Show/tell me about wedding rings please

[teksquad]

I am unexpectedly getting married (well sort of, civil partnership) to my long term partner of 30 years in a few weeks and it has suddennly occurred to us we should get rings. We have children together but never wanted to get married back in the day and consequently I know very little about weddings and all the trimmings.

Where should I go to get a fairly modest platinum wedding ring? what types are available? how much should i be expecting to spend roughly? I don't have an engagemnet ring or wear any other rings so it will sit on its own.

He wants a plain band - bevelled edges not flat. Do men generally get gold or is platinum and option?

Also do I want platinum or white gold or even silver? I don't like yellow gold. Do people get plain bands or something more decorative?

Go to a local jeweller and both try on some rings. There are no rules, just pick the one you like.

Two sons married in the last few years. One DIL has white gold wedding ring with a band of tiny diamonds, the other chose a classic very slightly rounded plain platinum band. Gold prices are so high at the moment, the price is pretty much the same as platinum which is usually more expensive. The boys both had plain bands, one had a bevelled edge the other a flat band.

thankyou that is really helpful!

I don't particularly like yellow gold but I couldn't imagine not having a traditional wedding ring. Would look all wrong to me. So plain yellow gold it is!

If you don’t want yellow gold, I would recommend platinum. White gold is actually yellow gold coated in rhodium, which wears off. If you don’t want to get it re-dipped, perhaps go for platinum, which has no coating.

I love platinum and both my husband and I have plain platinum bands. White gold requires re dipping every so often but platinum just polishes as new. The metal just moves around and isn’t shed or lost. We get our rings serviced annually at no cost.

Ours were from De Beers so more expensive than they needed to be but you can get get them from somewhere cheaper. I bought fabulous diamond studs from Blue Nile years ago.

A court or comfort style ring is easy to wear. The inside is rounded to make it more comfortable.

Both DH and I have platinum rings, mine is my mum’s mum’s ring which a jeweller in Hattton Garden set with diamonds, DH has a plain platinum band to match. I’m glad I chose the metal - I don’t like yellow gold, I’ll hopefully be wearing these for the next 40+ years, and it’s hard wearing so has worn really well over the past 10 years so no regrets. They’re not cheap though, I think ours were about £1.5-2k in total.

I had mine made to weave around my engagement ring so it looks like one ring.

Mine and DH are palladium which looks like white gold but is stronger and won't turn yellow but cheaper than platinum.

Personally I don't like yellow gold but that's personal choice.

Congratulations.

Whatever you do don't choose titanium as was fashionable a few years ago. A and e departments can't cut it off

We are getting married, in our 50s, and are currently looking at wedding rings. My partner has chosen a wide (6mm) platinum band and I'm also going for platinum, 2 or 3 mm. We're looking at vintage rings and I have seen a lovely 1920s art deco band. His is pre loved but more recent, he preferred it to a new one for eco reasons. I've looked at new platinum bands too - either way we'll probably spend around £500 or a little more on each ring.

thanks thats good to know and congratulations. Where do you find pre-loved?

I've seen some lovely 1920s and 30s ones in antique jewellers shops in Hatton Gardens. There are also auctions.

Recycled, fair trade or second hand vintage. The mining of precious metals is very damaging to the planet and the working conditions in many mines are horrendous. Independent high street jewellers often sell vintage/second hand.