What’s different between eternity bands and other wedding bands?

All bridal jewelry is meant to be cherished and with each passing year, these personal items become more precious, simply because you’ve lived more life as a couple. So, you have added to your personal story as time goes by.

You’ve got Some Decisions to Make!

Besides the engagement ring and wedding bands, there are always other important pieces that we can add to our story. One of them is the diamond eternity band. But we also hear of the anniversary bands. How do we tell the difference between each one of these treasured rings? And do certain rings have specific meanings? Let’s try and sort this all out. Because someday, you may just want to add these pieces to your collection of bridal jewels.

You know the traditional wedding ring is the band exchanged during your wedding ceremony. Both bride and groom can exchange them—and when they do, sometimes the couple has opted for matching bands. We love that. Wedding bands for the couple can be very plain (we like to think these are timelessly chic rings.) They can also be accented with diamonds or other side stones—that’s where you get a chance to personalize the rings to your style preferences.

Eternally Yours — With a Band to Prove it

But you’ve also heard of eternity bands, right? What’s the difference between an eternity band and your wedding band? Can you wear them interchangeably? Let’s look at this particularly romantic ring.  In general, eternity bands (or called eternity rings) are not the same as wedding bands and are not exchanged on the wedding day. Usually, they are a gift to the wife for a milestone of the couple—like the birth of a child, maybe a special wedding anniversary, or some other special moment that needs commemorating. Another attribute of diamond eternity bands is that they are covered in diamonds around the entirety of the band. Therefore, like an eternity—there is no beginning and no end. Pure beauty all around.  Marking specific milestone anniversaries like the 5th, then 10th, and so on are often reason enough to get an eternity band.

These bands can become confused for being the same item but they are not. There are specific differences between the two ring styles starting with their design and of course construction. But the main consideration is their intended purpose. Since we are living in a time of personalization with all of our wedding plans including the rings, we’d like to say if you love the look of the eternity ring with your engagement ring on your wedding day, go for it! This is your day—your way! We celebrate making the ceremony and your happily ever after a very individual choice.

The Wedding Band

The traditional wedding experience includes the exchange of rings, a very emotionally charged and tender moment that is part of the wedding ceremony. These rings hold great symbolism, like these rings representing your unbroken circle of love as a couple from this day forward. To mark this precious moment, the groom places the wedding band on the bride’s ring finger and vice versa with the bride lovingly placing his ring on his finger in front of the witnesses and guests at your ceremony. The bride's wedding ring often matches or at least coordinates with her engagement ring. For years, most wedding rings were simple a plain band. Today, however, modern rings will often include diamond accents as well. The bride might choose a matched set, where the wedding band was made to match the engagement ring. These wedding sets are known to be very comfortable to wear since they were made to fit precisely together.

But why not mix it up a little today?  Many contemporary brides like to mix and match their ring styles as a sign of personal expression. You’re not like anybody else, are you? You may be surprised to learn that some wedding bands are now including a notched base which allows the wedding band to fit right up against your engagement ring. Clever, isn’t it? The rings are meant to be beautiful, but also comfortable, since you’ll be wearing them every day---for your entire time. It’s not unheard of for brides to have their wedding band soldered to their engagement ring to prevent loss and unintended turning of one of the rings. Something to think about.

See the Difference?

The hallmark of a classic eternity band is that it’s all diamond-covered, all the way around—even on the back where you can’t display the diamonds. But you know they are there. You can twirl the ring and you’ve always got diamonds. For the record, there is such a thing as a half eternity band. Ladies loving the look of the eternity band, but preferring the comfort of a plain band, get a half-eternity band for comfort. The front of the band has the larger diamonds found in the classic eternity band, but where the finger hides the band—no diamonds—all comfort.

There are wedding bands, or even anniversary bands—given just to commemorate that milestone—and those have diamond accents too. Often the diamonds are smaller in size. But the difference is that the diamonds on the design don’t completely encircle the entire ring. The back of the shank is a plain band. This allows for sizing should that ever become an issue later on. And the plain metal back is very comfy on the wearer.

So many Choices—and All of Them are Perfect!

Ok, so now we have the idea, but let’s talk about how you wear an eternity band? We love the freedom to choose how and when to wear your wedding bands and eternity bands today. It’s all about the individual—that’s you. Opt for tradition if you like. Or play by your own rules. Both are perfectly ok. Since the eternity band carries such a romantic message—of no beginning and no end—like your love, some brides tell us they select an eternity band for their wedding band and have it placed on their finger on their wedding day.

So, we’ll let you take it from here. You can get the traditional wedding band that matches your groom’s band—or one that matches your engagement ring. Or, select them both separately for the way they coordinate. Finally, you can jump right in and get an eternity band with its stunning beauty and deep heartfelt symbolism. You may say—hey, let’s get both—the wedding band, and then have something to look forward to on a special milestone in your life with an eternity band later on to mark that wonderful event. Good luck – we’re sure you’ll make the right choice for yourself with a sensational set of bands for your new life together! Congrats you two!