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08.05.24
How Much Are Men’s Wedding Bands Really?
If you’re a guy who’s hearing wedding bells, but feeling a little left out of all the sparkle and shine, we understand. The humble men’s wedding band is often an overlooked part of the engagement ring, proposal, and wedding day process. It gets a nod, of course, a bit of your wedding budget, but all the big questions revolve around a diamond engagement ring, pushing men’s wedding bands to the side.
But not here. Because we love an equal playing field. One where men’s wedding bands go beyond their traditional role as a token of marital unity to become an emblem of personal style. And one that deserves major consideration from the get-go, amidst other wedding planning budgetary line items and stylistic choices. After all, striking the perfect balance between significance and cost ensures that the journey down the aisle is as financially savvy as it is romantically profound. So let’s dive into the wide world of wedding rings so you can understand all your choices and navigate the delicate dance of wedding expenses with finesse and foresight.
Understanding the Average Cost of Men’s Wedding Bands
The prices of men’s wedding bands vary just as much as women’s, as they are available in many materials, if not more. So let’s start with a basic ballpark: A traditional metal wedding band, like gold or platinum, may cost between $500 and $1500. This price depends on the material, width, and thickness. Clearly, you will pay more for a wide 8mm band than a slim 3mm one due to the increased amount of gold.
Many will craft many men’s wedding bands from alternative materials such as tungsten carbide or titanium. These tend to fall into a more affordable price range, usually from $100 to $500. In contrast, bands with intricate designs or adorned with diamonds or other gemstones can fetch higher prices, sometimes several thousand dollars or more. Brand, customization, and market demand are additional factors that can affect your wedding rings’ price.
Men’s Wedding Bands : (Heavy) Metal Addition
All of this is to say that it’s super important to think about your style, metal, and budget preferences. Especially before treating a men’s band as a last-minute line item. So let’s talk about band options a bit.
Gold and platinum wedding bands
When we talk about fine metals, we’re referring to gold and platinum. This includes all colors and karats of gold: yellow gold, white gold, rose gold, 14 karat, and 18 karat. These are the most common options and the ones that we offer for our signature wedding band collection. Choosing your metal is often a preference on color, but you should also consider durability, lifestyle and price bracket. Platinum and 18k will run the higher prices, while 14k provides a lower price option. Platinum is hypoallergenic and doesn’t wear away over time. Gold scratches more easily. But both are perfectly durable as items to last a lifetime.
Alternative metal wedding bands
There are also many different budget-friendly wedding band materials available outside of the fine metal family. These include tungsten, zirconium, titanium, cobalt, silver, carbon fiber, steel, silicone and ceramic wedding rings- Oh my! Tungsten rings are a popular choice for an affordable yet durable mens wedding ring. They are extremely hard and scratch-resistant and usually at an excellent price point. And titanium is similar and super lightweight. Keep in mind that most of these alternative materials cannot be resized or refinished, however.
Like a Rock: Adding Diamonds to Men’s Wedding Bands
Another major factor when it comes to the price of mens wedding bands is whether or not you opt for stones such as diamonds or colored gemstones. And it’s not as unusual as you might think. There are certainly many modern ways for men to rock a big diamond ring, however plenty of classic mens wedding bands with diamonds as well. For instance, a gold band with inset diamonds that sit flush to the surface, perhaps in a mens eternity band style, or a simple line across the top of the band.
We also love a single, modern diamond accent in a mens band, for just a hint of sparkle. Or you can go with a color like blue sapphires, red rubies, yellow diamonds, black diamonds, or even vibrant green emeralds if you like. Diamonds will always be the most durable, so if you want a stone built to withstand daily wear, that’s the one. We also have many couples deciding on unadorned bands on the outside with small inset gems on the inside like a little shared secret for life.
The Finishing Touch
One of the easiest ways to add some personality to your wedding band without a major price tag is in the texture of your metal. Choosing something with a matte finish, a raised dot pattern, or a beveled edge can give you a simple shift in design that catches the light, adds interest, and stands out from the gold band crowd.
We’re happy to customize a mens wedding band to suit your taste and budget with plenty of personal touches. Every ring we create is handcrafted to reflect your love story, no matter your style. Our team of design experts is here to help you create the wedding band of your dreams and can provide advice on how to best allocate your budget without compromising on quality or personal significance in the process.
Get in the Ring of Things and Buy Your Wedding Band Early
Forget afterthoughts and last-minute picks, mens wedding bands should be considered as early as possible in the wedding planning process to ensure that you find or create a ring perfectly suited to your style. While it may seem that men’s wedding bands cost so much less than women’s wedding bands, it’s not always true. If what you want is to rock out with a big diamond band, then you should definitely do you!
Explore our signature wedding band collection to gather a bit of inspiration, or try designing your own dream ring with our style quiz and you’ll even get a free sketch! Need a little more help? Ping our team of designers at hello@frankdarling.com with a bit about what you’re looking for and your budget and we’ll get you sorted in no time.
