1) Most importantly, get your ring finger measured by a professional jeweler, often what we think is correct may actually be half a size out!
2) Decide on a budget beforehand and what you expect from your wedding band - something that may have just seconds in the spotlight while the bill could last considerably longer.
3) The wedding band should compliment your engagement ring and not steal the limelight.
4) Matching wedding bands are a creative way to celebrate the union, and a matching groom's wedding band can also complement the bridal jewelry.
5) Some women spend most of their time wearing only the wedding band (at sports, work, for safety concerns etc.) while they wear the engagement ring for more formal events. Could this be the case for you? If so, you might want to consider something more elaborate than just a plain band.
6) The metal and color of the ring can be either white platinum, yellow gold, white gold, plain silver or even black tungsten. Platinum is a durable metal that won't ruin easily and is ideal for people who work with their hands a lot, however it's also the most expensive of the metals. Gold and silver are both softer, with silver being the cheapest by far. It's recommended that for gold you don't exceed 18 carats as the metal becomes too soft.
•An experienced jeweler should be able to communicate his ideas effectively and be able to reproduce your combined ideas for wedding ring designs with either hand or computer generated sketches. In addition they should be able to cast a wax model of your wedding ring design based on the sketches.
•Confirm that the jeweler with whom you have your brainstorming sessions is going to be the person fabricating the ring. The less people in the communication chain the less chance for unsatisfactory results. If this is not the case ask to meet the craftsman so that you can determine if all ideas have (and will be) communicated correctly.
•Check that the jeweler is certified by Jewelers of America (JA), a certification requiring stringent tests in the field of jewelry manufacture.
