Artcarved Wedding Rings

The tradition of wearing wedding bands and wedding rings dates back many, many centuries when they were used as a symbol to notify anyone who cared to know that a person was attached to another.

Rings started out very simply, as a band of material. They could have been carved out of a piece of bone, wood or even braided strands of natural fibers. As time progressed, metals began to be used to make rings. Soon after, precious metals like gold and silver became the preferred choice for wedding rings.

It was not too many years ago that your choice in wedding bands or wedding rings was limited to gold or silver. Bands were simple, smooth rings and all basically looked the same. In more recent times, the trend in wedding bands and rings has taken a big turn. Artcarved wedding bands and rings have become the popular choice for many of today’s new couples.

What Are Artcarved Wedding Bands and Rings?

Artcarved rings are individually designed rings made in something more than the shape of a plain band. A skilled craftsman can design any type of ring that might suit your personality and taste.

Artcarved rings can be carved, etched, brushed, beveled or woven. They can have spinning features or may be embellished with diamonds or other precious stones.

What Kind of Materials are Used for Artcarved Wedding Bands and Rings?

Aside from the traditional gold and silver that have made up the vast majority of wedding bands, in recent years, a number of other metals have found a place in the ring making market.

Today you will see wedding bands and rings made out of tungsten, titanium and stainless steel. These harder metals (as compared to gold and silver which are more malleable) allow for more intricate design and they hold up better under extreme conditions.

A man who works with his hands and exposes his ring to conditions where it might get banged around a bit, might decide to buy a titanium based wedding band. It will stand out among the crowd and it also will hold up better over time.

Why Do You Want an Artcarved Wedding Band or Wedding Ring?

When you get married, a wedding band or wedding ring is worn to show your deep commitment toward your spouse.

Many individuals would like something unique to express their individual personalities. An artcarved wedding band or ring can become a unique symbol of the love between no others but you and your spouse.

It may have a certain pattern that represents an important part of you and your spouses lives or just have a certain quirk that you can’t find in a common, mass produced ring.

What Does it Cost and how Does that Compare to Traditional Wedding Bands?

A custom made artcarved ring can range in price from a few hundred dollars to several thousand dollars or more, depending on the type of metal used, the detail of the design and the overall workmanship of the piece.

For instance, an artcarved ring made of 24 carat gold would necessarily cost more than a similarly comple designed sterling silver ring because the market price for gold is about 50 times that of silver.

As far as comparing the price of an artcarved ring to a more traditional ring, the artcarved ring would sell for more, because of the additional time and craftsmenship that goes into making the more detailed ring.

How Can You Get the Best Price?

In the world of jewelry, profit margins can be incredibly high. It is not unheard of for a ring or other piece of jewelry (a high end watch for example) retailing at two to three times its cost to produce.

Much of that cost can be attributed to the individual, painstaking work and many hours needed to produce one special piece.

You should be ready and willing to negotiate. Similar to the mindset of an automobile salesman who starts the asking price high and expects to haggle for a while before settling on a lower price that still allows a nice profit, negotiating the asking price is almost a common expectation of the jewelry salesman trying to sell you an artcarved wedding band or ring.

What You Should Know Before Buying

Knowing things like the basic costs of gold (currently around $1200 per ounce) and finding out how long it will take to have a finished ring will give you a good idea of what is a fair price and what is a highly inflated price.

For instance, suppose you wanted to order two artcarved wedding bands that had a twisted snakelike design and a several small diamonds embedded into it.

You find out diamonds of this size should cost no more than $50.00 each, which for your ring should add no more than $300.00 to the overall price. You also estimate a ring of the size you want should contain no more than .25 ounces of pure gold which is about $300.00 using current gold prices.

Allow for the three days the jeweler tells you it will take to be ready (perhaps $200.00 per day) and you will come to an estimate in your mind of about $1200.00. Now if you are quoted a price of $3000.00 dollars for the ring, you know there is plenty of room to negotiate. An offer of $1500.00 is a good starting point.

Getting the Best Deal in the End

After a few minutes of hemming and hawing, the salesman will probably come back and say we can make you a great deal today and you can have the ring for $2000.00. Better, but now you begin some serious tactics. Say things like you just can’t afford it. Maybe you should just buy a $500.00 ring.

You need to shop around a little before deciding and so on. You’ll probably be able to at least split the difference and get the ring for $1750.00. The jeweler will still make a handsome profit and you will save yourself more than a thousand dollars for maybe a half hour of your time.

Where Can You Get an Artcarved Wedding Band or Ring?

There are many Nationally known jewelry stores such as Zales and Gordons that will be able to accomodate you with a custom made artcarved ring. Another possibility where you might find some previously made artcarved rings that are very nice, but somehow managed to find their way back to the retail shop, is at vintage jewelry shops.

If you see something you like, you’ll probably get a real good deal. Don’t be too concerned if the ring is a little too big or too small as any jeweler can easily resize a ring to make it fit perfectly on your finger.

How Do You Size a Ring?

Sizing a ring is a relatively simple procedure. Any trained jeweler can quickly establish the proper size for your finger by simply taking a measure of the circumference of the finger upon which you will be wearing the ring.

The circumference is converted to a measurement of diameter (ie. the distance from side to side of a circle). A standard size scale shows the corresponding ring size next to the exact circumference/diameter of your finger. The scale ranges from the smallest US size 0000 which is for a ring with a .39 inch diameter (9.91 mm) to the largest size of .879 inches (22.33 mm).

Rare Cases of Custom Resizing

Almost every finger falls within these boundaries, but if an anomaly occurrs and a person’s finger falls outside the boundries, it is a simple matter of measuring and adjusting the size to fit the extra large or extra small finger. As a general rule, women have thinner fingers and usually fit on the lower half of the scale while men tend to fall somewhere above the median size for rings.

A properly sized ring will fit snugly, but not overly tight on your finger. It won’t be so loose that it can easily spin round on your finger, nor so tight that you can’t remove it without a struggle. Make sure you take an accurate (to the 16th of an inch) measurement of the circumference of your finger so you will be assured of a proper fit.

Summing Up

An artcarved wedding band or wedding ring is a good choice for a unique, beautifully designed piece of jewelry that can serve as an everlasting reminder of the love between two people. Its cost can vary greatly depending on the materials used, intricacy of the design and time it takes to complete.

Be sure to negotiate the price as most dealers will usually show a lot of flexibility on the final price. Choose from any type of metal and creative design that suits your personality. An artcarved wedding band or wedding ring is a keepsake that will last a lifetime.