72 The ring’s the thing YOUR WEDDING RING BUYING GUIDE Step six PERSONALISATION Your wedding rings are the ultimate symbol of your love and commitment to one another, so why not personalise them as much as possible? Having them engraved with a meaningful phrase, your initials and wedding date or even your finger prints all add that unique touch. You can also select your stones to have special significance. But beware! As Richard says, “Try not to go for anything too in-the-moment as it may not stand the test of time. Make sure you choose something with everlasting meaning.” Men’s18ct white gold woodland ring, £1,350, www.baroquejewellery.com Step one BUDGET Much like the rest of your wedding planning you need to mutually agree on what you want to spend on your wedding rings, bearing in mind this is something you’ll be wearing 24/7 for the rest of your life. Considering the hardiness of the metal you choose for example is important. More on that later! There’ll be something out there to suit whatever your budget though. Engagement ring and wedding rings in platinum and red gold, POA, www.aurumjewellers.com Step two KNOW YOUR RING SIZE It’s important to get this right before you order as not all rings can be easily resized without a major overhaul of the design. Your jeweller will take your measurements properly, but if you’d like to get an idea for yourself there are plenty of measuring guides online. Organic wedding rings, POA, www.aurumjewellers.com Step three CONSIDER YOUR ENGAGEMENT RING Wear your engagement ring when you’re shopping for the wedding bands as it will influence your choice. You’ll likely want to match the metal and even the shape, stones and depth. This is doubly important if you want your wedding band to be shaped around the design of your engagement ring. Many jewellers offer ready-shaped options to fit alongside standard diamond cuts such as marquise and pear, but you can always go down the custom-made route if none of them work. Hand-carved men’s wedding rings with diamonds, POA, www.aurumjewellers.com Step four WHAT’S YOUR STYLE? Once upon a time wedding rings were by and large simple gold bands, but nowadays the options are incredibly varied. On a basic level there’s eternity (where stones go all the way around), half eternity (where they cover half the band) or plain of course; then there’s matte or polished... we could go on. Also, have a think about whether you want your rings to match, complement each other or be completely different. There are no rules, you do you. Men’s wedding bands, POA, www.aurumjewellers.com Step five WHICH METAL? Arguably the most crucial decision, this will effect everything from cost to the longevity of your rings, as well as the obvious look. When we interviewed Richard Talman and Hugo Johnson from RTFJ (and BBC’s The Repair Shop and All That Glitters respectively) last year, they told us: “The hardest wearing precious metal is and has always been platinum. It’s timeless and also holds polish a lot longer than white gold. Alternatively, 18ct gold is best if you’re looking to go down the yellow route. Avoid 22ct though as it’s very soft and 9ct as there’s more copper content in it than gold, so it tarnishes.” Fitted wedding rings, POA, www.aurumjewellers.com Ladies 18ct rose gold and champagne diamond rose and thorn ring, £720, www.baroquejewellery.com DID YOU KNOW? Traditionally, the wedding ring goes onto the third finger of your left hand first, so that it’s the closest one to your heart. The engagement ring will be next followed by any eternity rings you’re lucky enough to receive for future anniversaries! ESPECIALLY FOR YOU Andrew Leggett from Aurum DesignerJewellers (www.aurumjewellers.com) tells us about the bespoke process: “Considering the significance of a wedding ring it seems a shame to limit yourself to standard readymade designs. Even if you have something straightforward in mind, it’s much more personal to have a ring designed and handmade especially for you. “Dealing with a bespoke jeweller opens up new possibilities. For example, you might like to incorporate some features from your engagement rings, so the two look like they were designed as a set. Your partner’s ring can also be designed to have something in common with yours that will mark them out as a pair. “The good news is that a bespoke ring isn’t necessarily expensive. It’s designed to your requirements, including your pocket. The first step is book a design-consultation with a goldsmith to discuss the possibilities.”
RkJQdWJsaXNoZXIy MTA0NTE=