Your wedding band is more than a stunning piece of jewelry, it’s a symbol of your own unique love story. And with so many styles available today, choosing a ring to represent your marriage can feel overwhelming.

 We’re here to walk you through the wide world of wedding band styles. From precious metals to alternative metals, plain bands to ones adorned with gemstones, we’ll explore it all.

 Ready to dive in? Keep reading for our complete guide to wedding band styles.

Shop all wedding bands at Sarah O. Jewelry.

Types and Styles of Wedding Bands

Modern wedding rings come in a wide range of designs to complement your engagement ring and fit your personal style. Read on for an overview of some of the most popular wedding ring styles.

The Pear and Round Band: $1,044

Diamond

Diamond bands are the perfect way to add more bling to your engagement ring. There are multiple ways in which diamonds can be set into metal. 

Prong settings use prongs to set small diamonds into the band. Pavé settings, named for the French word for “paved”, feature tiny diamonds set into place with delicate metal beads. Channel set diamond bands use two strips of metal to hold the diamonds into place. 

Consider your lifestyle when shopping for a diamond wedding ring. Pavé settings are more delicate than prongs, and channel settings are sturdier. Find an option that fits your lifestyle in our stunning diamond wedding band collection today.

The Estelle Emerald Band: $1,872

Gemstone

Add a splash of color or extra sentimental meaning with a gemstone wedding band. A reputable jeweler can incorporate gemstones in all the same setting styles as diamond bands, so you can choose the setting that fits your lifestyle. 

Discover the world of dazzling gems in our gemstone guide, and shop the full gemstone wedding band collection to see how they come to life.

The Oxford Band: $2,156

Tracer

Unlike wedding bands that sit flat against your engagement ring, tracer bands contour around the center stone. If you love the curved sunburst look, or have a lower-set engagement ring stone and want your wedding ring to sit flush, tracer bands are a stunning choice. Click through to shop more tracer wedding band styles.

The Silas Band: $702

Wide

Wide bands are a classic masculine wedding band choice, but are also worn by women. They also provide more finger coverage than a typical coverage, for a simple ring that makes a big statement. Check out our full collection of wide wedding bands today.

The Casey Band: $768

Solid Gold

Solid gold bands are a classic for a reason. From plain or hammered bands to extravagant shapes and unique etching, the possibilities are as endless as your love. View the full solid gold wedding band collection for more inspiration.

The Devon Zirconium Band: $804

Alternative Metals

The classic wedding ring look is a plain precious metal band. But there’s a wide world of alternative metals and other materials to explore outside of the traditional gold, silver, and platinum. These alternative materials can provide unique benefits, from lightweight and durable carbon fiber, to shatterproof zirconium, and many more. 

Explore the world of alternative wedding band metals. Shop the full collection today. 

The Amara Round Eternity Band: $4,470

Eternity

Eternity wedding bands feature diamonds around the entire band for a seamless and glamorous look. Explore this timeless look today in our full eternity wedding bands collection.

Choosing a Wedding Band: Best Practices

With so many styles of wedding bands available, decision paralysis can quickly set in. Here are some tips to consider as you explore your wedding ring options.

Width

Finger coverage and ring width plays a large role in your ring’s appearance. You might consider looking for delicate rings to complement your engagement ring, or wide rings that make a statement on their own. Don’t forget to consider your finger size; bands appear wider on a small ring size.

Metal

Classic gold rings come in three colors—yellow, white, and rose gold—as well as alternative metals. Consider your ring’s aesthetics as well as its function. Alternative metals can provide unique appearances, but they can also have functional attributes like lightweight profile or high durability.

Lifestyle

Do you plan on wearing your wedding band through daily activities? If so, make sure to consider how lifestyle factors can affect your ring. 

Diamonds with prongs can come loose or snag during physical activities. And if you work manual labor or wear surgical gloves for work, you may want to consider a flat band. Durable materials like tungsten and carbon fiber can protect against daily wear and tear.

Matching Rings

Matching your wedding band to your partner’s is a romantic way to show your love. Some couples like to wear identical bands, while others choose different but complementary styles, or don’t try to match at all.

Matching your engagement ring is another factor to consider. While the two rings don’t need to be designed in a set, they should complement each other. Consider your engagement ring’s profile and whether you’d like your wedding ring to sit flush or have a tracer style. Different pairings can have unique effects—get creative with it!

Engagement Ring Pairing Ideas

Some of the best engagement ring and wedding band pairings are unexpected. We love mixing thick bands with dainty ones, or statement stones with dramatic tracers. Scroll down for some of our favorite combinations. 

The Amara Emerald Cut Eternity Band with the Maeve Emerald Cut Solitaire

Timeless Emerald Elegance

This classic emerald solitaire engagement ring is perfectly balanced by a prong-set emerald eternity band.   

The Luz Pear Ring with the Gold Stacker Band and the Iris Tracer Band

Glamourous Mixed-width Stack

The centerpiece of this stack is a pear center stone with marquise and round diamond starburst halo. A wide gold stacker band adds structure to the engagement ring, with extra sparkle from the tracer.

Wedding Ring Stacking

Who says your ring stack has to stop at two? Just like in the option above, stacking three or more rings unlocks endless ways to wear your love.

You might add a sentimental gemstone ring for a birthday gift, or to wear as a right-hand ring. Milestone anniversaries and other big life moments are the perfect occasion to add to your stack.

Keep reading for more tips to consider when choosing your wedding ring stack. For more information, check out our in-depth stacking guide.

Play with shapes

Try mimicking the shape of your engagement ring with your stacking bands. For example, try matching an emerald-cut engagement ring with a band featuring emerald-cut diamonds.

You can also contrast shapes. How about an oval center stone with a baguette band, or a marquise stone with a round diamond band? 

Play with contrast

You can contrast more than just shapes in your wedding ring stack. Try mixing smooth bands vs. pave, or bold shapes vs elegant etchings. Mixed metals can also create a unique two-tone contrasting effect.

Keep it simple

When in doubt, a simple stack will always be a timeless look. If you’re looking to enhance your engagement ring without distracting from it, you can’t go wrong with a plain gold band in an elegant finish. 

Finding the Wedding Band for You

Shopping for wedding bands for you and your fiancée can easily get overwhelming, but at Sarah O., we’re here to help. Whether you’re looking for a classic simple band, or a completely bespoke custom wedding band to complement your engagement ring, we have something for everyone to wear. 

Explore more designs in our full wedding band collection, and check out the Sarah O. blog for more engagement and wedding tips.