A Guide to Men’s Wedding Band Styles

When it comes to wedding rings, men don’t typically have many options. Most of the time, men will walk into a jewelry store and find the same gold, platinum, or, if they’re lucky, tungsten band, but that’s starting to change. The classic gold wedding band is no longer the default option.

Modern jewelers recognize that men want to show off their personal style as much as women. Rather than a simple band, men can choose something more fun and unique.

How to Choose the Perfect Wedding Ring (For Men)

Men can choose their wedding bands’ thickness, material, finish, structure, and details. Start with the size and material first because these options determine your other options.

Wedding Ring Width

Women’s wedding bands are typically small, but men have a lot of options here. If you’re not used to wearing a ring and have short fingers, a smaller width (1.5 mm – 3 mm) is best. For thicker and/or longer fingers, wider bands (6 mm – 12 mm) will look better on your hand.

Most wedding bands are 8 mm thick. The thicker the band, the more flexibility you’ll have with the structure and detailing. Smaller rings are easier/cheaper to fit and finish.

Wedding Ring Material

Most men’s wedding rings are made with metal, but you aren’t limited to this option. There are plenty of beautiful men’s wooden wedding bands available in stores, as well as other rings made from unconventional materials, like antler, shell, stone, enamel, gemstone, and concrete.

Gold metal rings, whether they’re yellow, white, or rose gold, come in carats. The number of carats in the ring represents the number of parts of gold the metal contains. 24kt gold is the purest form of gold, but most gold rings will come in 14kt-18kt. Lower karats are more durable.

Here are the most common metals used in wedding bands, from the most to least durable:

■ Chromium: Usually used to plate other metals. Incredibly durable and scratch-resistant.

■ Titanium: Lightweight and incredibly strong. Hard to resize.

■ Tungsten: Never tarnishes, low maintenance, but difficult to work with.

■ Stainless Steel: Affordable, inexpensive, but needs to be polished often.

■ Cobalt: Over 4x harder than platinum but less dense. It can’t be resized.

■ White Gold: A mixture of pure gold, nickel, and palladium. Strong and popular.

■ Palladium: Slightly less durable than white gold, but half the price of gold.

■ Platinum: While a pure metal, it’s less durable than white gold and more expensive.

■ Rose Gold: Mixed with copper and silver to make it more durable and less costly.

■ Yellow Gold: Classic, but is only durable at 14kt, making it an expensive option.

Durability, popularity, and color determine the cost of your ring material. More unique materials, like platinum or cobalt, will also be more expensive, despite their purity or durability.

Wedding Ring Finish, Structure, and Detailing

Now that you have the basics, it’s time to add the final touches to your ring. If you want to leave the ring flat, your ring design will be complete. Or, you could add the following options:

Finishes:

■ Matte: Non-reflective or shiny.

■ High-Polish: Very shiny, reflective, but prone to scratching.

■ Satin: Similar to high-polish but doesn’t reflect light.

■ Brush: Is flat like Satin but textured like Sand Blasted

■ Sand Blasted: Is abrasive to the touch. Has no shine.

Structure:

■ Flat: Has no curves or edges.

■ Dome: Has a rounded appearance.

■ Concave: Curves inward in the middle. 

■ Convex (Knife): Curves outward at two points.

Detailing: 

■ Milgrain: Adds minor cuts that resemble beads.

■ Diamonds: Adds diamonds into the band.

■ Carved: Adds a line across the band.

■ Mokume Gane: Adds a wood-like texture to metal.

A flat/dome, polished ring with no detailing will be the least expensive option, while adding gemstones will greatly increase the band’s price. Specialty details, like Mokume Gane, can only be done by an experienced jeweler. On average, a wedding band costs $100-$2,000.

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