How to Choose Your Wedding Ring: A Helpful Guide to Help You Choose Your Wedding Ring: Budget; Metals; Caret and Style

A Guide to Finding The Perfect Wedding Rings:

There are many important things to consider when choosing your wedding rings. There are numerous styles and fashions.

Before you get excited and head to the nearest jewelry store there are a few important practical questions you need to answer first.

The more you narrow down your choices the easier it will be to find the perfect rings for you.

The list below is a very practical list to help you make some practical choices. Remember, you will wear your wedding ring always.

• What is Your Budget?

Don't get carried away. Only look at wedding rings within your price range.

• Metals:

Do you have a preference to which metal you would like? Perhaps you'd like a two tone ring.

Some metals are stronger than others; this is a very important fact to take into consideration.

The higher the karat, the softer the metal. If you have a hands on job, it may be important to take note when it comes to the actual metal.

Have you an allergy toward any metals? You will wear your wedding ring daily. Make sure you find out for sure.

• Ring Size:

Know your ring size! It is very important that your ring fits perfectly. Snug not tight or loose!

• Ring Styles:

Would you like matching rings?

Do you want a gemstone, braiding or decoration? Perhaps you want plain bands!

Do you want your wedding ring to compliment your engagement ring?

Do you have your own unique design?

Do you want to get your rings made?

Do you want something completely different?

Would you like to engrave your rings? The width of the band will depend on the inscription.

*Knowing the above pointers should help guide you in the right direction in choosing your wedding rings or at least give you plenty to think about.

Where to Shop:

• Shopping on Line:

Shopping on line is very popular these days and indeed very relaxing. You can browse at your leisure. This is a good way of getting a few ideas as you can comb through quite a few styles in a short amount of time.

• Catalog Shopping:

There is nothing quite like a nice cup of tea while flicking through a glossy magazine. Add a few girlfriends and you'll get oodles of ideas.

• Jewelry Shops:

Jewelry shops in main cities and of course many brand name jewelers too offer a great selection of wedding rings. The personal touch in a shop is often very helpful. Make sure you ask plenty of questions.

If you have a local jeweler you like, make sure you give them a visit and discuss your options with them.

• Pawn Shops:

It's amazing what jewelry you will find in pawn shops. Pawn shops are to jewelry what flee markets are to clothes. Go and have a browse, you might even surprise yourself and find the perfect wedding ring.

• Auctions:

Check out the auctions. People sell all kinds of things these days. You don't even need to be there as you can bid on line or by phone. You may even end up with a fantastic future family heirloom.

Factors That Will Influence Cost!

• The Metal You Choose!

The usual metal choices are: silver; white or yellow gold; platinum or titanium. A narrow sterling silver or gold band can cost about 150€.

• The Width:

The width of the band. The wider the band the more expensive the ring.

• The Weight:

The heavier the metal/ring weighs the more expensive the cost.

• Decoration:

Braiding and edging will cost a little extra on top of the original price.

• Karats:

The more the karat the more the price. A 14K gold band can start around 300€ up to 1000€ while an 18K will push the boat out a little further, as much as 1000€ plus. Remember, the wider the width of the band the more expensive the ring.

• Gemstones:

The addition of gems. Depending on what stone and how many you choose can also increase the cost quite considerably.

Tip:

When purchasing your rings, don't be afraid to take as much time as you need. Whatever your budget, Your wedding rings are important to you and deserve a little deliberation.

If you really are at a complete loss, the best thing to do is take an afternoon off, at your leisure and shop around. Try on different ring styles to see what suits you. Look at a complete range and narrow down what looks good on your finger. Use what you discover as a base for your search in finding the perfect wedding ring.

The Importance Behind The Rings:

While it's important to choose what's right for you and your betrothed when it comes to your wedding rings, whatever you decide on, don't lose the real meaning behind your wedding rings. The important meaning of eternal and never ending love between two people. The wedding ring is a symbol of eternity. The ring itself being a circle with no beginning and no end. Eternally round. Your wedding ring is a symbol of love, fidelity and marriage. Whether you purchase a 18K gold diamond ring that costs thousands or a simple band of silver. The importance of the message conveyed by your rings in marriage is the same. For better or for worse you are making an eternal statement of union.

The wedding ring is worn on the left ring finger by some cultures and the right ring finger by others. Although cultures have changed over the years. Indeed Christian followers were a little perplexed by the ring symbol and took a while to come around, seeing the symbol as some what of a pagan belief.

The wedding ring goes back as far as Ancient Rome, and probably further still. The Ancient Romans and Egyptians believed the left ring finger had a love vein (vena amoris). This vein led straight to the heart.

The Romans used rings as a seal of ownership and wealth. The Ancient Egyptians placed a money ring (the currency or money of the time) on their woman's finger to show that she was now his, in other words engaged and had his wealth. It is said of course that in fact this also meant the woman was now his possession.

Old England had a lot of problems with lusty young men, who would make rings from rush or reed and place it on the finger of a fair maiden. He would then tell her they were betrothed. A stop was finally put to this dishonourable seduction. A new law was introduced, whereby a ring of any description given by a youth to a fair maiden in pubic was seen as a recognized marriage with immediate effect. Hmm... I bet that had the desired affect. No wonder there's so much reed and rush in England!

Further back in history the primitive caveman would tie a rope around the middle of a woman once, he had captured her. Laying claim to her (and stopping her from running to the hills and getting far, far away).

I am glad that times have moved on, and a rope ringed around the middle has progressed to a beautiful metal band ringed around the finger. As for the primitive capture? Well, on that note.... each to their own!