A Simple Guide to Wedding Band Styles

Although your engagement ring will likely take center stage, finding the right wedding band to wear for the rest of your life is equally as important. After all, your band can either highlight your existing sparkler or be a statement-making piece on its own, so it's a detail you want to thoughtfully choose before saying "I do."

Therefore, to help you get started with finding your perfect ring, we turned to Julie Yoakum, chief merchandising officer at Blue Nile, to help demystify the shopping process and explain the most popular wedding band styles. Read on to learn more.

Metal Wedding Bands

Classic metal wedding bands are ones that typically feature no gemstones, and are usually crafted from platinum, titanium, stainless steel, 18K or 14K white, yellow, or rose gold. "Platinum is the most popular in this style," says Yoakum. "Not only is it the shiniest metal, but it also develops a beautiful patina with age, which can be buffed away to its original shine without rubbing down the metal, if desired."

Metal bands match best with:

Any style of engagement ring, or as a piece to layer with other bands.

Metal bands are best for:

The super-active bride who doesn't want to take off her wedding band. More specifically, anyone who doesn't want to worry about diamond or prong damage.

Pavé Wedding Bands

Pavé wedding bands are diamond and gemstone-encrusted rings that have a bit of pizzazz and flair to them. Unlike regular metal wedding bands, brides can find a piece that sparkles and shines, including styles that perfectly match the stones of their engagement rings.

Pavé bands match best with:

Engagement rings that have a pavé band or a cushion cut solitaire ring with a pavé halo setting.

Pavé bands are best for:

The bride who likes the sparkle of a diamond band without the look of high-set prongs.

Eternity Wedding Bands

An eternity band is a ring with diamonds and gemstones around the entire perimeter of the band. What's more, within this specific wedding band category, there are two common styles many brides choose to wear: shared prong and channel settings.

In a shared prong eternity band, "the two stones that sit next to each other share a prong, and from the side, the prongs form the shape of the letter 'u.' The diamond is exposed from the top and the sides which gives this style a lot of sparkle," Yoakum explains. On the other hand, in a channel set eternity band, the diamonds lay side by side within a metal channel for a more encrusted look.

However, while shared prong and channel set eternity bands are two of the more popular styles, brides have plenty of alternative options to choose from, if needed. "Eternity bands can be set in a number of ways. Any cut of a diamond that you can get in an engagement ring—from round brilliant to cushion to emerald—can also be done in an eternity band," adds Yoakum.

Eternity bands match best with:

A shared prong eternity band pairs best with classic engagement rings, as it adds extra shine to the look. A channel-set eternity band pairs best with a channel-set engagement ring, as it creates a more cohesive look.

Eternity bands are best for:

Brides who want to wear their wedding band alone without their engagement ring. "You can have an eternity band with under one carat of total diamond weight to 10-plus carats," says Yoakum. "It can definitely make a statement on its own."

Anniversary Wedding Bands

Anniversary bands are similar to eternity bands in that they feature clusters of diamonds along the perimeter of the ring. However, what makes them slightly different is that the diamonds and gemstones go halfway around the band instead of around the entire edge. Additionally, these pieces are meant to celebrate a couple's wedding anniversary, particularly for milestones like 10, 15, or 20 years.

Anniversary bands match best with:

Any type of engagement ring. The trick is to make sure you match your anniversary band and engagement ring settings, in order to create a cohesive feel.

Anniversary bands are best for:

Brides who like the timeless look of an eternity band, but don't want the bulkiness of having diamonds between their fingers and on the inside of their hands.