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This is it: The time has come for you to start thinking about the wedding band joining your beloved engagement ring in everlasting matrimony. Although it’s an exciting endeavour, it’s not always easy. Your engagement ring is heavily symbolic, and finding a wedding band with the right substance to complement it is a process involving lots of considerations.
Perhaps your engagement ring is an old family heirloom that doesn’t harmonise with a contemporary wedding band? Maybe your engagement ring’s gemstone setting is low and obtrusive, making it tricky for any neighbouring rings to sit perfectly flush to it? It’s natural for our preferences to evolve over time; could it be that your engagement ring is perhaps no longer 100% reflective of the jewellery style you’re most drawn to today?
The good news is, where there’s a will there’s a way. We’re here today to inspire you with a variety of techniques for pairing your special wedding band with your irreplaceable engagement ring.
‘Matching’ is not synonymous with ‘identical’. Though we love the consistent finish of two rings with corresponding band engravings – like that of our Athena engagement ring and Scrolls wedding band set – sisters can also look just as great together as twins. Picking out one of your engagement ring’s nuances and reinterpreting it in a way that’s befitting of your wedding band is a clever way to unite the two.
For example, antique Edwardian engagement rings are often heavily adorned with milgrain beading. Paying homage to this vintage charm - without overpowering it - could be as simple as adding a subtle milgrain accent to the borders of your wedding band, like that of our Vintage Milgrain ring.
If your engagement ring is Art Deco-inspired in design, a wedding band with geometric architectural details could lend itself nicely to those lines and angles.
Perhaps your engagement ring boasts floral detailing of some kind? This theme could be tastefully continued with a nature-inspired engraved motif. Vines and diamond-set flowers are amongst our signature patterns, but you might instead wish to design a bespoke marking, tailored carefully to the characteristics of your engagement ring.
Another factor that’s important to consider is the stature of your engagement ring. If it’s particularly dainty, for example, then a chunky wedding band may overwhelm it. Visually, equal band widths tend to work great together.
Likewise, it’s worth taking into account the shape of your engagement ring’s band, not only for aesthetic benefit but for comfort on the finger. If it’s gently domed on the outside, a court or D-shaped wedding band would sit alongside it with ease. Equally, two flat bands make for a consistent and streamlined finish.
Ornate vintage engagement rings, engagement rings with elongated central stones, engagement rings with wide and low-lying rub-over settings… These are all examples of jewels that tend to create awkward conditions for any wedding band trying to nestle in closely. Some people aren’t phased by a small gap between rings, but others – understandably – would prefer the two to sit flush to one another. If you fall into the latter category, you might wish to consider a shaped wedding band.
The rings in our sculpted Crown collection were designed to complement a broad variety of solitaire engagement rings. Alternatively, for an even closer fit, you might wish to take the bespoke route and commission a wedding band thoughtfully designed to embrace the unique contours of your engagement ring and your engagement ring only.
You can learn more about attaining a flush engagement ring and wedding band pairing here.
If your engagement ring is set with a coloured gemstone, you might enjoy injecting your wedding band with a similar hue. Sapphires and rubies may not be deemed a traditional choice for wedding rings, but their toughness actually makes them especially suitable for jewellery worn day-to-day. Our sapphire-set Foliage engagement ring and Altair wedding band are a match made in midnight.
On the other hand, though some find comfort in consistency, the colour of your engagement ring’s metal needn’t dictate that of your wedding band. Gone are the days when combining metal colours was an absolute no-no; in fact, two-tone pairings are an increasingly popular choice amongst experimental brides and a fun way to achieve uniqueness. It’s important to remember, however, that your rings must match one another in metal hardness. A wedding band that’s harder than its neighbouring engagement ring could leave scratches and scuffs in its wake.
You can learn more about safely combining metals here.
The style of your engagement ring’s gemstone setting is also an attribute that can be taken and translated. Maybe those little diamonds set into its shoulders would be happier if acquainted with a wedding band encrusted in the same grain-set style? If your engagement ring’s central gemstone is secured in a rub-over setting, so too could be gemstones gracing your new ring.
It's possible to embrace the beautiful materials that Mother Nature offers us without harming our beautiful planet. By asking questions, simplifying supply chains and sharing our knowledge with the world, we can achieve this balance.
