Classic, Modern, and Vintage Women's Wedding Rings
A woman’s wedding ring set is going to be worn on her finger for a long time, if not forever. There are endless options of engagement and wedding rings, but most fall under three categories: classic, modern, and vintage. Learn more about these styles to find the perfect set for her:
Solitaire Engagement Ring
Most people can probably spot a “classic” women’s wedding ring set, having seen it featured countless times in big-screen romances and small-screen commercials. The engagement ring features a solitaire diamond (usually round-cut), while the wedding ring is a typically a smooth, thin band. The classic wedding ring (for both women's and men's wedding bands) is yellow gold, which provides an overall elegant and timeless look.
Three-Stone Engagement Rings
Another classic style is the three-stone engagement ring: a trio of matching diamonds arranged horizontally in a row with the biggest stone in the center. The trio of diamonds are traditionally seen as a symbol of your past, present and future together as a married couple.
Halo Engagement Ring
A similar effect can also be achieved with a halo engagement ring: while the symbolism isn’t the same, it offers a beautiful brilliance with multiple small stones surrounding the center stone. To complement your classic engagement ring, stick with a simple and sleek wedding ring. That doesn’t mean it has to be a plain band: pick a matching ring that curves along the edge of your engagement ring, or add a little more sparkle on your finger with a pave diamond wedding ring to sit alongside your solitaire. If you’re looking for a slightly more modern variation on the classic wedding ring style, you can substitute white gold or platinum for the more old-fashioned yellow gold band. But if you want to go full modern, your options open up considerably.
Modern Women’s Rings
For many people, modernity means more freedom, and modern wedding rings reflect this freedom in their highly varied styles. There are so many different approaches to customizing a modern women’s wedding ring set that it may become overwhelming. But if you take a deep breath and think through just a few features of modern wedding rings, you may be happily surprised with what you find.
Modern Bezel Engagement Ring
The quickest method to achieve a more modern look with your ring is to try out less traditional bands. Thicker bands offer a more contemporary feel and including twists, swirls or geometric designs can add a very unique flair to the whole ring. By contrast, bands with radically clean lines will have a very industrial, modern appearance.
Modern Diamond Shapes
Consider mixing up what kind of diamond shape to use for the engagement ring stone. If your goal is ultramodern, be sure to ditch the classic round or vintage emerald, and look for shapes with long angular facets such as the princess, radiant, heart, or pear.
Modern Gemstone Rings: Sapphires
You can also cast aside diamonds altogether and pick a gemstone that reflects the personality of the wearer in a unique way. For example, May and September babies may want to consider a modern wedding ring featuring their respective birthstones: emeralds and sapphires. Lately, sapphires have become a fashionable precious stone on modern wedding rings. Sapphires also have a rich history of association with royalty and magic. The most popular sapphires are blue, but they come in many colors including pink, orange, yellow and purple.
Modern Gemstone Rings: Emeralds
An emerald is a very unique stone to feature on a wedding ring, and can really complement those with beautiful green eyes. Emeralds are associated with Venus, the Roman goddess of love, and spring, the season of renewal. They are also said to symbolize loyalty, and faithfulness. Not a bad set of meanings for a wedding ring to have, right? You don’t even have to ditch diamonds to incorporate these precious gems—the engagement ring can feature both the traditional diamond and gemstone accent stones, or you can have a diamond engagement ring and gemstone wedding band. If modern wedding rings aren’t really your thing, but you still want something a little less ordinary than a classic wedding ring, you should definitely consider a vintage-inspired wedding ring.
Carat Weight & Price
Mined from deep within the layers of the Earth's crust, most rough diamonds are either too small or too inferior in quality to produce the lustrous, polished products demanded in the fine jewelry market. Consequently, the production of a single, one-carat diamond can require the mining of up to one million rough diamonds. The process of finding a larger diamond is even more intensive. The rarity of larger, high-quality diamonds has resulted in significant price escalations between sizes. For instance, a one-carat diamond can command four to six times more than a half-carat diamond. The price of a diamond continues to increase as its size gets bigger and bigger.
Victorian Vintage Rings
Victorian rings are usually yellow gold or rose gold, as it was during this time that the pink-hued gold first rose to popularity. Victorian jewelry is also known for its nature-inspired designs. Rings from this era can be identified by the intricate foliage and floral patterns that mark both gold and silver settings.
Edwardian Vintage Rings
Edwardian wedding rings often featured multiple halos, tapered shoulders, and most especially milgrain beading. Milgrain beading refers to the border of beads set around the edges of a piece of jewelry that gives the impression of pure elegance. Edwardian jewelry often includes lace-like or staple filigree designs that may give a ring a light and airy feel.
Art Deco Vintage Rings
Art Deco era wedding rings are characterized by their cluster or box settings, curved accents, arched halos, and open metal work around the center. Jewelry from this era usually boasts bold, geometric designs, straight lines, and angular or highly symmetrical patterns. With a vintage-inspired wedding ring, you can escape the constraints of a classic wedding ring design, while still preserving the elegant look and traditions of earlier eras. Let your imagination run wild and try mixing details from different eras for a truly dynamic vision.
Whatever route you decide to take as you search for the ideal women’s wedding ring set, remember that you have plenty of options. Mix and match design features, look at photos and collages, and ask jewelers for their opinion on what you can do to achieve what you envision for your wedding ring.