3 Characteristics of High Quality Men's Wedding Bands
When you think about wedding rings, an image of a glittering ladies’ engagement ring is probably the first thing to pop into your head. But that’s only a fraction of the love story told by wedding bands. The groom’s wedding band is his symbol of his matrimonial bond and it should be just as impressive as his wife’s.
There are all kinds of options for wedding bands for men: what metal it will be made from, if diamonds or gemstones will be included, engraving, etc. But even with all those options, the most important characteristic is this: quality.
No matter what style he’s looking for, from a classic comfort fit yellow gold band to an antiqued platinum Celtic knot band, high quality men’s wedding rings share three basic characteristics.
First, whether gold, platinum, or silver, a high quality ring won’t be filled with an inferior metal. Lower quality rings are sometimes made with base metals and then plated in a precious metal like gold. This plating will eventually wear off. High quality rings will be gold (for example) through and through. A high quality ring will have the karat weight or quality tags stamped directly into the ring, usually on the inside of the band. When you see that stamp, you can be confident you are dealing with the real thing.
Gold is the most popular metal choice for men’s wedding bands and the gold itself can tell a quality story. When it comes to gold, the higher the karat weight (not to be confused with carat weight, which weighs diamonds and gemstones), the higher the percentage of pure gold in that alloy. Rings are most commonly made with 14 karat gold in the United States, but the popularity of 18 karat gold is growing steadily, as it gives a deeper and richer golden yellow hue. Eighteen karat gold is 75% pure gold and is therefore of a higher quality than 14 karat (which is 58.5% gold), but both are exquisite.
The next characteristic you’ll want to look at is manufacturing quality. Jewelry making is a lengthy process and a quality product will show the care taken by true artisans. During casting or die striking, for example, small burrs may form on the piece. Burrs are kind of like little gold tags that form on the ring. Casting burrs and die striking tags are completely normal parts of manufacturing and a quality ring will be polished and carefully inspected to make sure the finished piece is free of burrs. A high quality wedding band will be smoothly polished to glistening perfection.
The most exciting way to gauge a men’s wedding band is the design itself. The more intricate a design, the more skill it took to create. When creating unique wedding bands, a designer uses precision to craft their jewelry, and this will be evident by the overall look of the ring. An intricate design isn’t for everyone, but even a classic band will show the skill of the maker. All the lines will be straight and smooth and the curved surfaces will be even and flowing.
Just as her wedding ring is her symbol to the world that she’s found the one, so is his. Make sure the quality of his wedding band sends the right message. Paying attention to the metal composition, the manufacturing details, and the refinement of design elements will help ensure you get a high quality men’s wedding band.
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