The engagement ring and wedding band are some of the most greatly anticipated parts of getting married.
That’s probably why so much money is spent on them! Although tending to be more simple, just how expensive can those wedding bands get?
Wedding band prices can range from $150-$34,000 for bridal rings and $150-$3,350 for the groom’s ring. Numbers vary due to the style and cut of the ring. Couples often feel diamonds and silver or gold are the only options. This is not so and there are alternatives to both traditional materials.
Therefore it’s important to do additional research to find just how much the wedding band for you will cost.
Things that can change the price of a wedding band would be things such as style and cut, time of the year that you buy, alternative materials, and who you buy from.
What Makes a Wedding Band Expensive?
Women’s Wedding Bands
The average price seen for a woman’s wedding band is $1,100.
The wedding band for the bride is typically seen to be at a higher cost than that for a man.
Deciding factors for the costs of these rings really come down to the style and cut.
Common styles for a woman’s ring are:
- Classic- Considered classic for its simplicity and sophistication. The aim here is to put as much focus as possible on the engagement ring.
- Modern- Seeks for minimalistic efforts, the modern style is distinguished by clean lines, very little detail, and distinct angles. Very similar to the classic style but with a flair.
- Eternity- A ring where the entire outside surface is covered in diamonds. It is a very traditional wedding band.
- Vintage-Inspired- These rings have us thinking of times past through their ornate styles that beg for attention. They may use colored stones, tend to lean towards the halo setting, and usually have a splash of gold. Typically this style is more unique and eye-catching than some styles.
- Infinity- As suggested by the name, this wedding band is composed of the infinity symbol, either throughout the ring or just once. It can be more simple or seek attention through flashy stones.
Accompanying these styles is the issue of the cut of the ring and what materials are used.
The diamond cut refers to how the diamond is proportioned and the number of surfaces there are.
The cut is the most important characteristic to consider of a diamond, because should the cut not be ideal, your stone will be left wanting.
The more light your diamond reflects the higher quality its cut is. It is common that the better the cut, the more expensive the diamond.
Men’s Wedding Band
The average price seen for a man’s wedding band is $510.
There are different things to consider with men’s wedding bands. For instance width, metal, detailing, and finish.
The average width for a man’s band is 8mm, which is usually a good number to stick to.
However, the bands have been seen to measure anywhere from 2mm-10mm.
For the choice of metal, the most popular is platinum as it is durable and easy on the eyes. But other options commonly seen are gold and stainless steel.
That metal can be finished to have a highly polished look, a matte look, a satin look that doesn’t reflect light as often as polished does, or a sand-blasted look that has no shine.
You can also detail a man’s ring, giving it diamonds, milgrains which is essentially giving texture to the ring’s surface, or carving to give more substance. Source
Average Wedding Band Costs at Select Stores
| Women’s | Men’s | |
| Blue Nile | $152-$34,990 | $128-$3,352 |
| James Allen | $152-$34,990 | $50-$25,000 |
| Amazon | $25-$400+ | $25-$200+ |
| Jensen’s | $650-$1,399 | $299-$2,299 |
| Kay Jeweler’s | $100-$10,000+ | $100-$9,999 |
How Important is the Wedding Band?
If you and your fiancée discuss it and find that no, the wedding band doesn’t really mean that much to either of you, then it really doesn’t mean anything.
The wedding ring was created to symbolize an eternal, ever-lasting relationship between those who love each other.
Now, is it necessary for the marriage to happen? No, probably not.
The rings are a symbol more than anything, and a reminder to stay true to the one who placed it there.
Even though it is a common way of showing love and faithfulness, that does not mean it actually conveys said feelings. There are other ways to show your dedication.
If the only reason that you choose to not do wedding rings though is because of the cost, please reconsider.
There are alternatives to the high-end rings everyone thinks have to be on your loved one’s finger if the marriage is going to last.
Cheaper Alternatives to Diamonds
Some alternatives people have found to the diamond are stones with color.
Although it’s not seen as often, wedding bands can be given attitude through a colored, less traditional stone.
Some of the more popular stones include:
- Morganite
- Emerald
- Garnet
- Topaz
- Amethyst
For those who would really like to stick to the diamond look, but can’t afford the price of an actual diamond, there are other plausible options out there!
Moissanite is a great option. These stones are actually mistaken for diamonds all the time, and when first discovered were actually thought to be diamonds.
It was later found that these crystals are made of silicon carbide, making them different.
Natural Moissanite is actually quite rare, so the crystal you will find on your finger is made in a laboratory, but drastically cheaper than that of a real diamond. Source
Colored diamonds are also another option. Due to the popularity of “white diamonds”, diamonds with a hue of another color are seen as undesirable.
This means that there is a 65-75% drop in cost.
A great alternative as long as you are okay with stepping out of the traditional lane and into the colored stone lane!
One other option could be cubic zirconia. This material looks like a diamond but is a synthetic gem.
It can occur naturally, but that is rare. More often these are created in a lab.
These diamond-like stones are made by melting zirconium oxide powder with magnesium and calcium at extreme heat, then removed after several hours to cool down and allow the crystals to stabilize.
Then, they are cut and polished. Being much cheaper than diamonds, this crystal is a good alternative. Source
As for metal, titanium is one of the best metals for reasons of cost and durability. But some other options include tungsten, gold, platinum, sterling silver, and cobalt.
These metals are extremely strong, so they are less suited for women’s rings than they are for men’s.
