The appeal of men’s diamond wedding bands...
When choosing a wedding ring, many men stick to the time-honored tradition of a solid metal band. While these rings can be elegant and understated, fitting any occasion perfectly, some men hope for a little more sparkle from their wedding jewelry.😎 As such, men’s diamond wedding bands are an ideal way to add pizzazz to your wedding ring, and there are so many ways you can utilize diamonds to create one-of-a-kind looks!
Let’s dive deeper into men’s diamond wedding bands:
- Should men wear wedding bands with diamonds?
- How can you make your diamond wedding ring stand out?
- 6 popular men’s diamond wedding band styles for inspiration
- How to care for a men’s diamond wedding ring
Should men wear wedding bands with diamonds?
Gone are the days in ancient history where women wore bands on their fingers to signify their status as the property of their husbands! Both social norms and jewelry trends have changed so much over time, and men’s wedding rings weren’t a common occurrence until the 1920s.
With these changes have come challenges to conventional gender stereotypes, with women proposing to men, men choosing engagement rings, and more. As such, ANYONE can wear diamonds in their wedding band, and men are no exception.
It’s easy to see diamonds as “feminine” due to their eye-catching sparkle and commonplace in engagement jewelry. But, diamonds are a matter of taste, not gender. Although plain men’s wedding bands are still the most popular style, diamonds are slowly creeping into modern settings and flipping this gender norm on its head.🥳
Diamonds are an excellent accessory in men’s wedding bands, as they are a 10 on the Mohs scale. They’ll last forever, and their durability represents the enduring love between partners.
Additionally, diamonds add a touch of brilliance to otherwise plain wedding bands. They also perfectly accent popular design elements, such as metalwork and inlay.
There is no need to put diamonds in your wedding band if you don’t want to, but you also shouldn’t be afraid to do so if you desire a little sparkle! A wedding band should suit the personal taste of the wearer, so wear what makes you feel most comfortable.
Making men’s diamond wedding bands more prevalent
It’s a common misconception that men must wear “manly” bands with sharp, masculine features, and diamonds are often portrayed as delicate. It’s time to break the stigma and encourage more men to wear diamonds, as they’re just as deserving of their beauty!
Diamonds are for everyone, and there are several ways you can incorporate them into your ring to make you more comfortable with them. Try these tricks for adding a “masculine” touch to your diamond wedding band:🤖
Strong Diamond Shapes
For many, round and elongated diamond shapes seem too soft and better suited for engagement rings. As such, you can try a broader shape with strong corners to produce a masculine feel for your ring.
Popular diamond cuts for men’s wedding rings include princess, baguette, and trillion. The square and rectangular tables of princess and baguette diamonds offer a large, mirror-like surface with a diffuse sparkle. Plus, you can actually create a seamless ring of diamonds with these shapes, as seen in this men’s baguette diamond wedding band.
Trillion-cut diamonds are triangular, and they’re great as accent stones in a simple wedding band. A trillion-cut stone can be an easy way to add just a touch of sparkle to your wedding ring, and they can even be added with other design elements such as inlays.
Colored Diamonds
The white flash of a diamond isn’t for everyone, so switch up your look with a less traditional colored gemstone. Diamonds come in all colors, but black and blue are two popular colors for more masculine looks.
A men’s black diamond wedding band looks incredibly luxe, and men’s blue diamond wedding bands can have a subtle, airy beauty depending on the richness of each gemstone’s color. Colored diamonds can be a bit expensive, so you can always opt for simulants or less pricey gems with the same color, such as sapphires or onyx.
Or, combine multiple gemstones for a striking look, like in this men’s diamond and sapphire wedding band!
Wider Bands
To make your ring look more “masculine” you can always choose a wider band. Larger bands tend to look tougher or more imposing, and men’s wedding bands usually measure around 5mm to 8mm in width.
You can also choose a signet-style ring to produce a larger silhouette. These rings offer a classic take on the modern wedding band, and you can even have them personalized with gemstones, engraving, etc.
Adding Unique Materials and Elements
You can utilize additional accents and materials to personalize your ring and make it fit your style. Here are a few ways to switch up your wedding band:
Metal Color and Mixed Looks
Who says you need to stick to traditional white, rose, and sunny metals? In fact, you don’t really need to stick to precious metals at all! Choosing a darker-colored ring is a simple way to make it more manly while offsetting the sparkle of diamonds.
Dark metals are incredibly popular in men’s wedding bands, and you can choose between durable options like titanium, tantalum, cobalt, tungsten carbide, and black gold. As you can see with this men’s tantalum wedding band as well as this tungsten ring, colors can range from a greyish hue to pitch black.
If you’re a bit more daring, you can also choose a wedding band with mixed metals for a sleek, bold look!💪🏻
Textures and Special Metalwork
Why settle for a plain band when you can add masculine details that suit your personal taste? Filigree, milgrain, and engraving are common ways men personalize their wedding bands, and they look great with diamonds.
For an extra touch of casual class, try a brushed finish or carbon fiber on your ring. Or, opt for complex Celtic designs that make your ring look like an heirloom piece. Whatever you choose, texture is a great way to add depth to your wedding band.
Inlays
Inlays are a fun, new way to make your wedding ring your own, and they’re typically a very affordable accent. Inlays available at each retailer may vary, but you can typically find meteorite, antler, bone, wood, and crushed gemstone options.
Inlays are a great tool for adding personality to your ring. You can choose a men’s whiskey barrel inlay wedding band if you’re a big fan of Jack Daniels, a meteorite ring if you’ve always loved space, and even a dinosaur bone band if you dig dinos!😝 They also go exceptionally well with diamonds, throwing some color and texture into the mix to accent the gemstone’s white glow.
Secure Settings
If you shy away from diamonds because you’re afraid you’ll damage or lose them, have no fear. There are several ring settings that can protect your diamonds, allowing you to keep the sparkle inside a masculine band.
Two popular options for secure settings are flush and channel. Flush settings safely tuck your diamond into the metal band, avoiding any contact with hard surfaces. You can have just one diamond or multiple spread throughout your band!
Or, if you’d like a more traditional look, men’s channel set wedding bands are a classic, safe option. You can add diamonds all the way around your band with this style, which hides the diamond’s edges within a ridge of metal in the ring for extra protection.
6 popular men’s diamond wedding band styles for inspiration
Now that you know the ins and outs of how to personalize your diamond wedding band, let’s look at some hot styles that are sure to inspire your own ring search! Each one is a combination of ideas we’ve already discussed. Here are 6 popular men’s diamond wedding band styles to try:🤠
Channel set with a brushed finish
A tried and true favorite of diamond lovers, channel set bands offer brilliance and protection. This channel set band has a brushed finish to keep the focus on the 7 beautiful diamonds and provide contrast against the polished upper and lower band. This is an excellent choice for anyone who works in an office, as the sparkle of the gems combined with the unique finish creates a professional yet understated beauty.
Beveled tungsten with wood inlay
For grooms who love nature or like to stay on top of modern fashion trends, this beveled tungsten band with a dark, rich koa wood inlay is perfect. Tungsten is extremely durable and perfect for the outdoorsman, and the beveled edges produce contemporary appeal with a comfortable fit. The single flush set diamond offers just a slight dash of refinement, intriguing passersby.
Channel set with a brushed finish and black diamonds
A perfect combination of class and manly elements, this 14K white gold band features jet black diamonds in an eternity setting. The channel set diamonds are both minimalist and luxe, combining the decadent nature of diamonds with understated dark tones. The brushed finish on the band also produces a tough appearance, while the soft edges imply comfortable long-term wear.
Multi-tone with ceramic and stainless steel
For men who want a durable but glittering ring, combining two “tough as nails” materials like ceramic and stainless steel is the way to go. This ring features black ceramic with a striking stainless steel center, which holds seven sparkling diamonds for added flair. This is a great piece for men who want diamonds that aren’t too overpowering, as the brightness of the stainless steel within the ceramic produces a muted glow.
Stainless steel with carbon fiber inlay
Equal parts masculine and refined, this stainless steel ring with a textured carbon fiber inlay is accented with three diamonds in a diagonal pattern for a more unique take. Other inlay materials may require extra care, but you’ll never have to worry about this ring’s decorative layer. While stainless steel is incredibly strong on its own, carbon fiber is FIVE TIMES stronger than steel!
Princess cut diamond in a flush setting with a brushed finish
For men with modern tastes, this ring combines the simplicity of a flush set princess cut diamond with contemporary details. The brushed finish offers a casual look, while the dual polished inlays create contrast and produce a more complex appeal without going overboard. This ring would look great in both casual and more formal settings.
How to care for a men’s diamond wedding band
Diamond jewelry pieces made with precious metals require moderate cleaning and care at home as well as a yearly cleaning and inspection by a jeweler. However, if your ring contains unique metals or materials, it may need a bit more TLC. Let’s discuss how to clean a regular men’s diamond wedding ring and any differences for unique materials.
Cleaning men’s diamond wedding bands: Common jewelry metals
With diamonds set in common jewelry metals—such as gold, platinum, silver, etc.—you can simply clean your piece using warm water and mild dish soap. As such, you can easily do it at home whenever necessary!
First, soak your ring in a small tub of warm water and dish soap for 15-30 minutes. Then, gently scrub the surface of your piece with a soft toothbrush.
You’ll want to make sure you get under your diamond(s) as much as possible, because debris often collects under the stone or around prongs or bezel. The more dirt underneath your stone, the less sparkle you’ll see!
Once the ring is free of any debris, rinse it under warm water and dry it with a clean, lint-free towel. Store your diamond bands separately in lined jewelry bags or compartments in a jewelry box. Precious metals are strong, 💡but contact with a diamond from another piece can scratch most metals!
To keep your diamonds looking brilliant, avoid wearing your wedding band in the shower or pool and exposing it to any harsh chemicals such as cleaners, shampoo, or lawn products. These sprays and liquids won’t necessarily damage your diamond, but they can leave a nasty coating on it that causes a yellowish tint. They also CAN damage your metal setting over time.
Pro Tip
As stated above, make sure you bring your diamond wedding band to a jeweler once or twice per year for a professional cleaning and inspection. Jewelers can tell if you have any loose prongs or movement around your diamond, which allows you to fix the problem before it becomes a real, damaging issue.
Cleaning men’s diamond wedding bands: Unique materials
Several new-age ring materials require extra care when it comes to cleaning and maintenance. Here are some common ones and ways you can prevent damage to your ring:
Meteorite
Durable and memorable, meteorite is a popular metal for men’s wedding bands.📈 However, this metal has a high iron content, and so it’s best to keep it away from water altogether if you can as it tends to rust. This means taking it off while showering, swimming, or exercising where sweat can come in contact with your ring.
To remove rust from your meteorite wedding band, brush every surface with a soft toothbrush and either baking soda or toothpaste. Then, soak your ring in alcohol for about 10 minutes to remove any residue. Finally, let your ring air dry on a soft cloth before recoating it.
Recoating your ring is an important step for maintaining its shine and keeping the meteorite from rusting again. An easy way to recoat it is to pour gunmetal oil over your ring in a small container to seal in the meteorite.
Similar to precious metal bands, store your meteorite ring in a jewelry pouch or lined box to keep it safe when not in use.
Inlays: Wood, antler, dinosaur bone, etc.
Another popular design feature is inlay, which allows wearers to include slivers of whiskey barrels, hardwood, deer antler, or even dinosaur bone in their rings for extra personality. These absorbent, soft materials are usually sealed within a metal band by a resin to protect them from water exposure, but tiny cracks can lead to damage over time.
As such, avoid submerging your inlay ring in water, and keep it away from harsh chemicals that can damage the protective resin layer. You can still clean these rings with the simple warm water and dish soap method, but do not let the ring soak in the solution.
Always use a soft toothbrush to lightly clean the surface of your inlay ring to prevent any visible scratches to the resin. You can also use a lint-free towel to dry it off after a cleaning.
Diamonds for dudes: A fun way to spice up any wedding band
Nothing sparkles quite like a diamond, and these gemstones are the perfect accent for men’s wedding bands in any style or metal. The glint of a diamond can easily garner attention and is an easy way to make a casual ring more formal. However, these glistening accent stones can be pricey, so it’s important to budget accordingly if you’d like to add diamonds to your wedding band.
If you’re in the market for a wedding band and aren’t sure where to start, consider reading our men’s wedding band guide for details on popular band metals and materials as well as fashionable styles from which to choose.🎈
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