Are Classic Wedding Rings a thing of the past?

For the bride and groom, the most important part of the big day is the tying of the knot with the symbol of a ring. However, choosing which wedding ring to adorn is not an easy one. With so many wedding ring styles available, it makes the choice difficult. 

However, we know that people prefer diamond wedding rings these days, as opposed to the classic wedding ring designs. It got us thinking, are classic wedding rings a thing of the past?

What is a Classic Wedding Ring?

A classic or traditional wedding ring is a ring that informs everyone that this person is married. These rings are usually forged from a precious metal, such as gold, silver or aluminium. 

A wedding ring is an ultimate symbol of love and commitment between two people, making it the most important piece of jewellery you’ll ever wear.

Over time, wedding bands have had various changes based on new discoveries, trends and tastes developing. In recent years, the classic wedding ring has been changed, with many couples choosing to add diamonds to their wedding bands. 

History of Wedding Rings

To understand what we mean by a classic wedding ring further and how tastes change, it’s important to look back and understand the history of wedding rings and their traditions. 

Wedding bands are a fixture of our lives, symbolising love, life and commitment to another person. The use of a wedding ring can be traced right back to Ancient Egyptian times, where rings made of braided reeds and hemp were exchanged. They chose the placement of rings on the fourth finger of the left hand as they believed that the “ring finger” contained a “vein of love” right up to the heart. The circular shape of the ring was also a powerful symbol for Egyptians, as the endless circle meant a promise of love forever.

The Ancient Egyptians and Greeks were known to wear rings made from leather, bone or ivory, but it was also during this time when metal bands were being created. Iron wedding rings were popular for a time before the wealthier in those societies started wearing gold or silver to mark marriage.

Personalisation came in during the Byzantine period in the 15th century, featuring images of the couple etched into the ring. Posie rings also became popular, where a short verse was engraved to make the rings more personal. 

For such a long time, wedding rings featured gold or silver before the discovery of diamonds. Nowadays, diamond wedding rings are the most popular type on the market.

Why do people prefer Diamond Set Wedding Rings?

With the continued development in the crafting of wedding rings, more customisation is possible when you visit a jewellery store. With so much choice available to engaged couples, the more customisation is considered better because you can create something truly special to you.

As jewellers have readily available access to a stock of the world’s finest diamonds, it’s no surprise that couples explore diamond wedding ring options. While classic wedding rings are beautifully made, they lack the sparkle that diamonds bring to a wedding ring. Many couples want to display their love as publicly as possible, and a classic wedding ring may seem too plain to make that statement.

The plain style of wedding bands is also seen as old by many younger couples, who likely associate them with wedding rings worn by their parents and grandparents. As younger generations always like to be different to their parents, it’s no surprise that they look for more contemporary designs. 

This is reflected in online searches, which you can view using Google Trends. When compared to “diamond wedding rings”, the interest in “plain wedding rings” is very low as you can see in the graph below.

Google’s interest data is based on online searches since 2004 and as we can see, diamond engagement rings trump plain wedding bands in popularity by a huge margin.

To summarise, it comes down to how much you want your rings to sparkle. Diamond wedding ring sets deliver that in spades. However, if you are more of a traditionalist, classic wedding rings are the ones for you.

Why choose a Classic Wedding Ring?

There are various advantages for choosing a classic, plain or traditional wedding ring. It has a purity and refined poise unmatched by other options. With no additions, the ring can shine on its own, displaying your commitment to one another wonderfully. There are other practical benefits including:

• Classic wedding rings are easy to refinish if required.
• Classic wedding bands can be reworked if you want to add something special to them, unlike other rings.
• There is a wide variety of carats available when choosing a wedding ring.
• A plain wedding ring offers various customisation options to make them unique to each other.
• Traditional wedding bands can be paired easily with other rings to create an incredible combination.

Classic Wedding Rings from Diamond Heaven

Diamond Heaven has a collection of men’s plain wedding bands and women’s plain wedding bands for you to choose from. With a wide selection of ring profiles and your choice of white gold, yellow gold or rose gold of varying carats alongside platinum and palladium, you will find the perfect wedding band for him and to her. 

We really don’t believe that classic wedding rings are a thing of the past and remain a great traditional choice for your big day. Get in touch with us today or book an appointment at one of our stores in Birmingham, London, Manchester, Glasgow or Cardiff where we can discuss your wedding bands desires.