The good news is that you are in complete control of your budget when it comes to how much you spend on your wedding rings. Here’s a few tips for finding high-quality wedding rings that are beautiful and affordable:
Define your expectations more objectively
“Beautiful” and “affordable” are both subjective terms and it’s a good idea to define these ideas in a more concrete way. A set of rings might be beautiful because of the design, gemstones, or the sentimentality – what would make them most beautiful to you? The same goes for affordable. Keep in mind that your wedding rings can last a lifetime if made with quality materials whereas very thin bands or rings made of plastic will not last more than a few years. Affordable can be relative to how long you want them to last as well as to your overall budget. Luckily quality is a little easier to define objectively. Metal type and thickness will provide some guidelines for what to expect for the durability of your rings.
Pay attention to metal type and weight
Metal markets fluctuate regularly and can impact the cost of your rings. 18k gold rings will cost significantly more than 14k gold rings and of course a heavier ring in any karat will cost more. Platinum is currently less expensive than gold per ounce (though metal markets fluctuate daily!) but you need more per gram because it’s much more dense than gold so each ring will require more platinum. We don’t recommend very thin rings as a way to save money because they won’t likely stand up to daily wear and tear. That said, paying attention to the width of the rings can be a great way to save money.
Choose design over gemstones for embellishments
While gemstones are a wonderful way to add beauty and charm to wedding rings, it can also be expensive! You’ll want a stone that is hard enough to withstand daily wear and these stones are often more expensive. At 31Four Artisan Jewelry, we often use designs in our sacramental jewelry within the metal to create a beautiful design that represents the couple’s unique love story. Although custom design work has fees, the rings are still often less expensive than those with gemstones because there are no stones to purchase and no labor needed to set the gemstones.
Remember that simple is beautiful
As with all art, less is often more and this applies to jewelry as well. Simple gold wedding bands are beautiful and timeless. Our one™ custom-made wedding rings offer a way to personalize simple and traditional wedding bands. You can always upgrade your rings at a milestone anniversary. In our studio, we even melt down wedding bands and re-cast them into new anniversary rings so that the original rings will always be a part of the wedding bands.
Remember, your wedding rings are the only piece of jewelry that you will wear everyday for the rest of your life. While you want to honor your budget, consider that your rings will last beyond the wedding day and allocate your spending accordingly. Your wedding rings tell your story to others everyday – make it a good one!