Wedding Rings : a Modern Day Interpretation

We, Rubini Jewelers, make jewelry.  All kinds, including wedding rings.  And lately, they are thankfully more and more of an anything goes theme. Literally, you can wear a precious metal band, or an alternative metal band.  You can wear a band with diamonds, with alternative stones, or with no stones.  Your band can feature paint, leather, wood, bone, rubber, or be made entirely of an alternative material.  Your band can even be: an ink representation permanently etched on your skin.

The customers in my first example went traditional with matching bands, but that's where the tradition stopped.  She wanted blue and bling so we did a sapphire and diamond 14kt white gold band for her. She wanted a very specific blue; we presented a few selections and she made her pick. The trick was what to create for her husband that was as understated as he and still match hers. He wanted no sapphires and certainly no diamonds.  He just wanted a simple band, with a nod to his lovely bride. Paint was our solution.  We took a simple white gold band, engraved a deep narrow groove (reservoir) and enameled a matching blue in the recess. Match made!

Next case is a situation of indecision solved with multi-choice. That means our customer could not decide which option to exclude in pairing a band with the 3 stone stone engagement ring we made for her.  She longed for diamonds, she longed for something feminine, she longed for something more casual. She tried on our curved white gold diamond band and loved how it complimented her diamonds.  The next ring she tried on was a curved antique reproduction band...in sterling silver, and yes, she loved it too. Why not do both?  She can be dressy, she can be flashy, she can be subtle and quiet.  Different metals do wear differently, this is absolutely true.  But rings can be rebuilt, replaced, remade... not a big deal! This was an easy choice for her in the end- choose both rings- because why not? Her finger, her rules, her love <3 

Our final project is still the craziest band we've yet done. Because it is not traditional, because it pushed our capabilities. There are companies now that make rings with wood, with bone, with rubber, entirely out of these, or with a mixture of metal embedded with an organic material.  Most of these rings are machine made with alternative metal and wood. Our customer is a hunter and nature lover and was very adamant that WE make the ring, not order it from one of our suppliers. He brought us the antler with skull partially intact from a deer he had killed, harvested and utilized; for us to carve and inlay into his wedding band. He also wanted a balancing slice of wood also inlaid in his band.  Platinum was the metal.  We made a band, engraved 2 deep grooves, carved both the deer antler and the wood (cocobolo, supplied from local woodworkers Colonial Hardwoods) in 4 half round pieces and inlaid them into the band.  It's a personal band, with the added bonus of the contrast of color and texture between the 2 organic materials which can loosely represent 2 different humans, working it out together in unity. Meaningful jewelry is often the most beautiful to the wearer.  Which is really the most important thing...