In generations past a plain gold wedding band was the most common choice for men. The ring was usually yellow gold and wider than a woman’s ring. Today, the options for men’s wedding bands are as diverse as men’s clothing styles. Platinum, titanium and tungsten have entered the scene. Classic is still there, but now supplemented by a wide range of contemporary styles. It’s all about choice.
Picture the traditional 6-8mm men’s band. It may be yellow gold, or even white gold. For ornamentation it will probably have at most a milgrain scroll along the rims. Stylish, classic and fine looking. A perfect choice for many.
But there are newer designs that will appeal to others.
Take the opposite extreme, for example: a contemporary tungsten band with inlaid gems. These ultra-hard, lightweight bands are perfect for those looking for an attractive lower-cost ring that stands up well to abuse. They’re highly scratch resistant and can polish to a high sheen that resembles silver.
Their desirable qualities go well beyond their purely practical character, though. Contemporary designs may include asymmetrical grooves, some with inlaid sapphires. Small round-cut diamonds dot the rim of another. Small rubies are a favorite among many men, their color highlighting a great design.
Titanium is another new favorite among men. It comes in two basic types: light and black.
The lighter style is a grayish metal that polishes to a subtle shade, perfect for a low key style. It can be inlaid with a stripe of yellow gold or crowned with a fine diamond that matches the woman’s ring.
Genuine black titanium is produced by a special manufacturing process that creates a wedding band that is a uniform color throughout. Scratches won’t show and there is never a need to replate the exterior, as with some lesser quality rings.
Both colors are ultra-lightweight, extremely durable and make for a stylish choice in a wedding ring.
But different choices of metal represents only the beginning of the options available in modern men’s wedding bands.
Many men today prefer a smaller width band than those of generations past. The lighter weight and thinner style appeals to those who seek a minimalist ring that is highly attractive. This choice also opens up greater possibilities for matching ring sets.
One option, for example, is a 2mm platinum band that sports a small oval diamond of exceptional color and clarity. Many more men will wear a ring of this type, when in the past they might have foregone wearing a ring regularly at all. The comfort fit and silvery sheen fits in well with an overall style of class and dynamism.
All the same criteria of quality in a stone – great cut, flawless clarity, fine color – still apply. All the long-standing attributes of an outstanding band continue to inform modern designs. Scratch resistance, durability to avoid going out of round and other qualities remain important. But added to these is a whole new world of style options for men’s wedding bands.
It’s all about choice.
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