Wedding Ring (Guide)

For many people it is a life goal independent of their current relationship status, others only want it when they know the right partner at their side: marriage.

Once the engagement ring is on the finger, this goal and with it the change to the wedding ring is finally within reach. The selection of the wedding rings is an exciting process for both, because these rings mean that two lovers swear eternal allegiance to each other. What is important when buying these two rings and how can you lay the foundation for a fulfilled married life with beautiful wedding rings?

Of Tradition(s) and Modernity

The ring symbolism itself is already one of the most romantic signs of love. It stands for eternity and infinity. Just as the ring (or circle) has no beginning or end, so also the love of two people, who symbolically represent them with a wedding ring, should last forever.

The traditional wearing of the wedding ring on the ring finger is connected to the ancient belief that a vein leads directly to the heart ("vena amoris") through the ring finger. The ring thus established a direct connection to the heart, which sealed the alliance of a couple with the oath of eternal fidelity and love.

Nowadays, the choice of possible wedding rings and their design is very large, as there are different materials and design options. Creativity is allowed here, new materials, new engraving techniques and also an individually designed stone setting make personalised wedding rings possible. In German-speaking countries it is customary for the bride-to-be to wear her engagement ring on the ring finger of her left hand until the wedding. After the wedding, the woman then has the choice: either the engagement ring continues to be worn on the left hand or it changes to the ring finger of the right hand as an attachment ring to the wedding ring.

Order wedding rings online?

The advantages of online shopping are already known to many. In addition to fast and secure postal routes and the convenience of the shopping experience, the sheer unlimited choice is praised as a major advantage over the retail trade. Especially those who are looking for high individuality at a relatively low price will rather find it online than at the well-known jeweller around the corner. High-quality online shops built up with a lot of love strive for the most meaningful and realistic photos and videos of their wedding rings.

Wedding rings should last a lifetime and therefore the purchase of rings is a very special occasion. At THE JEWELLER, it is very important to us that you feel safe and well advised while buying. That is why we pay the utmost attention to our quality standards and check every piece of jewellery by hand before it leaves our warehouse. With us, you have all the time in the world to choose your wedding rings. What's more, you are completely independent of opening hours, Sundays and public holidays. And if you are unsure of the right ring size, we offer a special service: we offer a dummy service especially for many of our gold, platinum and palladium wedding rings. For wedding rings made of other materials, you can simply select on the product page that you would like to order the rings with the fitting service.

Determine wedding ring style

A plain ring? A fancy, unusual wedding ring model, perhaps still with coloured gemstone? The question of style plays an important role when buying wedding rings. The best way to get inspired is at every opportunity. Online you can browse through large assortments for a long time, jewellers display their most beautiful pieces in the shop window.

Wedding Ring Trends

Always following tradition? It doesn't have to be, not even at your own wedding. The current wedding ring trend clearly tends towards red and rose gold rings, which also corresponds to a general trend in the world of jewellery. What used to be worn by older women is now experiencing a new boom among young women and also among some men. The alloys of gold and copper are ideally suited for wedding rings, as they have sufficient hardness - in addition, they form a special eye-catcher with their modern colouring. Another trend is multicolor designs and ring shapes that differ from the classic straight wedding ring. Nowadays the wedding ring can be wavy, angular or surface structured - the individual taste plays a more important role than tradition for many couples.

Unusual wedding rings

Why is it always gold with diamond? Most classical and well-known wedding ring providers seem to know only the standard and perhaps still some alternatives. If you like to approach it traditionally, these wedding rings are perfect for you - but if you want to give your love an individual expression, you also need an unusual wedding ring.

Rarer materials are an option where the style can still be kept traditional. Coloured stones or special ring designs that one would otherwise associate less with wedding rings also make an individual marriage ring. A personalised engraving also adds to the uniqueness of the rings. Meanwhile, some manufacturers have specialised in unusual rings that have a fresh and modern design or inspire with creative designs.

The material question

In the past, wedding rings were almost exclusively made of gold. Only gradually did a few white gold models appear in the shop windows of jewellers. In the meantime, a whole range of materials has established itself on the market.

The choice of material is directly determined by your requirements. Which material is best suited for your wedding rings is therefore determined by your personal taste, but also by your everyday life, as each material has different properties. If you are looking for cheap wedding rings, then you should look around the stainless steel area. If robustness is the most important issue for you, then the rings should be made of tungsten or ceramic. You will find the lightest possible rings in the titanium area. And if the value of the material plays the leading role, then it should be gold or platinum. Here is a small overview of the most common materials.

Gold

Whether white, rose, multicolour or yellow gold. This material has not lost its fascination to this day, even though it has been mined and used for various purposes for thousands of years. In the past, wedding rings were almost exclusively made of gold. Relevant here is the determination of the fine gold content. You can choose between 9, 14 or 18 carat gold rings. As a general rule, the higher the fine gold content of a wedding ring, the more susceptible the piece of jewellery is to scratching. However, the higher the percentage of fine gold, the higher the value of the wedding ring. In addition, "softer" rings can be engraved or processed better, deeper and with more detail.

Silver

In the jewellery industry, so-called sterling silver is mostly used because it is harder than pure silver and accordingly less sensitive to external influences. This is an alloy of 92.5% pure silver and 7.5% other metals, usually copper. The fineness is therefore 925/1000, which is why it is also called 925 silver. Silver rings can tarnish over time, but this discolouration can be removed with a silver polishing cloth or a silver bath.

Ceramic

Ceramic rings are relatively new in the field of wedding rings and this although ceramic is one of the earliest materials processed by human. The material scores with its cost-effectiveness and great surface. Individual engravings are shown to their best advantage on the white or optionally black material. A stone setting can also be chosen individually. From zirconia stones to real diamonds, there are no limits to your imagination.

Titanium

The noble silver-grey surface and the extraordinary hardness of the material predestine titanium for jewellery production. It is ultra light, harder than steel and absolutely corrosion resistant. In recent years, titanium jewellery has become increasingly popular as a material for wedding rings. This is mainly due to the extraordinary durability and hardness of the material. The material is also very popular among allergy sufferers. The value of titanium is measured in its degree of hardness. Due to the crowning and extraordinary lightness of the material, titanium rings are distinguished by their outstanding wearing comfort.

Tungsten

Tungsten is a silver-grey heavy metal with an extraordinarily high density. This makes tungsten wedding rings extremely scratch-resistant. However, the high surface hardness also ensures a very high surface tension of the material, which increases the susceptibility to impact.

Stainless steel

Stainless steel is one of the younger materials in the field of jewellery production. Allergy sufferers appreciate the material because of its skin compatibility. Stainless steel wedding rings are very hard and therefore more scratch-resistant than silver or gold. In addition, stainless steel is corrosion-resistant, does not oxidise and has a darker colour than silver. Another positive property: through contact with oxygen, a thin layer of chromium oxide forms on the surface of the steel. This layer protects the steel underneath from further external influences. If the surface is damaged, this chromium oxide layer forms anew on its own under the influence of oxygen. For this reason, stainless steel can be said to have a self-healing effect.

Platinum

This material is prized among connoisseurs for its precious radiance and value. It dulls less quickly, does not tarnish and will not have lost any of its fascinating white shimmer even decades from now. Although platinum can also be scratched, with platinum jewellery the scratch merely displaces the metal and does not reduce its volume. It is also 30 times rarer than gold and thus remains one of the most sought-after precious metals. With its inimitable brilliance, it is the perfect partner of diamonds with their breathtaking sparkle.

Palladium

Palladium is playing an increasingly important role as a material for wedding rings, and with its excellent properties and good value for money, it's no wonder. Palladium wedding rings are an excellent alternative to rings made of platinum or gold. As it is too soft in its pure form for the manufacture of jewellery, it is combined with other alloys. Palladium has many positive properties: For example, it does not oxidise and therefore does not change its colour. In addition, it is abrasion-resistant and lighter than platinum, so that the rings are comfortable to wear.

The stone question

While wedding rings for men are kept simple and usually have no stone trimming, there are no limits to creativity with the women ring. Traditionally, only a white diamond is set, but several stones are quite conceivable and enjoy growing popularity. Coloured stones can also be used and positioned differently.

Diamond or coloured stone?

Coloured stones are rather rare in wedding rings nowadays and therefore form a special eye-catcher. However, this was by far not always the case. Excavations show that coloured gemstones were preferred especially in the Middle Ages. Thus many finds show beautiful Citrine, Topase or fire-red rubies in the stone trimming of the former wedding rings of noble families. Even though they are the exception rather than the rule today, online jewelers also offer wedding rings with colorful stone trimmings.

The engraving question

By engraving the wedding rings, the future couple has the opportunity to make the rings even more individual. A personal saying can be engraved or even the name of the partner and, for example, a date. Almost all of our wedding ring models can be engraved with a personal message - our in-house engraving department makes it possible. With an individual engraving, the wedding rings become even more a part of your shared history. When looking for your wedding rings with engraving, you will often come across the terms laser and diamond engraving. But what are the differences?

Diamond engraving

This is a colourless relief engraving that is carved into the ring (not possible with tungsten or ceramic), creating a shiny effect. The tip of a diamond displaces the engraving material. The advantage of this popular engraving method is its fineness

Laser engraving

In the technique of laser engraving, layers of material are removed by means of a laser. Burning in the dust results in a dark or light font colour that forms an appealing contrast to the source material.

The ring size

Not quite sure what your exact ring size is? Don't worry, we'll help you by giving you the opportunity to try on the rings! Especially for many of our gold, platinum and palladium wedding rings we offer a dummy service, which you can find on the product page of the respective wedding rings. Here you will receive stainless steel replicas of the original gold rings, so-called dummies. We can send you a total of 4 rings in different sizes and a ring measure (multisizer). For wedding rings made of other materials, you can simply select on the product page that you would like to order the rings with the fitting service. We will then store your engraving and stone setting details until you have tried the rings on. If the rings fit, you send them back to us. This return shipping is included in the service. The same applies to the subsequent engraving and the reshipment to you.

Individualization of wedding rings

Do you have a special request? As an experienced online jeweller, we will be happy to advise you. Custom-made rings at jewellers are many times more expensive in comparison. Simply choose a model that comes closest to your dream ring and ask for changes such as thickness, width or stone setting.

Care tips for wedding rings

Different influences can cause your wedding rings to change over time. You should take them off, for example, when washing the dishes or washing your hands. The rings should also be removed when using hand creams or in contact with perfume, deodorant, hair spray, salt water or chlorinated water. Contact with these substances can cause them to deposit on the surface and change its appearance. For all tasks where the rings could be scratched or damaged, this should also be removed.

Gold rings can be cleaned with special gold baths or can be returned to a jeweller for cleaning. Silver rings can be cleaned with a special silver bath or also given to a jeweller for cleaning. Jewellery should generally be cleaned at regular intervals. Rings without stones can be cleaned e.g. in a mild soap lye. The wedding rings should then be dried with a cloth.

Any contact with other objects potentially leaves marks or scratches on the surface. These wear marks depend on the activities of the wearer. There is no material from which rings are made that cannot show any signs of wear or superficial scratches. Wear marks are therefore not an indication of poor workmanship or material quality. Depending on the material, it is advisable to have rings refurbished after some time.

Image Sources

• Main picture bridal couple: iStock.com/Halfpoint



Of tradition(s) and modernity:

• Infinity symbol: iStock.com/lynxaqua
• Put on the ring: iStock.com/SimonDannhauer


• Order wedding rings online?: Eray/stock.adobe.com
• Wedding Ring Trends: Michael Svoboda/stock.adobe.com
• The Stone Question: All gemstone images: iStock.com/aeya