What’s the Deal With Men’s Wedding Rings?
Welcome back to another entry here on the Stewart Kuper Jewelers blog! We spend a lot of time on this blog talking about weddings, and for good reason – they’re one of the biggest days in most people’s lives and they are intrinsically tied to the giving of jewelry, in particular rings. Both engagement and wedding rings are, for many, the piece of jewelry they own and treasure. This time on the blog we are going to be looking specifically at men’s wedding rings and their differences in style available to them – that’s right, they’re not all the same, plain band!
Men’s Wedding Rings – Everything You Need to Know
There are more options than ever when it comes to men’s wedding rings so it’s important to understand the different factors that go into a ring. For men’s wedding bands the big considerations are Width, Metal, Fit, Finish, Shape or Structure, and Detailing. Let’s go over those together shall we?
The Width
Men tend to have larger hands than women, and in practice that means there is frequently more variation in the hand size of men than women. Because of that, men have a few more options when it comes to the width of their ring.
On average, wedding rings for men are about 8mm wide, however as mentioned because of the variety in hands and size they can be anywhere from 2-10mm.
Many men find that they find thicker wedding bands more comfortable, especially if they have larger hands.
The Metal
Now, here is a place for even more variety and personalization – the metal. Every metal used in a ring is going to be durable, sure, but there is still plenty of difference, between platinum and gold, for instance, to think through what material the ring should be made of.
Platinum
Platinum is one of the most popular choices for men’s wedding rings for two reasons. It’s visually appealing and because it is denser than gold. It won’t show scratches like other rings might. That benefit does come with a cost, however, so expect to pay a bit more than similar metals.
Golds
Gold is a classic. It might not be as strong as platinum, but it has staying power in traditions! Both white and yellow gold are great options for a wedding band, and they come with advantages and disadvantages of their own.
Yellow gold is the traditional metal for wedding rings, men’s or otherwise. Made of a mixture of pure gold, silver, and copper, yellow gold compliments diamonds well. White gold is a more contemporary style, a sort of midpoint between yellow gold and platinum. It is made with pure gold and a mixture of other metals including silver, nickel, zinc, palladium, and copper. White gold helps the diamonds to look larger and brighter, by reflecting their brilliance.
The downside of both of these is their durability. Gold is softer than many people realize. To support the gold, things like rhodium plating can be added to increase the ring’s strength and it’s style.
The Fit
This is pretty simple. A man’s wedding ring should slide over the knuckle easy, but still fit snug. The metal used in the ring can affect the fit, specifically how it feels. A platinum ring will be denser and feel heavier than a gold ring of the exact same make.
The Finish
There are several different finishes for men’s wedding bands, but we’ll go over three of the big ones: high polish, matte, and satin.
High Polish
High polish is the traditional look. It gives the ring a shiny, reflective surface.
Matte
A matte finish gives off a flat look that isn’t shiny at all. The goal here is to be simple, with a “less is more” approach.
Satin
A satin finish mimics a high polish finish in some key ways, it gives the ring a smooth and shiny look, however, it doesn’t reflect light which can keep some of that shine without the flash, making it ideal for those men who don’t want to be too flashy.
We will stop here for today but those aren’t the only differentiating factors when it comes to men’s wedding bands. There’s structure, detailing, and more. The point is, men’s wedding rings have several factors that they can be customized with and made to be the perfect unique ring for the groom. Ready to look at some rings? Want to understand the other factors or get some hands-on time with different metals? Give Stewart Kuper Jewelers a call, we’re happy to help walk our customers through everything!
