Guide to Choosing a Wedding Band
You’ve likely spent years dreaming about your engagement ring, but what about your wedding band? To help you find the band that best complements your engagement ring, we’ve broken down some of the most important factors to consider below.
Setting Height
The height of your engagement ring will dictate which type of band you can stack with it. Higher profile rings, where the gemstone is more elevated, typically pair best with a straight band, while lower profile rings often require a contour, notched or open band to stack flush against each together.
Best for High or Standard Profile Engagement Rings
If you have a high or standard profile engagement ring, a straight band will typically sit flush against your ring creating a classic stack. Below are a few examples of what this may look like!
Best for Low Profile Engagement Rings
With a low-profile engagement ring, a contour band, notched band or open band are the best options. Because the ring sits lower on your finger, a straight wedding band will not sit flush against your ring.
Contour Band
Contour bands are the most popular wedding band option for low-profile engagement rings. Made to order, so the curve of the band fits flush against your engagement ring, your stack will be seamless!
Notched Bands
If you want the look of a straight band, some low-profile rings can pair with a notched band to achieve that look by creating a divet for the basket of your engagement ring.
Open Bands
Open bands can also give the appearance of a straight band, leaving a small opening for the basket and gem of your ring to sit.
What does a high vs. low profile ring look like?
Below are two engagement rings: a high-profile ring on the left and a low-profile ring on the right. Just a slight difference in the height of your ring can affect what kind of wedding band you need!
The ‘Cathedral’ solitaire paired with a classic pavé diamond band
The ‘Ariadne’ ring paired with a matching diamond contour band
If you aren’t sure of the height of your engagement ring or what would look best, reach out to our team via chat or email. Our designers can help you select a wedding band that’s right for you!
Engagement Ring Design
Beyond just the height of your ring, certain design elements can affect how your ring stacks, as well. Here are some common design elements that may require a custom contour band.
Cluster Rings
With cluster rings, accent gems are often arranged in unique, organic patterns. Because of this, contour bands are the most popular choice to complement the style, allowing the band to sit closely to your ring and extend the flow of the gems.
Sculptural Details
When your engagement ring features unique sculptural elements, like our ‘Calliste’ ring, a custom contoured band is the best choice. We can design the band to follow the curves of your ring so they stack seamlessly together.
Designing Your Wedding Band
If you’d like to see how different wedding band styles pair with your engagement ring, we’re happy to create renderings for you to review!
To begin, we require a nonrefundable $200 design fee, which will be applied toward the final cost of your wedding band purchase. This includes up to three renderings featuring wedding band styles listed on our website or one rendering of a custom wedding band design created specifically for your ring. Contact your designer or email us at [email protected] to get started.
Please note that additional renderings beyond the initial three are available for a fee of $100 per round for wedding band styles from our existing collection and $300 per round for fully custom wedding band designs. This fee accounts for extra design time; however, in most cases our designers are able to capture your vision within the initial renderings!
Wedding Band Styles
Now that you know what type of band is best suited for your engagement ring, you can dive into the different styles to complement it. Under each engagement ring listing, we include suggested bands that may pair well, but there are so many styles to choose from!
Our designs can be easily filtered into the categories outlined below:
Classic Bands:
Classic bands are timeless, with either pavé or channel-set stones along it, or a plain, solid metal band.
Accented Bands:
Accented bands include one or more colored gemstones or diamonds, and styles can vary, typically carrying design elements from your engagement ring into the band.
Nature Inspired Bands:
Nature inspired bands incorporate the beauty of nature through design concepts like floral, leaf, or vine patterns, accents, and/or engravings.
Vintage Inspired Bands:
Vintage-inspired bands showcase antique styles that can range from simple to extravagant details. Engravings, filigree, and milgrain elements help create a vintage feel.
Plain Bands:
Plain bands are simple and timeless—made of precious metals that do not have added gemstone details.
Jacket:
Instead of a single band, you can opt for two, creating a “jacket” for your engagement ring to sit between. These bands can enhance the appearance of the center stone and create a fully stacked look.
Customizing a Wedding Band
Many of our rings have matching wedding band designs; however, that doesn’t mean you can’t mix and match styles or create something custom! You can modify styles on our website, or create something completely custom, to make your ring stack feel like you. Email us at [email protected] to learn more.
