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Guide to Men’s Wedding Rings
Angelica Frey | October 12, 2023
For many years, a wedding band was the one piece of fine jewelry that many men felt consistently confident enough to wear. Over the course of the last decades, while mainstream fashion started embracing men’s jewelry more and more, wedding bands also evolved, and became a conduit to self expression, and not just a sign of commitment.
This means that there are more styles of wedding bands to choose from than ever before. Each of these various designs are meant for men, women, and people of all genders thanks to their timelessness coupled with the unique added brilliance of VRAI created diamonds.
Our guide to men’s wedding bands features some of the most popular or sought-after of those lab-grown diamond wedding band styles. Explore each option — and decide which band captures your own attention.
How to Match Your Wedding Band With Your Partner
There are countless ways to match your wedding band with your partner. You can get the same style but in different band widths, the same style but in different metal colors, to account for difference in skin tone/personal preference. You can even choose to match in terms of the overall shape of the band. If one wears a Devotion Band, the other can, for example, wear the Flat Band.
It is not necessary, however, to have your wedding rings match. You will wear your wedding ring for the rest of your life, so it’s crucial to choose something that fully represents you.
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What Are the Most Popular Men’s Wedding Band Shapes?
Not all bands are made alike. Even when they’re not embellished with any diamonds or engravings, bands come in different shapes that largely impact their overall appearance. The main difference is between a round (or domed) and a flat band. The round band has a domed profile and is more traditional. VRAI’s Flat Band has a rectangular profile and is more modern. A beveled band is the combination of the two: it’s a flat band with beveled corners, so it has some dimension but with edges instead of curves.
Round Wedding Bands
Also known as “domed”, round wedding bands have rounded edges and are a timeless and classic option whose popularity is nowhere near wavering. They’re best complemented by a high-polish finish.
Flat Wedding Bands
Flat wedding bands lie flat against the finger. They have a more contemporary feel and work well with satin and matte textures.
Beveled Wedding Bands
Beveled Wedding Bands combine the edges of a flat wedding band with the slopes of a round wedding band. In the case of a beveled ring, the edges are cut at an angle, so its cross section has a trapezoidal appearance.
Diamond Wedding Bands
When diamonds become the dominant characteristic of the design, they largely influence the appearance of the band. U-prong settings, pavé settings, and channel settings are the most popular options for diamond bands.
What Are the Most Popular Men’s Wedding Band Finishes?
Wedding bands are usually sleek in design, so the metal’s texture and finish really impact their overall look. A mirror-like polished finish has a timeless quality and traditional look and feel. A satin or matte finish has a more modern and understated look. If you want something more artisanal, a hammered finish can create a mosaic-like effect on the surface of your ring.
Polished Finish
The polished finish yields a mirror-like appearance to any metal, and remains among the most popular options for wedding rings. Among the rings designed by VRAI, the Round, the Flat, and the Inlay Band have a polished finish.
Satin and Matte Finish
Both satin and matte finishes diffuse the light rather than reflect it, and have a more understated elegance about them compared to rings with a polished or hammered finish. VRAI offers satin finishes in its Brushed Round Band, the Brushed Beveled Band, and the Brushed Flat Band.
Hammered Finish
This finish owes its name to the tool used to achieve that effect. Goldsmiths use different types of hammer to make the surface uneven, which then creates an alternation between shiny and matte surfaces. VRAI’s Hammered Band has a hammered finish accented with polished margins.
What Are The Most Popular Metals for Men’s Wedding Rings?
You can choose from different metals: yellow gold, rose gold, white gold, and platinum, and the most important factor to consider is your personal preference and the undertones of your skin. Just remember that any skin color, regarding how light or deep it is, can have cool or warm undertones.
Yellow gold is warm-toned and traditional, and suits skin tones with warm undertones. White gold and platinum, with their white cast, are sleek and modern, and pair well with cool-toned skin tones. Rose gold has a soft-hued and romantic gleam, and it works with any skin undertones, which, in turn, will determine the way that color will appear on you.
If you can’t decide between white gold and platinum, keep in mind that they look fairly similar to the naked eye, but white gold owes its white cast to rhodium plating, otherwise it would have a faint yellow tint. Platinum is a cool-toned metal and is more resistant to scratching, and forms a patina with wear. If A white-gold ring needs to be re-plated every few years, and, in the case of 18k white gold jewelry, VRAI offers a lifetime care package that includes replating.
Men’s Yellow Gold Wedding Bands
18k solid yellow gold bands are the most popular men’s wedding rings, along with platinum bands. The classic appeal of yellow gold guarantees that these rings will stand the test of time.
Men’s Platinum Wedding Bands
Platinum men’s wedding bands are highly sought after for their shine and for their durability. The renowned and enduring strength of platinum means that these men’s wedding bands will be cherished for a lifetime.
Men’s Rose Gold Wedding Bands
14k solid rose gold bands are an increasingly popular choice for those who love its romantic and vintage-inspired appeal. Because rose gold pairs well with both white and yellow gold, individuals also choose it for its versatility.
Frequently Asked Logistical and Practical Questions
Once you learn about different finishes, different band widths and shapes, and different metal colors, you can round out your research by familiarizing yourself about the practical and etiquette-related components that are part of the wedding-ring-shopping experience.
How Do I Measure Men’s Ring Size?
The average men’s wedding band size is 9. While most VRAI wedding bands are available in sizes 3 through 14, many men order rings within the 8-12 range. To know your ring size, however, you must measure your finger.
VRAI’s complimentary ring sizers can be ordered and shipped to your home. Simply follow the link, click “Add to bag,” and the sizer will be shipped anywhere in the US or Canada free of charge. Once you receive the ring sizer, secure the end of the sizer through the buckle to form a ring shape. Slip your desired finger through the loop, then pull the end through until the sizer fits snug but is not overly tight. When it fits correctly, look at the little black arrow and note your ring size.
If you are wanting to surprise your significant other with a ring, consider asking family or friends for his size or measuring other rings he might currently wear.
What Finger Do Men Wear Wedding Rings On?
Most individuals wear a wedding ring on the ring finger of the left hand. The ring is placed on this finger while exchanging vows during a wedding ceremony. This rule does not have to be followed, however; you and your significant other should decide what wedding traditions you choose to follow.
The only rule to abide by is to measure the appropriate finger ahead of time to guarantee that your wedding ring fits from the start.
Who Buys Men’s Wedding Bands?
Traditionally, each person buys their partner’s wedding ring. Meaning that a bride or groom is responsible for buying their future husband’s band, and vice versa. But as with any wedding tradition, you should only follow those that are pertinent to you and your significant other.
Where Do I Buy Men’s Wedding Bands?
Wedding bands can be purchased in a showroom, by virtual appointment, or entirely online.You can book an in-person or virtual appointment with our diamond experts to select engagement rings, wedding bands or even wedding-day jewelry for men.