Guide to Diamond Wedding Bands

A wedding band is more than just a shiny gift to your beloved on your special day. Its circular shape, which is always visible on your finger, symbolises infinite love and devotion. On a difficult day, you can look down at your hand and think about the love that supports and sustains you.

And so, the selection of a wedding band is a big deal! You’ll want to make sure you hit the right note regarding the precious metal, band width and gemstones. The market is filled with a gorgeous variety of wedding bands, and in this article, we’ll focus exclusively on diamond wedding bands for both men and women. 

What do you need to consider? Which kind of settings will work best for your lifestyle? This guide to diamond wedding bands will answer these questions and more.

Choosing the Right Precious Metal for Your Wedding Band

Even if your wedding band is completely encrusted with diamonds, you should carefully consider the precious metal that forms your ring’s foundation.

The most common metals for wedding bands are gold, platinum, silver, titanium, palladium and tungsten. What should you know about each?

Gold Wedding Bands

The hands-down favourite metal for wedding bands, gold is a traditional choice that never goes out of style. However, keep in mind that pure gold is too soft for jewellery, so it’s combined with other metals to make it more durable. Also, gold comes in several exciting flavours.

Yellow gold: Regal and easy-to-maintain, yellow gold is enjoying a resurgence in popularity.

White gold: Gets its white lustre from rhodium plating, which wears off over time.

Rose gold: A hefty dose of copper gives rose gold its peachy, pink colouring.

As mentioned above, white gold often loses its white lustre over time as the rhodium plating wears off. Still, jewellers can re-plate a wedding band relatively inexpensively, giving the piece new life.

Platinum Wedding Bands

One of the rarest metals in the world, platinum is luxe and hypoallergenic, perfect for people with sensitive skin. Unfortunately, because of its scarceness, platinum is one of the most expensive metals for wedding bands.

Its white, mirror-like appearance will show very little wear and tear, even when it’s worn every day. This is because it’s one of the strongest precious metals on earth. It also retains its colour beautifully, as it doesn’t need to be replated to restore its original elegance. 

Silver Wedding Bands

Silver is gorgeous, but it’s also high-maintenance because it tarnishes over time. Unfortunately, it also scratches easily, so you might notice signs of wear sooner than you’d expect. But silver is a traditional favourite, and it’s one of the most affordable precious metals for wedding bands. 

Titanium, Palladium and Tungsten Wedding Bands

These space-age metals are not traditional favourites for wedding bands, but we’re seeing them more and more often because they have such attractive qualities. For instance, titanium is as strong as steel but much lighter weight, and tungsten is highly resistant to scratches. Palladium is a close relative of platinum, and it shares the same silky white colouring, but it’s much less expensive and rare. 

You’re more likely to find titanium, palladium and tungsten in wedding bands designed for men, but they’re also making appearances in women’s jewellery.

Diamond Wedding Band Settings

Once you’ve zeroed in on a precious metal for your diamond wedding band, it’s time to consider settings. Subtle or mega-watt, you have an incredible range of options.

Pave Stones

“Pave” is an elegant French word for a stunningly beautiful jewellery design concept. Pave wedding bands have many smaller diamonds set closely together, creating a “paved” appearance. The stones are placed so close together that it’s not easy to tell where one diamond ends and the next begins. The result? A luminously encrusted wedding band of sparkle and fire. 

Pave wedding bands pair well with women’s solitaire engagement rings, adding glamour and fire to an already gorgeous piece. They also stand alone beautifully.

Flush-Set Diamonds

If you prefer a more subtle look, consider a wedding band with flush-set diamonds, such as this three-diamond flush-set men’s wedding band by Dora. 

Also called gypsy settings, flush settings are popular for wedding bands, especially men’s styles. The diamond’s secure position within the band protects it from chipping or falling out. Of course, it doesn’t interact with the light as much, so the diamonds don’t appear as sparkly. But people with an active lifestyle appreciate the peace of mind.

Bezel Settings

Like flush-set diamonds, bezel settings keep a low profile. With this type of setting, a tiny rim of precious metal encircles the diamond melee. The diamonds might be different shapes and sizes, or they might create a harmonious look like the Guinevere women’s diamond bezel wedding band by Kavalri. 

Prong Settings

We typically think of prong settings for engagement rings, where one or a few larger gemstones take centre stage. But there are several varieties of prong settings you’ll find in wedding bands, including these:

• French V split

  Surface prong setting

  Shared prong setting.

Diamonds with Coloured Gemstones

Increasingly, we’re seeing colour in wedding jewellery. And if you want to add a splash of pigment to your wedding set, the band might be the perfect place.

Mixing white diamonds with coloured diamonds or gemstones can create a gorgeous contrast. Some precious gems are more durable than others, so you’ll want to consider hardness, especially if your wedding band must stand up to the rigours of everyday life.

The Mohs Hardness Scale helps you to know which gems are the hardiest (higher numbers are more durable):

Diamond (10)
Ruby (9)
Sapphire (9)
Alexandrite (8.5)
Topaz (8)
Aquamarine (8)
Emerald (7.5)
Quartz (7)
Amethyst (7)
Peridot (6.5)
Opal (6.5).

Clearly, diamonds reign supreme when it comes to hardness. But if you choose to incorporate some other gemstones, talk with your jeweller about which would work best.

Protecting Your Diamond Wedding Band

When you find the perfect diamond wedding band, protect it with JewelCover insurance. For a free instant quote, click here!