Few things are meant to stick with you longer than your wedding band. In most cases, unfortunately, few couples pay much attention to their wedding band. They will only settle for what they deem as the best-looking option in the shop and one which meets their budget. The ideal choice when shopping for a wedding band is to look at its various components rather than just the appearance of the wedding ring. The key parts of your wedding band include the shank, basket or head, airline, shoulders, and solder points.
The most visible part of white gold wedding rings for her is the shank. This is the part of your wedding band which wraps around your finger. Each shank type is categorized based on its look. The following are the popular shank types for wedding bands.
Straight Shank
This is a straight band which neither tapers nor splits. Straight wedding ring shanks generally feature flat edges and simple construction. This means your wedding and will not be rounded off at the edges but instead have a rectangular strip. If, however, your wedding band does not comfortably fit, a jeweler can round off the edges of your straight shank to boost its natural fit around your ring finger. The straight shank is a perfect choice for couples looking for a simple wedding ring.
Cathedral Shank
This features a ring center framed using two arches which hold a stone. The two ends of a cathedral shank will be lifted, creating two arches just beneath your stone. In a cathedral shank, it looks as if the arches of your wedding ring’s band are supporting the stone, making it the more prominent feature of the band. This is an ideal shank type for ladies who opt to combine their wedding and engagement rings.
Split Ring Shank
This is an intricate ring design in which the band will be split before it joins the stone positioned at the band’s top. This creates an illusion of two detached bands which can be made as prominent and subtle as you wish. You can modify the split ring shank so that, as your band splits off, it will cross over into a twisted or woven design before it meets at the point of your stone’s setting.
Knife Edge Shank
This is so named owing to its sharp edges which run along your shank’s outer edges. Though the edges are not razor sharp, they generate a unique look to your ring’s shank. This lends an interesting design aspect to the slanted edges of your ring shank and forms a more salient point than what is usually seen in traditional shanks.
Your wedding band is one of the representations of your love. You should spend considerable time shopping for one to guarantee you get the right style that matches your personality. This creates a ring you will want to keep for life. While the above shank styles mostly work for ladies, there are various ways in which they can be tweaked to match a man’s wedding band. As such, you can get the shanks in matching styles for couples.
