Wedding Ring Style Guide: 2012 Edition – Guest Post by Roman Sharf of Luxury Bazaar

Brides and grooms getting married in 2012 have a hard choice to make when it comes to wedding bands! The variety is endless and includes different metals, hybrid combinations of metals, different gemstones, and the inevitable choice between engagement and wedding sets. Furthermore, one must choose between traditional bands and bands that are intricately textured or embellished, which adds yet another layer of stylistic choice to bear in mind. As overwhelming as this choice may seem, by bearing in mind the following pieces of advice, you should be well-prepared to choose the right wedding ring to wear for the rest of your days!

Diamonds

Diamond wedding bands are very traditional, and suggest a timeless sense of style that will always be popular. Opt for a wedding set where the engagement ring takes center stage and the wedding band closes around it with a few smaller diamonds. A man’s wedding band with a single or multiple diamonds can also make the traditional style stand out. Eternity rings, in particular, are very popular in 2012; they have diamonds all around the ring, which can be placed in prongs, on the edges, or hidden in channels so they will not get caught on clothing. The thematic idea is that the love between the bride and the groom is eternal, just as the diamonds on the ring continue in a never-ending circle. Another new trend is to use colored diamonds instead of clear ones, with a variety of shades from pink to blue to purple available. The shade is usually very light and pastel, but they definitely look different from conventional white diamonds, and never fail to add a bit of pop to a wedding band.

Traditional

Traditional wedding bands are still widely available and are a simple and classy choice for the couple who want to live an uncluttered, simple life. Plain bands in gold or silver are always a good choice, and will probably never go out of style. Traditional wedding bands come in a variety of widths, and some may even have a bit of embellishment around the edges. They go particularly well with the traditional single-diamond engagement ring.

Other Gemstones

These days, diamonds are not the only gemstone popular in wedding and engagement rings. Princess Diana of England was one of the first modern brides to eschew a simple diamond for her engagement ring; she had a large sapphire with diamonds instead, and that style – which she helped popularize – is still going strong today. Instead of a diamond, consider opting for a ruby, sapphire, emerald, or amethyst instead. Combine the colored stones with a diamond for an even more different type of setting. The eternity ring is specifically perfect for use with colored gemstones, and will look wonderful with either one color or a variety, including white diamonds.

Vintage Rings

A popular trend this year is to get a vintage ring – or a reproduction of one – for a wedding band. Vintage settings are often beautiful in an archaic way, with diamonds prominently featured and filigree within the metal work. Some of today’s most popular styles of engagement rings are the ones that came from the Art Deco period of the early 20th century, with beautiful pave settings on full display. The vintage engagement ring may include a square or round diamond, raised and surrounded by smaller diamonds or on its own, with the wedding band possibly adding to the piece as well, with even more stones attached around its edge. This was the most popular style of luxury rings during the Victorian and Edwardian eras. Vintage rings bring about a romantic style and those that love lace, cameos and other luxurious items will undoubtedly love the vintage style.

Metals for Wedding Bands

Traditional gold and white gold metals are always popular for wedding rings, but today there are many more choices than that! Platinum, tungsten, palladium, and silver are all luxurious choices, along with some other more obscure metals. Wedding bands can be made from all one metal, or as a hybrid of two or more. Gold has been the preferred metal for wedding bands for centuries, and is still by far one of the most popular choices today. Platinum has an almost white look against the skin, as a result of its high-temperature brazing. Even better, platinum lasts virtually forever and is more expensive than gold. Palladium is less expensive than platinum, which has made it a popular choice for those that like the bright white look but who don’t want to spend as much. It is also less durable than platinum, but it is hypoallergenic too, and thus a good choice for brides or grooms that get a rash from wearing gold or silver. Tungsten rings do not scratch and also last forever, but cannot be cut so the ring can never be re-sized. Titanium rings are reputed to be the hardest and most durable, but they can scratch. That metal can also be tinted to different colors, so if a groom wants a risque black wedding ring, it is a real possibility! Other modern choices for 2012 wedding band metals are silver, sterling silver, cobalt chrome, ceramic steel and black zirconium. Most of these metals were not even available in the past, but now serve as beautiful wedding bands, especially for the groom.

Textured

The popularity of Celtic wedding bands has soared within the last few years; thanks to the distinct Celtic knots carved into the bands, they are a perfect example of a contemporary textured ring. Some have diamonds or other gemstones set in the pattern of the knot work or around the edges of the ring. The knot work is often made from contrasting metals to make the pattern look even more prominent, or they can be all one metal for a more streamlined appearance. Celtic bands can serve as particularly handsome wedding rings for men, or as delicate and unique wedding rings for women. Braided or twisted rings are another option where one, two or three metals are twisted together and placed in a solid wedding band. Hammered bands, for their part, are usually thick bands that have been hammered flat and which have uneven hammer marks on them, perhaps ideal for women with mode edgy or rock-related tastes. When it comes to wedding bands, they bride and groom of 2012 have a nearly unlimited array of options to choose from, and thankfully, there truly is something to satisfy anyone’s unique sense of style!

Roman Sharf writes for one of our favorite blogs LuxuryBazaar.com – be sure to check out more of his highly informative work!