Types of Wedding Ring Sets

Whether you want a coordinated wedding ring and engagement band, or want a wedding set that encompasses the groom’s wedding band as well, there are options to meet any price range and preference.

Band sets are perfect for the bride and groom-to-be who want matching wedding bands without a lot of fuss. Band sets do not include an engagement ring, but because of the classic look of a wedding band set any style of engagement ring looks complementary when worn together with the wedding band.

Bridal sets are a popular choice because they encompass both an engagement ring and a wedding band in coordinating styles. Bridal sets can be simple or more elaborate, incorporating accent stones and other elements into the design. Bridal wedding ring sets do not include the groom’s wedding band, but you can always customize his wedding ring to complement your own if desired.

Finally, triple wedding ring sets include the engagement ring and both the bride and groom’s wedding bands in complementary styles. If you are concerned about the rings matching, triple wedding ring sets are your best option to ensure coordinating rings without any hassle.

Even with a matching wedding ring set, you have numerous options to choose from to make the rings your own and reflect both the bride and the groom’s unique tastes. You can incorporate a favorite gemstone, your birthstones or even engraving to add a special touch and strengthen the symbolism of the rings.Additionally, metal accents (such as Celtic knots or other intricate designs) or multi-tone metals offer a distinctive look that sets a wedding ring set apart from the rest.

The Cost of Wedding Ring Sets

If you are worried about the cost of a wedding ring set, there are things to consider before you write it off as too expensive. While ring sets are more expensive than buying a single ring, the total cost may be well worth it because you are getting the engagement ring, the bride’s wedding band and in some cases the groom’s wedding band as well.

When taken together, the set may actually be less expensive than if you were to purchase all three rings separately somewhere else.

Wedding ring sets are a convenient choice for the bride and groom-to-be who desire complementary wedding bands but do not want to try to find individual rings that coordinate with one another. While the total cost upfront is more expensive than buying each ring separately, wedding ring sets are a great way to symbolize your relationship with coordinating bands that will last a lifetime.

What are Bridal Set Engagement Rings?

Bridal set engagement rings are actually two rings designed to be worn together – the wedding band and the engagement ring. Some jewelers may include the groom’s ring with the bridal set as well. Each ring in a bridal set is carefully crafted to go together, so they are designed with similar characteristics such as metal choice, stones, etc.

For couples interested in purchasing a bridal set, you should be aware of your options.

• Parallel Rings

Parallel rings are designed to be worn together, but each ring can be worn separately. The difference between this type of bridal set and traditional rings is that the wedding band often has a plain design that coordinates well with the engagement band but will not pose any issues when worn simultaneously.

• Integrated Rings

With an integrated bridal ring set, the two rings are designed to be worn together and cannot usually be worn separately. The reason for this is that the wedding band is often designed to complement the engagement ring design, often in the form of a ring wrap. When worn individually, the rings would look incomplete. Oftentimes, the engagement ring stone in an integrated bridal set also becomes the focal point of the complete set, so the bride must wear both rings together.

While couples can customize a bridal set matching their preferences, diamonds are the most popular gemstone choice for bridal set engagement rings. For a more classic, understated look, diamond solitaire wedding sets are popular, with yellow gold being the classic metal choice. Of course, platinum and white gold can be used as well. Marquise or round diamonds are a popular choice for bridal set engagement rings, but other shapes can be used. Jewelers can also customize a bridal set for you with different stones.

Cost of Bridal Sets

Even though bridal sets will seem expensive at first, they may actually be the perfect choice for couples who are on a strict budget. With a bridal set, you are getting the engagement ring and one or both wedding bands, which will prevent you from having to buy another ring later on. Additionally, bridal sets are carefully designed to match, so brides who want to wear both their engagement ring and wedding band can do so without having to wear two rings that don’t work together when bought individually.

For a couple that has a strict budget or a bride-to-be that desires to wear her wedding band and engagement ring together, a matching bridal set may be the perfect choice. Whether you choose an integrated set or can wear each ring individually, bridal set engagement rings offer a unique alternative to a traditional diamond ring and will be a beautiful reminder of a couple’s everlasting love.

The show is about a group of aspiring chefs competing to get the opportunity to be the executive chef at a brand new, five star restaurant. They compete in a manner that is kind of like the “Survivor” concept. One chef is eliminated each week and the last one standing grabs the brass ring and lives the dream of being the lead chef in a gourmet restaurant.

In this episode a patron of the restaurant called the front-of-the-house manager aside and asked to speak with him for a moment. He was a well dressed young man, and he was sitting at a table with a very attractive date. He explained to the manager that he was going to propose to his girlfriend, and he showed him the beautiful diamond engagement ring that he was going to give her. He asked if the chefs could possibly take the ring and place it creatively on a lidded serving platter with her dessert.

When she was served the platter, the lid was removed with great aplomb to reveal the dessert, and the words “Will you marry me?” were written in chocolate, and the diamond engagement ring was sitting on the plate. Her eyes welled up with tears, and her suitor got up out of his chair and knelt down next to her in the crowded dining room, and all eyes were fixed upon him. He said that they had been together quite a while and he had reached the point where he was certain that he wanted to marry her, and he proposed. She hesitated just a moment before acquiescing, and the diners in the room let out a collective sigh of relief before giving them a warm round of applause. It was a very moving moment to be able to see as a viewer, and it was indeed a great way to present the love of your life with a diamond engagement ring.

My first thought when I consider the best way to present an engagement ring is that if you do it in a setting that is not completely private, you are somehow detracting from the intimacy and personal quality of such a significant moment in your lives. But after seeing the way that this man proposed, down on one knee in front of a large group of people, I can see a different perspective on the subject. Giving his girlfriend the diamond engagement ring in a public place demonstrated a certain type of unbridled courage that comes with being totally in love. He was not afraid. He wanted the whole world to know that he had found the woman the he wanted to share the rest of his life with, and he had the honor of slipping that diamond engagement ring onto her finger in front of a roomful of hushed onlookers and millions of television viewers.

The down side of this arrangement is that there is no element of surprise. The presentation of the engagement ring is an expression of the man’s desire to spend the rest of his life with the woman of his dreams.  When everything goes according to plan, the surprise proposal and presentation of a dazzling diamond engagement ring is a storybook moment.  It is understandable that some committed couples may know that they are going to get engaged at some point and decide together when to buy the ring.  But there is certainly something to the element of surprise that can be magical.

If you decide that you are going to buy an engagement ring for the woman in your life and surprise her  with the ring and a proposal, it is interesting to consider where and how you should go about doing it.  You are invariably going to be nervous when you propose, and there is probably going to be an emotional reaction one way or another, so it may be risky to propose in public.  But then again, most dates take place in some sort of public place and it might be nice to pull the ring out of your pocket while you are sitting at your favorite restaurant enjoying dessert at the best table in the house, overlooking the bay, while the pianist is playing her favorite song.

Clearly, the best milieu is a place where you both feel comfortable that has some sort of romantic flavor to it.  Many people love nature, and pulling out that ring while you are luxuriating on the beach or sitting on a plateau that offers a sublime view of the valley below while hiking would be a nice effect.  A carriage ride through the park on a starry night would be an interesting idea, or you could even pop the question and present her with the ring while you were doing something unusual, daring, and memorable, like hot air ballooning or taking a helicopter ride over the Grand Canyon or a lush green vista in Hawaii.

When you have found the love of your life and you are ready to give her the perfect diamond engagement ring, time will stand still and in a way it may not matter where you are.  But, when you think about it, slipping that ring on her finger while you are dancing alone on a beach in Tahiti at midnight under a full moon might be a pretty good idea…

Pictured engagement ring set  from the Lieberfarb Line (www.Lieberfarb.com).

The reason why people buy diamond engagement rings is to express the love and commitment that they feel to that special someone, and that is as it should be. But when you buy a car, for instance, you are putting out a nice chunk of change. But as soon as you drive your new car off the lot, you immediately lose money, and your “investment” in the new car is actually going to decrease in value month by month. When you buy a nice new suit or a fresh pair of shoes, they are fine for a while, but before long, the wear and tear takes over and you can no longer wear them. Just about everything that you ever buy is destined to lose its value unless it is a very wise and financially informed outlay of money that is more of an investment and less of a purchase.

When you have met the person that you are certain that you want to spend the rest of your life with, the universe has presented you with a beautiful gift. And having the privilege of browsing all of the online jewelry stores for a diamond engagement ring that will have your fiancée oohing and ahhing is perhaps the most satisfying shopping experience that you will ever have. Even if the purchase of a diamond engagement ring was the same as all of the other purchases that are certain to lose value over time, it would be well worth it to see the look on your love’s face when you present her with the perfect engagement ring. Neither of you will ever forget that special moment, and there is no way that anyone can put a price tag on that type of once-in-a-lifetime experience of giving. The engagement ring itself will be a reminder of how you both felt when you got engaged every time you glance at it over the ensuing years of marriage.

But guess what? When you buy your diamond engagement ring, you are not buying one of the many things that are destined to lose their value. You are taking your currency, currency of fluctuating value, and exchanging it for something that is made of some of the most valuable and precious metals and gemstones on the planet. So your diamond engagement ring is indeed a selfless expression of the love that you share with your partner, but as a little cherry on top, it is also a very solid investment and its value may be more secure than the value of the money you paid for it.

Pictured engagment ring from the Lieberfarb Line (www.Lieberfarb.com).

An engagement ring is indeed a piece of jewelry, but it serves a very different purpose than most other forms of jewelry. It is true that the perfect diamond engagement ring is eye catching and very beautiful to look at from the point of view of aesthetics and fashion, but it is also a symbol. As the legendary psychologist Carl Jung posited throughout his voluminous writings, the consciousness of mankind coalesces around symbols. He called these symbols “archetypes of the collective unconscious.”

Love is perhaps the most profound and powerful of human emotions, and the love that you feel for your partner when you have decided to make the ultimate commitment and join hands in holy matrimony is inexplicable in words. So the symbol of that all encompassing love, the diamond engagement ring, transcends the purpose of any other form of jewelry that is worn as a statement of fashion.

The fact that diamonds are nearly indestructible and therefore “permanent,” as it were, symbolizes the lifelong commitment that you are making to your spouse-to-be when you present her with a diamond engagement ring. The ring is saying “I promise to love you forever.”

Diamonds are essentially the hardest substance on earth, able to endure anything that comes their way without crumbling. The diamond engagement ring is a symbol of the durability of your relationship. It is a statement to the effect of “nothing, no force on earth, can drive us asunder, until death do us part.”

A perfect union is indeed strong, like a diamond. It is durable too, and it is a lasting relationship that will span the lifetime of the couple who enter into it. But there is another symbolic factor to consider when you analyze what the diamond engagement ring represents.

Diamonds are very beautiful. When you gaze into a well cut diamond you can get lost in the facets and the angles that lend a sense of dimensionality that trumps the mundane world around us. Diamonds are brilliant, and they shine proudly under lights or out in the sun. The ideal loving relationship between a man and woman is one of the most beautiful expressions of being that we have here on earth. That love is, in a very real sense, the origin of mankind, because we all are born as a result of this type of union.

A diamond engagement ring is not just another piece of jewelry. It is a symbol the beauty that is present when two people are deeply in love, an outward expression of something that is cheapened when you try to explain it.

The perfect ring is different for different couples depending upon their unique taste and sense of style. Some people are very traditional and would never consider an unusually colored diamond, and others are blown away by a diamond with a blue or champagne hue. There are couples who demand intricate complexity in their setting, and others who prefer the neat and simple statement that a diamond solitaire ring makes. There is no right or wrong in matters of taste. When you are shopping for a diamond engagement ring it is all about you. Which ring stands out in your eyes?

Many people are impressed when they see a really large diamond on someone’s finger, but there are subtleties at play that a jeweler would notice but a layman would miss. The size of a diamond is not the only indicator of the cost of the ring. There is such a thing as diamond quality, and if a ring is not GIA certified for quality, you can get a larger stone for the same price as a smaller on that is in fact GIA certified.

The GIA (Gemological Institute of America) is not a for-profit entity. They are an independent body of diamond and gemstone experts who are dedicated to preserving the integrity of the diamond industry. When they certify a stone, their seal is etched into it (it is invisible to the naked eye and can only be seen under a jeweler’s magnification tools). So when you are considering the question of whether or not size matters when you are shopping for a diamond, you have to consider the quality of the diamond that you are going to get as well as the size. A Gemological Institute of America certification is very important to some couples, and they may wind up with a smaller diamond than a couple who is willing to settle for a lesser quality stone that is not certified. Once again, this is a matter or personal opinion and preference. There are no absolutes concerning what “the best” course of action is.

Many are of the mind that it is not the quantity of something that really matters, but the quality. This seems like a wise assessment in most instances, and it may be the best way to approach the purchase of a diamond engagement ring. However, an engagement ring is a very personal purchase. In the final analysis, when you are asking the question, “does size matter when you are purchasing a diamond engagement ring?” the answer is this: size matters as much as you think that it does.

So when it is time to get engaged, and you start shopping for the ideal engagement ring, you should be looking for a ring that is as unique as your relationship. No lady wants to be sitting next to a couple at dinner and notice that the woman at the next table is wearing the very same ring that she is. So when you are shopping for an engagement ring, it is not that you need to outspend the next person and get a diamond the size of a medium egg as an expression of “one-upsmanship.” What is important is to find a diamond engagement ring that is original in design and that is consistent with your personal taste.

Most engagement rings that are at the lower end of the pricing scale are mass produced, and though they may be attractive in their own right, they are not going to be very interesting, original, or unique. It all depends on the taste of the wearer, but when you start to consider intricate and fancy cuts, unusually colored diamonds, and designer arrangements, you can get creative and find an engagement ring that is singularly appealing to you. If you are of the mind, you can actually sketch out a design and present it to the right jewelry designer and create a ring that is completely unique to you and the symbolic expression of your relationship with your partner.

It is hard to reinvent the wheel and there are of course tried and true general engagement ring designs, but when you understand the different nuances in carat, cut, color, clarity, (what they call the 4Cs) and imagine the many variations that can be employed, the possibilities are almost endless. Choosing the perfect engagement ring that matches your personal taste and sense of style is something that may require a little patience and some comparison shopping, but the search will be worth it. After all, this ring is going to be worn for a lifetime, and there are few choices that are going to stick with us more consistently than the engagement ring choice that we make. If you get tired of a jacket that you bought a couple of years ago, it’s easy to put it into mothballs and buy a new one. But an engagement ring is a lifetime commitment, and it is important that you make a choice that you can live with for the long haul.

Purchasing an engagement ring is a lot of fun, because you know that if you pick the right one, you are going to make someone that you love very, very happy. But if your relationship is like that of many couples, your taste in a ring may be very different from hers. So how can you make sure that you are buying a diamond engagement ring that not only appeals to you, but that will definitely appeal to your fiancée-to-be as well? I think the answer to that question lies in asking the right people the right questions, but doing so is very tricky so you have to probe for information using considerable caution.

What I am getting at is that you can ask her mother, her sister, and/or her friends what types of diamond rings she really likes. Is she partial to antique engagement rings, or does who always mention how much she adores Art Deco arrangements? Has she always mentioned how much she would love to have a bezel set ring, or is a black titanium engagement ring something that she has always dreamed of? Girls talk, as they say, so the people who are closest to her probably know what type of engagement ring she would truly cherish. But you want this to be a surprise, and as I just said, girls talk. So you have to understand who among her inner circle is someone who can keep a secret. Many people are prone to getting excited when they hear about this kind of thing and have a hard time keeping mum. Others can do it easily. You have to figure out whose brain you can pick without having her spill the beans.

You can also be very attentive when she is looking at ads in a magazine or when she seems to be admiring another woman’s jewelry. Try to take notice of the types of rings that she already wears to get a feel for her taste. When true love is present, it’s hard to go wrong, but it is a good idea to do all that you can to find the engagement ring that will melt her heart and make the moment of proposal last for a lifetime.

Not knowing a lot about women’s jewelry before you get married is not necessarily a very bad thing. It is totally possible that you wouldn’t have a girlfriend at all if you were the type of guy that is deeply into women’s jewelry and accessories. But I digress. Once you know that you are going to be buying an engagement ring, you have to know what’s out there and try to get some sort of inkling about what type of ring will truly wow your fiance-to-be.

A diamond is a precious commodity, but the way that it is cut is one of the things that sets one stone apart from another, and like anything else, there are varying standards of quality when you are talking about cut. One unique and stunning cut is the Asscher cut diamond. The style was patented by the Dutch brothers Asscher back in 1902, and the Asscher cut has been synonymous with elegant lapidary excellence ever since. The Asscher stone has a squarish shape with the corners cut so that the stone actually resembles an octagon. If you are wondering what type of engagement ring you may be able to present to your spouse-to-be that is truly precise and unmistakably eye-catching, you may want to consider an Asscher cut diamond. It is interesting to note that because of the fact that the cut is patented, each and every Asscher stone can be identified and authenticated (under magnification of course) through the family seal that each diamond carries on its girdle.

There is a saying that goes something like “I don’t know art, but I know what I like.” If you are somewhat intimidated by the prospect of buying an engagement ring, fear not. Simply do some web browsing and get a feel for the choices that you have, and think like the person who is considering buying a work of art. Find something that you like and it is very likely that the woman in your life will like it as well. Pay attention to detail, take notice of the intricacy of the cut, and let your common sense and personal taste guide the way.