Why can’t an engagement ring double up as your wedding ring? What differentiates the wedding band from an engagement ring? Are these two types of rings made of the same metal?
Can you buy and wear engagement and wedding rings made of the same type of metal? Do these two types of rings really need to be made of different metals?
Is it written somewhere that the wedding bands should be made of metals different from the ones used to make engagement rings?
If you are as confused and as inquisitive as the rest of us, this article is for you.
Whether you are planning a proposal or looking at some of the options on the market for you and your partner, and are unsure of mixing metals, designs, colors, or shapes, this article will tell you everything you need to know about the metals used for engagement rings and the ones used for wedding rings. But first, congratulations on finding the one.
Difference Between Wedding and Engagement Rings
An engagement ring is often a one-center-stoned ring that might or might not have small stones all around the main ring.
This ring is given in the early stages of your engagement or during a proposal and often selected by men, although it’s commonplace to find women selecting engagement rings. Despite who chooses it or wear it, an engagement ring symbolizes a great love.
A wedding ring/ band, on the other hand, is also called an eternity band, and it’s what you put on on the wedding day.A wedding ring is either made of plain metal, or it could be bedazzled with small stones. Often, wedding bands match for the couple.
Traditionally, one would wear their engagement ring until their wedding day, but this tradition varies depending on the person you are giving the engagement ring to.
Generally, style is a determining factor when it comes to the type and material you choose for your wedding band or engagement ring.
Regarding the metal used to make the ring, you can have the wedding band and the engagement ring made of different metals, or you have them mixed up.
Understanding the best metal mixes is an important consideration because some people will wear both rings after the wedding, and you need to make sure that your choices match well.
Some of the common mixed and matched metal options for wedding and engagement rings include:
- Yellow Gold Wedding Band and Platinum Engagement Ring
If you are thinking about platinum and gold metals but are unsure about the right metal to choose for the engagement ring and which one to opt for the wedding band, here’s an idea:
How does the idea of a platinum engagement ring with a diamond as its center stone sound like?
Platinum is a hard metal, and it has a hardness level of 4 on the MOH scale.
Gold, on the other hand, is a soft metal with a hardness of 2.5. Harder metals scratch the softer metals when worn together, though, and with platinum being almost two times harder than gold, you might be unsure of this combination.
The good news, however, is that despite the softness of gold, the gold used in the gold rings is not in its pure form.
Pure gold cannot make jewelry since it’s extremely soft, and instead, other metals are added to the pure gold to make it harder.
At the same time, pure platinum is too hard, and its hardness is reduced by making a platinum alloy with other metals. The increased and reduced hardness of these two metals means that you will not have to worry about the harder metal scratching the softer metal.
While these two metals make a good mixed match, it’s worth noting that the platinum right might be pricier than anticipated. Platinum is also harder to resize since it cannot be re-melted or re-used.
- Rose Gold Wedding Ring and White Gold Engagement Ring
Rose gold is one of the most popular wedding rings on the market today, and you cannot go wrong with it, especially of the engagement ring is made of white gold because of the two match well.
Rose gold matches yellow and white gold, and the best bit is that it complements all skin types/ complexions.
Note that white gold is commonly worn as an engagement ring since it matches fancy stones, including diamonds easily.
- Silver Wedding and Engagement Rings
You don’t have to get engagement and wedding rings made of the same metal, but if you choose to, silver is an excellent option.
It’s worth noting that the silver engagement rings are not as popular as the gold engagement rings, and there’s also the fact that diamonds cannot be set on silver, only cubic zirconia or the semi-precious stones. It is an affordable option, though.
Remember not to mix gold and silver rings because they’ll scratch against each other.
- Odd-shaped engagement Rings
When dealing with an odd-shaped engagement ring, your best bet would be to buy a custom-made wedding ring. Start from the store you bought the engagement ring from and ask for a customized wedding band.
Conclusion
Essentially, your engagement ring and the wedding ring should be made of the same metal because wearing rings with similar properties means a lower chance of scratching when the rings rub against each other.
However, you don’t have to match the metals if you don’t want to, and the world will not stop spinning if you mix metals.
Remember that regardless of the level of care you put into finding the perfect metals/ rings, those metals will wear out over time, and the changes will eventually become visible.
So, mix metals if you want to, as long as your mix-and-matched options look good together and if their properties are close to each other.
For example, the Rhodium-plated white gold rings match and can be used for weddings and engagements, even if they are made of different carat gold.
To find the perfect match, find jewelers that offer sample services allowing you to try on replicas at home.
And if all the above feels like too much work, remember that wearing the engagement and the wedding band at the same time is a matter of preference, and you could opt to wear a wedding band on its own.
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Tiger is a fashion&jewelry lover. He is also a fashion jewelry manufacturer that help thousands of small business to grow and also do business with some big fashion jewelry brands. He is a truly metal expert and he will share some information you are looking for.