There are many different varieties of diamond wedding and engagement rings, ranging from the soft-edged pear or cushion cut diamond style, to the sheer presence of a princess cut. These days, with the shifting of popularity away from large stones and toward more minimalist designs, many people even wear a plain brushed platinum band, with no stone at all.
All these designs are fabulous in their own right. However, they do have one weakness – they are not versatile enough to suit all situations. There is the rare occasion that calls for a higher level of formality, and a standard wedding/engagement ring may not suit these occasions. This is what led to the creation of “dress wedding ring” designs.
Usually available only from very high-end jewellers, these dress wedding rings – also sometimes called eternity bands – are usually made using simpler designs that belie the nature of the expensive materials used in their construction. There is a stunning level of elegance to be found in these simple designs.
The main difference between eternity band rings and regular wedding or engagement rings is the placement of the stones. Whereas a standard wedding or engagement ring will usually have a single prominent stone set in a high-visibility crown (and perhaps surrounded by other stones), eternity wedding rings are different in that identical (or near-identical) stones flow smoothly around the circumference of the entire ring, creating an unbroken circle of glittering diamonds (or whatever other stones the jeweller decides to use). This unbroken circle is meant to represent the enduring power of love and a lasting relationship.
Anniversary rings are something a little different, you see, it celebrates the past and continued love between a couple, that is the ‘past, present and future’. It can come in the form of a band with small diamonds or other gemstones completely surrounding the band, or you can choose from a myriad of other designs such as the three stone design again symbolizing the ‘past, present and future’, obviously the best time to present the ring is on your anniversary but some couples choose Christmas or birthdays as well.
The visual difference between an eternity ring band and a wedding/engagement ring is quite striking. At first glance, your average wedding/engagement ring might seem to have a heavier presence, but at very formal events, the ostentation of a large diamond usually seems out of place, almost as if the wearer is trying too hard. An eternity wedding band, on the other hand, is a much more sophisticated and tasteful statement by the wearer.
This particular style of ring offers a lot of choice in its construction, of course. The first is the choice of stone – the preferred choice is usually the diamond eternity band, as diamonds are the stones that are most often used in wedding and engagement rings.
The next choice to be made is the metal used for the construction of the ring. There are a wide variety of choices, as with any ring, but the most appropriate are usually the most understated. Yellow gold is the only exception to this rule, as yellow gold is a staple of wedding and engagement jewellery; however, white gold is one of the most appropriate metals, as it provides an excellent backdrop to the sparkle of the diamonds.
Other interesting choices include, for example, rhodium or brushed platinum. Brushed platinum is particularly interesting since it is a very muted tone, and really allows the cut and brilliance of the diamonds to be clearly seen.
The final option for customizability is the manner governing the setting of the stones. A pave eternity band is a very interesting choice; it is constructed in such a way that a large number of smaller diamonds is used, rather than the more traditional method using a small number of large stones. The smaller diamonds are set in clusters that are evenly spaced throughout the circumference of the ring. This grants the opportunity for light to reflect throughout the diamond clusters, creating quite a vivid sparkle.