

 

[Snowdrop13]

The ring you’ve posted there is a full eternity, to me that’s more of a separate purchase item, maybe to celebrate an anniversary? Everyone has their own view, though.
Take a look at e-wedding bands.com and sarraf.com for inspiration.

 

[motownmama]

I like the band you posted. I prefer eternities. Mine fits after 26 years and 4 pregnancies; but it’s always a risk that it may not. Perhaps a small plain sizing area.

 

[kevindd992002]

So the consensus about matching seems to be that the wedding band needs to at least compliment the ER and I agree. Since the ER is a classic one, I bet any wedding band can easily compliment it.

As for me, I still have no idea as I also don't wear rings. I know I don't easily lose things and like the ER that I gave, I'm kinda leaning towards platinum just because I like how it doesn't lose metal when scratched through time and the premium feel and heft that it has. But then again, I haven't tried one myself so. I don't like yellow gold.

My fiancee told me to go with a wedding band that has diamonds on it but I'm not sure I'm comfortable with the idea. Is that still a thing today? I will definitely make sure it's a comfort fit band though.

And I think a gap between an ER and the band is nice but that’s my opinion. #rockthegap

What do you mean by "gap"?

I like the band that is pictured! Though you may want to get a partial/ 3/4 eternity because of potential sizing issues in the future etc.

Also, you’ll want to make sure that the heights etc on the band sit correctly so there’s no chance that the diamonds come in contact with prongs or head because that could weaken the ering.

Good point regarding the potential to resize. I knew about this when choosing the ER but I totally forgot about it now. Other than the height, are there other ring characteristics that I need to consider to make sure that the wedding band doesn't interfere with the ER?

The ring you’ve posted there is a full eternity, to me that’s more of a separate purchase item, maybe to celebrate an anniversary? Everyone has their own view, though.
Take a look at e-wedding bands.com and sarraf.com for inspiration.

I was reading some articles in the Internet and you're right, eternity rings seem to be traditionally given as a gift for occasions like first weeding anniversaries, first child birth, etc. I'm wondering now if it's better to go with a simpler wedding band for her. Any pros and cons in doing that over an eternity band?

I like the band you posted. I prefer eternities. Mine fits after 26 years and 4 pregnancies; but it’s always a risk that it may not. Perhaps a small plain sizing area.

What do you mean by "small plain sizing area"?

 

[Snowdrop13]

@kevindd992002 everyone will have their own view on this, I guess. Personally, I have a plain band which I wear 24/7. It might be better to have your fiancée try on some bands, they can be difficult to get right. If you do buy one with diamonds on it, make sure it’s well made! Also, you do not want to overwhelm the solitaire, so you’d need to make sure the diamonds in the band were in proportion.

 

[AllAboardTheBlingTrain]

So the consensus about matching seems to be that the wedding band needs to at least compliment the ER and I agree. Since the ER is a classic one, I bet any wedding band can easily compliment it.

As for me, I still have no idea as I also don't wear rings. I know I don't easily lose things and like the ER that I gave, I'm kinda leaning towards platinum just because I like how it doesn't lose metal when scratched through time and the premium feel and heft that it has. But then again, I haven't tried one myself so. I don't like yellow gold.

My fiancee told me to go with a wedding band that has diamonds on it but I'm not sure I'm comfortable with the idea. Is that still a thing today? I will definitely make sure it's a comfort fit band though.


What do you mean by "gap"?


Good point regarding the potential to resize. I knew about this when choosing the ER but I totally forgot about it now. Other than the height, are there other ring characteristics that I need to consider to make sure that the wedding band doesn't interfere with the ER?


I was reading some articles in the Internet and you're right, eternity rings seem to be traditionally given as a gift for occasions like first weeding anniversaries, first child birth, etc. I'm wondering now if it's better to go with a simpler wedding band for her. Any pros and cons in doing that over an eternity band?


What do you mean by "small plain sizing area"?

If diamonds come into contact with metal, they will eat into the metal over time. This is particularly problematic if the diamonds come in contact with the prongs/basket of the e-ring as that can put the centre diamond at risk. If your fiancee's engagement ring has a donut, this usually is sufficient to make sure the eternity band's diamonds don't touch the shank/head/basket/prongs of the engagement ring, but it will leave a visible "gap" on the finger, i.e. the two rings will not be flush.

If you want the two rings to sit flush, then you need an e-ring that doesn't have a donut, but also one where the head is high enough that the swell of the basket does not bump up against the wedding band. So a cathedral style ring where the undercarriage/shank is as high or higher off the finger as the wedding band, for example.

If you're concerned, any jeweler will be able to tell you if there's going to be a problem or not, or you can also wear a spacer, a thin (like 1mm) metal band that goes between both rings and absorbs all the damage.

Also, when I mentioned matching, I meant matching or cohesive male/female bands. So made of the same metal, or same design etc. They don't need to be identical, but it's nice when they have a similar vibe.

 

[kevindd992002]

@kevindd992002 everyone will have their own view on this, I guess. Personally, I have a plain band which I wear 24/7. It might be better to have your fiancée try on some bands, they can be difficult to get right. If you do buy one with diamonds on it, make sure it’s well made! Also, you do not want to overwhelm the solitaire, so you’d need to make sure the diamonds in the band were in proportion.

I brought the conversation up with her and it looks like she doesn't want a plain band. She's ok with a 3/4 or half eternity band though. The only issue I have with a half eternity band is when the ring rotates in the finger, there will be times that it'll show the part of the ring without the diamonds.

If diamonds come into contact with metal, they will eat into the metal over time. This is particularly problematic if the diamonds come in contact with the prongs/basket of the e-ring as that can put the centre diamond at risk. If your fiancee's engagement ring has a donut, this usually is sufficient to make sure the eternity band's diamonds don't touch the shank/head/basket/prongs of the engagement ring, but it will leave a visible "gap" on the finger, i.e. the two rings will not be flush.

If you want the two rings to sit flush, then you need an e-ring that doesn't have a donut, but also one where the head is high enough that the swell of the basket does not bump up against the wedding band. So a cathedral style ring where the undercarriage/shank is as high or higher off the finger as the wedding band, for example.

If you're concerned, any jeweler will be able to tell you if there's going to be a problem or not, or you can also wear a spacer, a thin (like 1mm) metal band that goes between both rings and absorbs all the damage.

Also, when I mentioned matching, I meant matching or cohesive male/female bands. So made of the same metal, or same design etc. They don't need to be identical, but it's nice when they have a similar vibe.

When you say donut, are you referring to this type of e-ring?



Sorry, I'm having a hard time visualizing since I'm in no way an expert with this. When I was asking BGD about the design of the e-ring, they said that the basket/stone's height is as low as possible (not low, not high) because a high basket will make the stone more vulnerable. For reference, here is it's CAD diagram.

A 1mm spacer is definitely a good idea we have no other choice. I don't want to weaken the structure of the e-ring in any way possible. I guess the best option right now is to first try different bands in actual to see how they look like.

Regarding matching, I see what you mean. She also showed me this picture as a possible candidate.



Would the diamond-to-metal issue be less of a concern since it's an eternity band in a channel setting? I was thinking that the concern here now is metal-to-metal instead.

 

[AllAboardTheBlingTrain]

I brought the conversation up with her and it looks like she doesn't want a plain band. She's ok with a 3/4 or half eternity band though. The only issue I have with a half eternity band is when the ring rotates in the finger, there will be times that it'll show the part of the ring without the diamonds.


When you say donut, are you referring to this type of e-ring?



Sorry, I'm having a hard time visualizing since I'm in no way an expert with this. When I was asking BGD about the design of the e-ring, they said that the basket/stone's height is as low as possible (not low, not high) because a high basket will make the stone more vulnerable. For reference, here is it's CAD diagram.

A 1mm spacer is definitely a good idea we have no other choice. I don't want to weaken the structure of the e-ring in any way possible. I guess the best option right now is to first try different bands in actual to see how they look like.

Regarding matching, I see what you mean. She also showed me this picture as a possible candidate.



Would the diamond-to-metal issue be less of a concern since it's an eternity band in a channel setting? I was thinking that the concern here now is metal-to-metal instead.

So you can see the 'donut' in this picture showing the anatomy of a ring: https://victorcanera.imgix.net/images/wysiwyg-images/original-Structural-Components-of-a-Ring.jpg

The picture you uploaded is a bezel ring, with a fairly chunky bezel. Not the same thing

The donut sort of adds structural stability and acts as a sort of spacer in itself. Looking at the CADs, I would say the base of the basket seems to protrude out from the shank/undercarriage, so that counts as a donut. It basically doesn't allow the ring to sit completely flush, just with a small gap, and keeps the diamonds away from the metal.

The picture you uploaded here would have no problems with your ring because of the channel setting. The channel itself will act like a spacer ifkwim. Metal against metal is not a problem afaik - it might lead to scratches but not structural instability since there's nothing there to weaken the structure.

 

[tyty333]

Kevin,
Why don't you load some images of the engagement ring you got so we know what might be an issue and what you don't need to worry about. Or do you have a link to it?

My opinion, if you are going eternity for your SO, go 2/3 or 3/4. Or small plain sizing bar where it can easily be resized. With 1/2 you have to worry too much about spinning.

 

[kevindd992002]

Kevin,
Why don't you load some images of the engagement ring you got so we know what might be an issue and what you don't need to worry about. Or do you have a link to it?

My opinion, if you are going eternity for your SO, go 2/3 or 3/4. Or small plain sizing bar where it can easily be resized. With 1/2 you have to worry too much about spinning.

Yes, so here are some links:

1. CADs
2. Ring on hand - the size is 6.5 and it fits her finger but from the looks of it do you think the size is just right?
3. Here are some actual pictures of just the ring:





What is a small plain sizing bar?

 

[AllAboardTheBlingTrain]

Yes, so here are some links:

1. CADs
2. Ring on hand - the size is 6.5 and it fits her finger but from the looks of it do you think the size is just right?
3. Here are some actual pictures of just the ring:





What is a small plain sizing bar?

Beautiful ring! Really love that setting. I’m not well versed enough to tell if the diamond eternity band would cause problems with this ring, but Brian Gavin will be able to tell you. Channel ring should pose no problem.

Also, a sizing bar is a small fraction of an eternity ring that’s left without diamonds, just a metal bar/shank. It’s to help with sizing.


This ring (from the net) is like an almost full eternity with a gap.


This is more of a partial eternity style. Less wear and tear on the stones and sizeable, but may pose an issue if it spins.

 

[tyty333]

Her ring is lovely (nice job BTW)!

Does she feel like its a little loose? When she gets her wedding band it should make it fit a little tighter but may not be enough
depending on how loose it feels.

I'm going to link you to @cflutist 's thread on her eternity band. It has built-in side-rails so it wont cut into her engagement ring(s).
Her band is a nice width because its not too wide to distract from the ering but wide enough to be a stand-alone if your SO wants to
be a little more low-key. Something to consider. I dont think it has a sizing bar though.

HPD Lux H&A Eternity with built in spacer

This ring has 29 1.8mm HPD Lux H&A melee that are F-G/VS and .68ctw. There are .6mm rails on both sides that act as a built in spacer so that the diamond girdles will not rub against the trellis basket of my HPD Symphonie (2.79 F-VS1 CBI). First the CAD Now the glamour shots from Jamie.

www.pricescope.com

Would the diamond-to-metal issue be less of a concern since it's an eternity band in a channel setting? I was thinking that the concern here now is metal-to-metal instead.

Channel set would not cause an issue. Its hard to find nice channel set bands IMO. The one you posted is pretty.

 

[kevindd992002]

Beautiful ring! Really love that setting. I’m not well versed enough to tell if the diamond eternity band would cause problems with this ring, but Brian Gavin will be able to tell you. Channel ring should pose no problem.

Also, a sizing bar is a small fraction of an eternity ring that’s left without diamonds, just a metal bar/shank. It’s to help with sizing.


This ring (from the net) is like an almost full eternity with a gap.


This is more of a partial eternity style. Less wear and tear on the stones and sizeable, but may pose an issue if it spins.

Her ring is lovely (nice job BTW)!

Does she feel like its a little loose? When she gets her wedding band it should make it fit a little tighter but may not be enough
depending on how loose it feels.

I'm going to link you to @cflutist 's thread on her eternity band. It has built-in side-rails so it wont cut into her engagement ring(s).
Her band is a nice width because its not too wide to distract from the ering but wide enough to be a stand-alone if your SO wants to
be a little more low-key. Something to consider. I dont think it has a sizing bar though.

HPD Lux H&A Eternity with built in spacer

This ring has 29 1.8mm HPD Lux H&A melee that are F-G/VS and .68ctw. There are .6mm rails on both sides that act as a built in spacer so that the diamond girdles will not rub against the trellis basket of my HPD Symphonie (2.79 F-VS1 CBI). First the CAD Now the glamour shots from Jamie.

www.pricescope.com

Channel set would not cause an issue. Its hard to find nice channel set bands IMO. The one you posted is pretty.

Thanks! It took all of three months for me to learn about which stone to get, what setting she "might" like, what size her finger is, and go through the logistics headache of shipping it from the US to the Philippines. She loves the ring and I'm glad you guys think I did a good job too

If there's a gap in the eternity ring, does that mean the gap is the sizing bar?

No, she neither feels the ring being loose nor it being tight. It feels right for her but when you look at the pictures closely, it does look a tiny bit tight. We just think it "looks" tight but it really doesn't feel tight. I guess because she is a bit fat-fingered.

Thanks for the link to that thread. I'll give that a read. As for wedding band width, how does it compare to the e-ring's width? Do they need to be more or less the same width? My fiancee's e-ring is reverse tapered so it looks thin up top.

 

[MillieLou]

I guess because she is a bit fat-fingered.

I have nothing constructive to add to this thread (as you've been given fantastic advice already) but for the love of all things, do not say this out loud

The e-ring you chose is beautiful and looks stunning on her.

 

[tyty333]

A gap in an "eternity" ring would be a place to resize. Note that you can not do major resizing on eternity rings because
it can loosen all the stones. We're probably talking 1/2 size either way (but you really need to talk to whoever makes your
ring to find out for sure).

@AllAboardTheBlingTrain posted 2 images above. The first one is a sizing bar and the second ring is more of a 3/4 eternity ring.
I doubt naming conventions are specific on this though.

For the width on the wedding band, most people go at least the widest width of her ering band for a minimum.
Like if the widest part of her band is 1.8mm she would probably want to go with a metal band about 1.8mm to slightly bigger
for solid metal. If its going to be an eternity ring then the width is going to be depending on the size of the stones. You dont
want to go too big on the size of the stones because you dont want to outshine her ering.

All of this is very subjective. There are plenty of exceptions that look beautiful. I'm just giving you what is somewhat typical.
She needs to try some on if that is possible and decide what width she likes.

 

[kevindd992002]

I have nothing constructive to add to this thread (as you've been given fantastic advice already) but for the love of all things, do not say this out loud

The e-ring you chose is beautiful and looks stunning on her.

I didn't realize that that was something sensitive to mention out loud. I didn't mean anything ill I would've edited my post but it looks like you can't do that here.

She's reading this thread also and she just laughed about it so I guess we're in the clear, lol.

A gap in an "eternity" ring would be a place to resize. Note that you can not do major resizing on eternity rings because
it can loosen all the stones. We're probably talking 1/2 size either way (but you really need to talk to whoever makes your
ring to find out for sure).

@AllAboardTheBlingTrain posted 2 images above. The first one is a sizing bar and the second ring is more of a 3/4 eternity ring.
I doubt naming conventions are specific on this though.

For the width on the wedding band, most people go at least the widest width of her ering band for a minimum.
Like if the widest part of her band is 1.8mm she would probably want to go with a metal band about 1.8mm to slightly bigger
for solid metal. If its going to be an eternity ring then the width is going to be depending on the size of the stones. You dont
want to go too big on the size of the stones because you dont want to outshine her ering.

All of this is very subjective. There are plenty of exceptions that look beautiful. I'm just giving you what is somewhat typical.
She needs to try some on if that is possible and decide what width she likes.

I see. When I was talking to BGD regarding resizing their rings that have melee stones on the sides, they told me they can resize 1 full size up or down.

Got it. She seems to be fixed on the eternity ring style, whether channel or not. Our country is in lock down again because of the pandemic so going to a jeweler will be hard now but I'm sure things will relax again soon. I will make sure that we go to a jeweler and try some wedding bands in actual.

In the meantime, I'm still waiting for BGD's response regarding the potential height issues.

 

[kevindd992002]

According to BGD, any of their diamond bands that will sit to an engagement ring will scratch it over time. So they recommend a 1mm spacer just like you did.

These are their most popular diamond bands:

https://www.briangavindiamonds.com/petite-pave-matching-band-platinum-7434p


https://www.briangavindiamonds.com/legera-pave-matching-band-platinum-5862p


https://www.briangavindiamonds.com/fishtail-pave-matching-band-platinum-5477p


https://www.briangavindiamonds.com/dream-half-eternity-platinum-5392p


@sledge You've been very silent. I would really love to hear your thoughts on this

 

[tyty333]

Sometimes @sledge gets busy with work and has to take a break from PS. Hopefully he'll be back soon.

So spacer it is...

I think you should get a band that is at least 2/3 pave (or more) so she doesnt have to worry about spinning as much.
I have a 1/2 pave band that spins and I have to keep turning it to put it back so the pave faces up. My wish is to replace it
someday with a band where the pave goes most of the way around.

The fishtail pave goes fairly far around the band. I thing BGD can custom make any of those bands with the pave going further
around the band. You would have to ask and find out the cost.

 

[kevindd992002]

Sometimes @sledge gets busy with work and has to take a break from PS. Hopefully he'll be back soon.

So spacer it is...

I think you should get a band that is at least 2/3 pave (or more) so she doesnt have to worry about spinning as much.
I have a 1/2 pave band that spins and I have to keep turning it to put it back so the pave faces up. My wish is to replace it
someday with a band where the pave goes most of the way around.

The fishtail pave goes fairly far around the band. I thing BGD can custom make any of those bands with the pave going further
around the band. You would have to ask and find out the cost.

With at least a 2/3 pave, I would assume that it'll spin around the finger, right? If so, how is it not much of a concern compared to a 1/2 pave?

 

[kevindd992002]

So went to a couple of jewelry stores in the mall today to fit some rings. First off, my fiancee's potential rings (all of them are half eternities just for the sake of trying eternity rings):

1) 0.24 carat channel



2) 0.27 carat pave



3) 0.56 carat pave



4) 0.91 carat pave



Comments/questions from her:
* The 0.56 carat seems to be one that doesn't outshine the e-ring. Do you agree?
* Naturally, the channel setting is more comfortable for the adjacent fingers compared to the pave setting with the stones protruding but she still seems to be gearing more towards pave.

I also tried some rings and I'm nowhere near a decision:

1) Fiancee calls it Bvlgari design but I don't like it.



2) 3mm vs 4.5mm



Comments/questions from me:
* I have thin fingers. The knuckle of my ring finger is bigger than the end of my ring finger where the ring will sit. Which one is the correct basis when choosing for the size?
* 3mm width seems to be too small for me. The 4.5mm seems to be more for my hand size but I'm not sure if a wider one would be better? You know how men tend to think that a wider band feels more "masculine".
* Flat vs. domed band? Or just in the middle?
* My fiancee is still pushing a band for me with a diamond so I'm still trying to look for that style that I "might" like.

 

[sprinklesparkles]

I think the first band looks best, personally.

 

[kevindd992002]

I think the first band looks best, personally.

You mean the 0.24 carat channel one?

 

[elle_chris]

I also think the channel band looks best.

 

[mwilliamanderson]

I like the .24 channel best for second choice the .27 pave.
For a man’s ring I find a 6mm is a nice size…not to narrow, not to wide.

 

[newdiamondworld]

I like the second one (.27 pave) best... it has the same rounded feel and width as the ring shank

the channel set one introduces extra texture and looks wider

 

[Lookinagain]

I like either 1 or 2 for her.
for you I think a slightly dome 5-6 mm. I think domed is a bit more comfortable.