Setting diamonds on the wedding band is relatively new trend as opposed to its ancestors the eternity and anniversary rings. The difference between the three however is unclear and rather confusing. Both wedding band and eternity ring symbolize eternity and the term half eternity ring applied to partially studded rings is self-contradictory. Eternity cannot be half – it is eternal.  So let decide, for the sake of clarity in this article that the eternity rings are the one set with diamonds all around irrespective the size and anniversary rings are the one with 3, 5, or 7 equal and relatively substantial in size diamonds in a row. Now we are ready to define the diamond wedding band: It is a band set with equal in size diamonds only on the visible outer side not further than half of the circumference.

How far down the sides the band is set is also interpreted differently by the designers. If low price market is targeted the studded part does not go very far and barely covers 1/5 of the circumference.  In price focused market every diamond and putting it in its place (setting) increase the factory cost and lower the competitiveness of the price. Going half way on the other hand may not be the best option even if the budget is not an issue. Diamond pave may scrape the neighboring fingers or other rings worn there.  The best ratio from economical, aesthetic and practical point of view is 2 to 3 meaning 2/5 studded and 3/5 plain. Obviously the number of diamonds is determined by their size and varies between 9 and 16.  The most popular shapes used in diamond wedding bands are round and princess.

Important: Although diamond wedding bands are much easier to resize than an eternity rings the best is to be done prior the setting. Resizing diamond wedding bands with any type of setting can loosen the diamonds a cause them to fall off later. This causes plenty of frustration for the customer and the jeweler and can be avoided if the ring is manufactured with the right finger size, then set and finished. This way the join at the back is also eliminated and the band has much higher overall strength. To be able to do this the jeweler must have workshop capable of acting fast and the customer to have the patience to wait few days. In the end of the day it will be well worth. My advice is not to go for diamond band resized more than 2 sizes.

Yellow gold diamond wedding bands are something from the past. The white gold however is still the most used metal. This illustrates the conservatism of the jewelry market and it works both ways. The jewelers are offering what the customers want; the customers want what they are offered and the lack of information keeps everything new at bay. White gold is not actually white. It is the same old rich yellow gold forced into whiteness by mixing it with bleaching alloy metals. The result is yellowish grayish metal which have to be rhodium plated for bright white surface color. The metals really suitable for white diamond jewelry are the ones from the platinum metal group – Platinum and Palladium. Platinum reemerged in the jewelry industry about 15 years ago and surprisingly fast established its name as superior to white gold. The only reason it did not shift the white gold`s default status was its much higher price. Palladium was used many years as whitening alloy metal for white gold. Its use as solo media was limited from complications in the casting process. Few years ago the technology barriers were broken and palladium is now gaining momentum. Palladium and Platinum are so similar that they are virtually indistinguishable in appearance and mechanical properties. Palladium however is 40% lighter and much cheaper providing all the advantages of platinum at about a quarter of the price thus making it the metal of choice for diamond wedding bands and for white fine jewelry in general.

Vasco Kirov is an experienced designer and master goldsmith with vast knowledge in every aspect concerning fine jewelry. He has been awarded many prestigious design awards for excellence in diamond jewelry design. Vasco’s recently launched Gemstone and Jewelry Blog contains additional information about diamond wedding bands and plenty of industry’s insider tips on “how to” in today’s jewelry market. For practical answers to all your jewelry questions visit www.jewelgateway.net

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Antique engagement ring sets are harder to find than antique engagement rings in isolation. An engagement ring set is one that you buy that includes both the engagement ring as well as the wedding ring. Also, some sets may be soldered together which eliminates their viability for use since it is difficult to separate the pieces again without damage to one piece of the set.

Pros to Buying a Set

When buying an antique engagement ring it is a purchase of a unique product, of which you will not see another like it. One of the more difficult issues for couples who are interested in buying an antique engagement ring is to match the wedding band to the engagement ring so that it makes a complete set. It is difficult to match an antique wedding band to the antique engagement ring.

The easiest solution to this problem is to buy an antique engagement ring set. That way the original jeweler created the set as a whole from the start, from the design stage through the creation process. In the Elizabethan era, rings were created using different types of gold as well as various colors of diamonds, chosen especially for the overall design effect.

The stones were matched beforehand so that the set would end up as a complete unit. It is almost impossible to come up with a set that fits together so beautifully when buying them as separate units as buying an antique engagement ring set.

Cons to Buying a Set

The problem with buying a set is that there is a much more limited supply available of antique engagement ring sets verses individual pieces. The main reason behind this is that during estate sales or sales to antique shops and jewelers, the sets are often separated. The reasons for the separation of sets are myriad, the most common of which are either because a party wants to keep a part of the set, or for monetary gain.

Since the supply of antique engagement ring sets is limited, it rules out a vast supply of antique engagement rings that are beautifully crafted and may fit the specific era or style that a couple is looking to buy. For instance, there are so many choices of antique art deco engagement rings which may not come in a set. If a couple is patient enough and has the time to spend looking at individual pieces, it is possible to start with the perfect antique engagement ring and then go on to match it to a complementary antique wedding band, thus completing the set.

If you love this article, you will also love another article written by this article’s author on diamond butterfly necklace and diamond heart necklace.

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