All eyes may have been on that engagement ring when you said that big, fat “YES!” what seems like months ago. But as you busily plan your wedding day there’s another jewellery challenge to overcome, and this time there are two rings to shop for!
Shopping for wedding rings isn’t as simple as going to your nearest jewellers and picking the pieces that best suit your wedding budget. As jewellery you’ll both wear for the rest of your days, your choice requires more care and attention.
Going for an alternative design that isn’t your average band is the key to sourcing jewellery you’ll love wearing for the long haul, but what are your options? We reveal the best alternative wedding rings on the market right now.
Anna Fine Jewellery
Sustainability matters more now than ever, especially when choosing the pieces that will last us a lifetime and even be passed onto the next generation. So it makes sense to choose a wedding ring that looks great on you without impacting the planet.
UK-based Anna Fine Jewellery specialises in ethical, handmade fine jewellery with wedding and engagement rings made to order from entirely recycled materials. The brainchild of award-winning ethical designer and goldsmith Anna Mcloughlin, this fine jewellery brand even uses traditional tools and techniques to breathe new life into preloved materials.
Her collection uses Fairtrade or recycled silver, gold, platinum and palladium. The diamonds and gemstones set in these super sustainable precious metals aren’t lab-grown either. They’re ethically sourced or better yet, recycled from old pieces of jewellery.
Ken & Dana Design
For something unique to you, the Lito ring from Ken & Dana Design is a great investment. This wedding band isn’t just hand textured to create an unusual, one-of-a-kind finish, it’s personalised with an engraving of your partner’s fingerprint!
Shiruba Tree
Recycled and hand-textured precious metals aren’t the only materials that provide an alternative look as Shiruba Tree proves.
Each and every one of their wood and metal rings are handmade in the UK and sports a natural style that’s certain to be adored by brides and grooms alike. Shiruba Tree uses a mixture of fine, precious metals (including platinum, gold, titanium and silver) and sustainable woods to guarantee a truly individual piece.
Their use of wood ensures an utterly unique look with the patterns the grain forms distinctive from design to design. As well as being environmentally friendly, a wedding ring crafted with sustainable wood carries a hidden meaning as Modern Gents details:
“Trees don’t die of old age; neither does love. Instead of professing your devotion with an expensive rock, show the true meaning of forever with a piece of nature that’s as beautiful as it is unique – no grain pattern in any two wood rings is the same… When you want a ring that honours nature while protecting its fragility, stands up to everyday life, and symbolizes everlasting life and love, there is no better choice than wood.”
The Quarterworkshop
Why leave the professionals to make your wedding rings? The latest craze is to make your own and there’s no better place to do that than at The Quarterworkshop in Birmingham.
As well as being able to say “I made you this ring!”, you can take a well-earned break from wedding planning and enjoy an experience together. Their wedding ring workshops take place at The Quarterworkshop’s fully equipped silversmithing studio in the city’s famous Historical Jewellery Quarter.
You’ll be expertly guided by an experienced tutor, have exclusive use of the workshop, enjoy bubbly and snacks, and head home with two very special souvenirs.
