Many people believe it is much easier to pick wedding rings for men than it is to pick wedding rings for women. This idea probably stems from the (very accurate) fact that female jewellery is generally much more complicated than male jewellery. Contrary to popular belief, though, women’s weddings rings are very easy to decide on, but mens wedding rings can actually pose much more of a problem. For example, with a woman’s wedding, the correct choice is usually as simple as “the largest diamond you can afford”. If you cannot afford a very large diamond, there are ways to get around this by purchasing either substitutes for diamonds (such as moissanite) or by sidestepping diamonds entirely and getting a ruby or an amethyst or some other semi-precious stone.
As has been observed throughout recent history, women get to be quite ostentatious with their wedding rings – the flashier, the better. Men, however, are expected to be much more circumspect; most people will look askance at a male wedding ring that has huge diamonds on it (although mens diamond wedding rings are still popular, they are more understated, and far less flashy). Similar to wedding bands for women, the classic mens wedding ring, of course, is the simple gold band. This is still favoured by many men today, and for good reason – it has the virtue of being rugged and unadorned, which are both very traditional masculine values. Not a bad choice, all in all.
Interestingly, the latest styles and fashions have seen a slow drift away from even the use of gold. Although gold is a very classic metal, these are not classic times – the same way that women’s jewellery has drifted away from the use of diamonds due to events such as the economic crisis and the unethical behaviour of the diamond cartels (and the proliferation of “blood diamonds” and so on), people have also started to move away from gold, albeit for less clear reasons. Regardless, the fact remains that men’s wedding rings are now created in a wide range of metals, some of which are more expensive than gold, and some of which are less.
As far as the more expensive metals are concerned, platinum has always been a popular choice. The brushed platinum band looks rather fantastic, providing a much more sophisticated and elegant touch to the ring; the muted sheen of a well-made platinum band can be spotted from clear across the room.
There are also much more exotic (and expensive) metals such as palladium and rhodium, for those that want to spend that much – interestingly, though, many people have been taking the opposite route and spending less. Where tradition once dictated that a couple spend at least a few months of their salary on wedding rings, many among the enlightened modern youth see this as senseless consumerism; the goal for many couples is now to spend as little as possible, while still getting a classic piece of jewellery that will never go out of style. Indeed, a small (but steadily growing) number of brave and adventurous souls have taken their protest against the jewellery status quo to an entirely higher level by opting to go with simple stainless-steel bands for their wedding rings.
Clearly, then, there is an entire world of choice as far as male wedding bands are concerned. For the woman, things are slightly simpler – pick a diamond, pick a cut, and pick a ring. For men, the variety of options can sometimes make things rather confusing. Thankfully, in this economic climate, any jeweler would be glad to assist would-be grooms.