Diamond Wedding Band - Expert`s Advice on How to Choose One
Mounting diamonds on the wedding band is relatively new vogue as opposed to its ancestors, the eternity and anniversary rings. The difference between the three however is unclear and rather confusing. Both wedding ring and eternity ring represent eternity, and the name “half eternity” ring used for partially studded rings is self-contradictory. Eternity cannot be half - it is eternal. So let decide, for the sake of clarity in this article that the eternity rings are the one set with diamonds all around regardless the diamond size and anniversary rings are the one with 3, 5, or 7 equal and relatively substantial in size diamonds in a row. Now we are ready to define the diamond wedding band: It is a ring set with equal in size diamonds just on the visible external side not further than half of the circumference.
How far down the sides the ring is set is also interpreted differently by the designers. If low price market is aimed at, the jeweled part does not extend very far and hardly gets over 1/5 of the circumference. In price focused market, each diamond and putting it in its place (setting) increments the factory cost and lower the competitiveness of the price. Going half way on the other hand may not be the optimal option even if the cost is not an issue. Diamond pave may scrape the neighboring fingers or other rings worn there. The best ratio from cost-effective, aesthetic and pragmatic point of view is 2 to 3 standing for 2/5 studded and 3/5 plain. Evidently the number of diamonds is determined by their size and varies between 9 and 16. The most popular shapes utilized in diamond wedding bands are round and princess.
Important: Although diamond wedding bands are much simpler to resize than an eternity rings the best is to be concluded prior the setting. Resizing diamond wedding bands with whatever type of setting can loosen the diamonds a cause them to fall off later. This creates plenty of frustration for the client and the jeweler and can be avoided if the band is initially manufactured with the right finger size, then set and finished. This way the solder mark at the back is also eliminated and the band has much higher general strength. To be able to do this the jeweler must have workshop capable of acting quick and the customer to have the patience to wait a couple of days. In the end of the day it will be well worth. My advice is not to go for diamond band altered more than 2 sizes.
Yellow gold diamond wedding bands are something from the past. The white gold nevertheless is still the most used metal. This illustrates the conservatism of the jewelry market which works both ways. The jewelers are offering what the customers want; the customers want what they are offered and the information deficiency holds everything different at bay. White gold is not really white. It is the same familiar rich yellow gold forced into whiteness by blending it with bleaching alloy metals. The outcome is yellowish grayish metal which has to be rhodium plated for shiny white surface color. The metals really suitable for white diamond jewelry are the ones from the platinum metal group - Platinum and Palladium. Platinum reappeared in the jewelry industry about 15 years ago and surprisingly quick established its name as superior to white gold. The only reason it did not shift the white gold default status was its much higher cost.
Palladium was used for many years as whitening alloy metal for white gold. Its use as solo metal was limited from complications in the casting process. Few years ago the technology roadblocks were removed and palladium is now attaining momentum. Palladium and Platinum are so similar that they are almost identical in appearance and mechanical properties. Palladium however is 40% lighter and a lot cheaper offering all the advantages of platinum at about a quarter of the cost thus rendering it the metal of choice for diamond wedding bands and for white fine jewelry in general.
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