Something Old and Something New: Choosing a Diamond Wedding Band for an Heirloom Engagement Ring
Every bride’s dream is to fulfill the saying “Something old, something new, something borrowed and something blue.” A wedding set can kill two of those birds with just one stone. Her “something old” antique engagement ring still needs a wedding band, and that is probably going to be her “something new.”
As with most things, wedding jewelry styles have changed over the years and so too has technology. This can provide unique challenges to the couple who is including a family heirloom in their 21st century nuptials. A wedding set doesn’t need to match exactly, but the engagement ring and wedding ring should at least be kindred spirits. Their designs should share some elements.
With the vast array of styles available to couples these days, one only needs to know what to look for. Heirloom and antique rings usually share some similar characteristics. One of the first things one notices about an wedding set is the center diamond. Although many couples forego this tradition in favor of something different that captures the essence of their relationship, a center diamond is still very much the norm.
As the years marched on, jewelers discovered more and better ways to release a diamond’s inner fire through more refined cutting processes. In heirloom jewelry, depending on the age, many diamonds were fashioned in the rose cut. In a rose cut, there are not anywhere near as many cuts, called facets, in the diamond as you find in today’s diamonds. These facets function as small reflectors, sending the incoming light bouncing around against all these cuts. This is what gives diamonds their sparkle. A rose cut does not have as much sparkle, regardless of the clarity and color quality, as the brilliant cut (the most common cut of round diamond in the marketplace today). To keep the wedding band in the same tone as the engagement ring, a ring with smaller and/or fewer diamonds would draw less attention to the differences in the cuts and sparkle.
The method used to set the stones has also evolved over the years. In ages past, when stones were smaller, bead set and pave settings were very common. In a bead set, small mounds of metal are notched and provide support to adjacent diamonds. Nowadays, it is more common to see prongs used to hold stones. Prongs are like small fingers, reaching up around individual stones to hold them in place. If your heirloom ring has accent diamonds set in pave, it might be worth your while to look into wedding bands that match that style, like the Amanda Wedding Ring.
The metal heirloom rings are made out of varies depending on the era from which the ring hails. For example, in the early 1900s, up until the Depression, most engagement rings were made out of platinum. When American entered World War II, things shifted again. All of the platinum resources were diverted to the war effort, as was much of the gold and silver. Even with a more minimalistic approach to jewelry design during this period, colored gold increased in popularity with young betrothed couples. After the war, yellow gold started its four decade run at the top of the pyramid. But in the 1990s, white gold and platinum became the most popular metals again. Whatever metal the engagement ring is made of, that’s what the wedding band should be too. Almost any style at Timeless Wedding Bands can be made in platinum or yellow, rose, or white gold.
Many heirloom rings also boast metal enhancements. Not as common today is milgrain. Milgrain is a metal treatment, often around the edges and sides of rings, that results in tiny evenly spaced mounds in the metal. It is a beautiful way to add some dimension and uniqueness to a ring. This ring shows how milgrain is used to enhance the simple beauty of a gold ring.
Engraving has long since been popular too, ranging from animal, flower, and nature motifs in the Victorian period, to Art Deco in the ‘30s, and personal sentiments meant just for the wearer. No matter what style of engraving your engagement ring may have, Timeless will surely have something that will completment it charmingly.
An heirloom engagement ring is special because it carries with it a legacy of love and wedded bliss. Adding your own diamond wedding band to it is your own unique and modern addition to that legacy. Whatever style you need, you’re sure to find a harmonizing wedding band.
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