Falling in love includes many big emotions and milestones. There’s the thrill of romance while you’re dating, the nerves and excitement when picking an engagement ring and proposing, and then the important decisions of planning a wedding — including choosing the perfect wedding bands for you to wear on your fingers for the rest of your lives.
But when it comes to the rings, you may be wondering how to perfectly pair a women’s wedding band with an engagement ring. What is the best option: a plain gold ring or a diamond wedding band? A curved or traditional band? White gold or platinum?
If you are considering these questions and many more, we have put together this helpful, comprehensive guide so you can be equipped to find the best women’s wedding band to complement your gorgeous engagement ring.
Pairing a Women’s Wedding Band with an Engagement Ring
The first step in how to pair a women’s wedding band with an engagement ring is to consider the engagement ring itself. The type of ring setting, diamond cut, shape, size, and additional stones will impact what kind of wedding band fits best.
With these factors in mind, also consider if you want your wedding ring to sit flush against your engagement ring or if you would rather there be a small gap between the two. This may be dependent on the setting type you have. A wedding band may fit underneath high-profile settings (such as a cathedral setting) and leave no gap, while a curved band and round solitaire may have a little space between them.
Popular Engagement Ring Diamond Shapes:
- Round: most popular diamond cut for engagement rings; classic and sparkly
- Princess: popular, angular, contemporary
- Cushion: vintage feel, brilliant, rounded corners
- Emerald: a rectangular step-cut diamond with cropped corners
- Marquise: regal feel, curved sides and pointed ends
- Oval: elongated version of a round diamond
- Radiant: catches light, similar to emerald but with deep-cut facets
- Pear: hybrid of oval and marquise cuts, unique and vintage
- Asscher: a step-cut diamond that is sleek and angular, has more transparency
- Baguette: low-key, art-deco style, long and rectangular
- Trillion: triangular shape with rounded or pointed edges
Knowing the different types of engagement ring diamond cuts can also help guide you if you are interested in a diamond wedding band — knowing your diamonds will help you know exactly what you’re looking for and help you make an informed decision.
How To Choose a Women’s Wedding Band Metal
Another important step in choosing the best women’s wedding band is deciding on what type of metal you would like. White gold is today’s most popular metal choice for both engagement rings and women’s wedding bands, but there are many other metal options. Although most people choose to match their engagement ring and wedding band metals, it is not a hard-and-fast rule you must follow— you can mix your metals if that is what you want to do!
Mixing metals can give your wedding ring set a modern look. The most popular mixed metal ring pairings are white and yellow gold, but you can also mix any combination of white, yellow, and rose gold to give your wedding ring stack a unique look.
When thinking about what metal to choose for your perfect women’s wedding band, be sure to consider your lifestyle. If you work with your hands a lot, you may want to pick a more durable, tough metal like platinum. Also, think about your personal style: if you wear mostly delicate, feminine yellow gold jewelry, then you could opt for a yellow gold diamond wedding band that will match what you already wear.
Most Popular Metals for Women’s Wedding Bands and Engagement Rings:
- White gold
- Platinum
- Yellow gold
- Rose gold
- Titanium
Choosing a Style of Women’s Wedding Band
Next, you will need to decide on what style of women’s wedding band best suits you. Again, the type of engagement ring (high-set or low-set center stones) and wedding band you choose will determine if your rings sit flush against each other or if there is a small gap between them. It’s up to you to decide which look you prefer — and if you can find a set that can fit perfectly together.
Not sure where to start? Look over these descriptions and examples of popular types of wedding bands.
Women’s Wedding Band Types:
- Classic
- Contoured
- Notched
- Ring jackets
Classic Women’s Wedding Bands
A classic wedding band is just that — a traditional, circular ring. Depending on your engagement ring, this style of wedding band will most likely sit against it without a gap. However, a classic ring comes in many different kinds of styles, from a plain white gold band to an eternity diamond wedding band.
If the word “classic” makes you think this ring style is boring, think again. There are numerous kinds of settings for diamond wedding bands for you to choose from, including eternity, pavé, channel, bezel, and more. All of these setting styles give each ring a different feel and distinct look.
Contoured Women’s Wedding Bands
A countered wedding band works well with an engagement ring with a low-set center stone. This style can ensure that your rings sit flush together, as the band is designed to match the curve of your engagement ring. A contoured diamond wedding band can be bought by itself, or it can come as part of a wedding ring set.
If you cannot find a curved band to perfectly match your engagement ring, consider getting a custom ring made. To do this, you’ll need to find a reputable jeweler, set your budget, choose your ring style and design, and work with your jeweler to create your perfect custom ring or ring set.
Notched Women’s Wedding Bands
A notched wedding band can also help you achieve a flush look with your rings, as it features a notch that fits the engagement ring’s center stone like a puzzle piece rather than curving around it like the contoured band. This type of ring may come as part of a bridal set.
Women’s Wedding Band Ring Jackets
A ring jacket can add extra sparkle to your engagement ring. This type of diamond wedding band features two split or connected bands with rows of stones that sit above and below the engagement ring to frame it. A ring jacket wedding band adds extra drama and sparkle as it enhances an engagement ring.
Engagement Ring and Women’s Wedding Band Pairing Suggestions
Even with the knowledge of engagement ring cuts and styles and wedding band settings, styles, and types, you may still be at a loss for what kind of women’s wedding band pairs best with a specific type of engagement ring. Here are some suggestions for wedding ring set pairings that work great together.
Wedding Band for Round Cut Diamond Engagement Ring
Round-cut diamonds are by far the most popular engagement ring choice. Another thing that makes this style of ring great is that they are super versatile, easily matching almost any type of wedding band. Since round-cut diamond rings complement every other stone shape, they will look stunning with just about any style of diamond wedding band.
Wedding Band for Princess Cut Engagement Ring
For an angular, modern princess-cut engagement ring, consider pairing it with a band that features small round diamonds, such as a pavé (the French word for “paved”) diamond wedding band. Round-cut stones are a favorite pairing for this cut because they add a complementary sparkle to princess-cut diamonds, which have a different kind of brilliance due to their cut pattern.
Wedding Band for Cushion Cut Engagement Ring
Cushion-cut engagement rings look best paired with a cushion-cut diamond wedding band. Sometimes opposites attract when it comes to wedding ring pairings (such as the princess cut and round stones), but in this case, like calls to like. Cushion-cut diamonds contain brilliant sparkle and look great together.
Wedding Band for Emerald Cut Engagement Ring
An elegant emerald cut is an eye-catching engagement ring and deserves a wedding band that will emphasize it. This cut looks beautiful paired with a round-cut diamond wedding band. Since emerald cuts are a step-cut pattern that does not give off as much sparkle as the round cut, adding more brilliant stones will help enhance the emerald-cut diamond’s beauty.
Wedding Band for Marquise Cut Engagement Ring
With an elongated marquise-cut engagement ring, you will need to consider if the stone is set high or low. If it is in a high setting, a wedding band can sit underneath the stone and flush against the band. If the marquise-cut diamond is in a low setting, then it can be tricky to find a wedding band that will sit flush — good options include contoured or V-style diamond wedding bands with flattering round or pear-cut stones.
Wedding Band for Oval Cut Engagement Ring
For a timeless oval-cut engagement ring, an ideal pairing is a diamond wedding band that also features oval-cut stones. To make the ring set interesting, choose a wedding band style that has east-west set oval cut diamonds. Paired together, these oval-cut diamond rings make a gorgeous matching wedding ring set.
Wedding Band for Radiant Cut Engagement Ring
There are options when it comes to wedding band pairings for radiant-cut engagement rings. This style of ring looks great with a pavé diamond wedding band if you want a little variety on your hand. But they also look beautiful when matched with a diamond wedding band that also features radiant-cut stones. While the radiant cut is already quite sparkly by itself, you can really amp up the shine with an eternity band.
Wedding Band for Pear Cut Engagement Ring
A contoured wedding band works best for the unique shape of a pear-cut engagement ring. A contoured band will curve around part of the pear-cut stone, leaving some space, but this can just better emphasize the diamond itself. An embellished diamond wedding band can accentuate the beauty of a pear cut, looking especially stunning with a solitary diamond.
Wedding Band for Asscher Cut Engagement Ring
A sleek, unique Asscher-cut engagement ring already stands out, but you can pair it with several wedding bands to make it even more eye-catching. Consider pairing this vintage look with a milgrain edge diamond wedding band or another step-cut diamond band, such as one with emerald cuts.
Wedding Band for Baguette Cut Engagement Ring
A baguette-cut engagement ring is another unique ring that deserves a unique wedding band. A style that complements this beautiful cut is a diamond wedding band with a combination of both baguette and round cuts. If you are looking for a more matching look, then consider a band that features only baguette-cut diamonds (ones with east-west set diamonds look particularly attractive).
Wedding Band for Trillion Cut Engagement Ring
A triangular trillion-cut engagement ring stands out on its own already, so there is no need to add more drama with an intricate wedding band. Keep your trillion-cut ring the stunning star of the show by pairing it with a plain gold or sleek diamond wedding band.
How to Measure Ring Size for a Women’s Wedding Band
Now that you have a great idea of all the many styles and pairing options available to you for wedding bands, you are probably more than ready to start shopping. One important piece of information that you need to know before you shop is what ring size you need to purchase.
Some styles of diamond wedding bands or ring metal types are not easily altered or resized, making it important to know the correct ring size before you purchase a wedding band. So, how can you measure your ring size?
3 Ways to Measure Your Wedding Band Size at Home:
- Measure with string
- Measure with a printed ring chart
- Measure with a ring sizer
These easy methods will help you determine the right wedding band size at home before you start shopping. However, if you need additional help deciding what size of ring you’ll need, make an appointment with a trusted jeweler that can help determine the size of your finger for a great-fitting wedding band.
