Rule of thumb for wedding band tcw compared to solitaire cw?

[sarapm1104]

First - thanks to everyone for your great advice and information. I'm new on PS and have been so lucky to receive great feedback.

I was wondering if there was a general rule of thumb for the total carat weight of a diamond wedding band (eternity) in proportion to the carat weight of the engagement ring solitaire so that everything is in decent proportion... For example, is the ratio 1:1? Or would a 1 carat solitaire look best with a 2 tcw eternity band? I know a lot of it is personal preference, but I was just curious about others' opinions.

Thanks!

 

[LaraOnline]

Re: Rule of thumb for wedding band tcw compared to solitaire

Hi there!
I'm sure there'll be lots of different opinions, I have an shared-prong eternity ring with 10-pointer stones. I find these stones to be a lovely size that balances well with my engagement ring, is wearable in any situation dy in day out, and yet has enough weight to hold my interest as a stand alone piece.

I found a full 'eternity-style' was just a little uncomfortable and impractical for me personally, so I settled for a 3/4 eternity style.

Also, as total carat weight can vary a little according to your finger size, I found it easier to think in terms of the individual stones' carat weight and diameter when considering my purchase. I'm still not really sure how to process 'ctw' when it comes to a series of stones in a ring or bracelet!

good luck and I'm sure you'll enjoy the process!

 

[msop04]

Re: Rule of thumb for wedding band tcw compared to solitaire

Hi sarapm!

I don't think there are any rules about this per se...

It really depends on what size is appealing to you. Personally, I want my solitaire to be the star, so I have a delicate diamond band. However, I have several friends that are into big honkin' eternities with their erings -- and it suits them. If I were to only wear the eternity, I would want a huge one (or maybe a 1/2 or 3/4 for comfort's sake).

It's all about the "look" you're going for regarding your set.

Have you tried on several sizes for comparison?

 

[msop04]

Re: Rule of thumb for wedding band tcw compared to solitaire

First - thanks to everyone for your great advice and information. I'm new on PS and have been so lucky to receive great feedback.

I was wondering if there was a general rule of thumb for the total carat weight of a diamond wedding band (eternity) in proportion to the carat weight of the engagement ring solitaire so that everything is in decent proportion... For example, is the ratio 1:1? Or would a 1 carat solitaire look best with a 2 tcw eternity band? I know a lot of it is personal preference, but I was just curious about others' opinions.

Thanks!

The ratio theory (by carat weight) may be skewed, depending on whether the ring is 1/2, 3/4, or full eternity, as well as finger size. For examply, a "3 carat" eternity on a size 7 finger will would not need the same weight on a size 4 to achieve the same look in mm diameter of each stone. I hope that makes sense.

 

[Rosebloom]

Re: Rule of thumb for wedding band tcw compared to solitaire

I've always heard that a 1:1 ratio (solitaire to full eternity) was the best proportions. Now obviously beauty is in the eye of the beholder so do whatever you think is most beautiful!

 

[diamondseeker2006]

Re: Rule of thumb for wedding band tcw compared to solitaire

I also go by stone size rather than total weight since that will vary depending on the style and size of the ring. I wouldn't do 10 point stones unless the center diamond was over 2 cts because I had one with 10 pointers and I thought it was too much with a 1.5 ct diamond. I would have gone 8 points max with a 1.5 e-ring. For a 1 ct e-ring, I'd go to smaller than 8 points. I also wouldn't go higher than 10 point stones to wear with an e-ring over 2 ct because the height of larger stones may scratch the prongs of the e-ring. And in fact, a lot of people here go with micropave wedding bands to add sparkle but let the e-ring stone be the star. I have found Tiffany a great place to try on bands and compare sizes.

 

[msop04]

Re: Rule of thumb for wedding band tcw compared to solitaire

I also go by stone size rather than total weight since that will vary depending on the style and size of the ring. I wouldn't do 10 point stones unless the center diamond was over 2 cts because I had one with 10 pointers and I thought it was too much with a 1.5 ct diamond. I would have gone 8 points max with a 1.5 e-ring. For a 1 ct e-ring, I'd go to smaller than 8 points. I also wouldn't go higher than 10 point stones to wear with an e-ring over 2 ct because the height of larger stones may scratch the prongs of the e-ring. And in fact, a lot of people here go with micropave wedding bands to add sparkle but let the e-ring stone be the star. I have found Tiffany a great place to try on bands and compare sizes.

This is the look I prefer.

 

[LaraOnline]

Re: Rule of thumb for wedding band tcw compared to solitaire

Maybe it would be helpful to see a variety of 'looks', with centre stones that are somewhere in the range of your own ring?

Here is a photo of my set, with 1.6c centre, and the eternity (This photo shows it as a five-stone, because my husband bought it from Hearts on Fire, as a five stone. But being a PSer I took it back and had 6 more diamonds added (after this photo was taken)! To this day (coming up two years later) he hasn't noticed LOL!!
But you'll get the idea for diamond size.

ETA: Hey, now I notice you're not talking about a specific centre diamond size at all! You're talking 'general rules' , right?

 

[bunnycat]

Re: Rule of thumb for wedding band tcw compared to solitaire

I think it's mostly going to boil down to personal preference, and what kind of proportions look best on your finger size/shape. Personally, I like the size of stones shown with Lara's ring in proportion to her ering with the way her set is put together, but I also like skinny pave as well.

You might find a few examples of different looks with a solitaire in this thread:

[URL='https://www.pricescope.com/community/threads/show-me-your-diamond-eternity-bands.51825/page-5']https://www.pricescope.com/community/threads/show-me-your-diamond-eternity-bands.51825/page-5[/URL]

There are probably other threads do and so you might do like Lara suggested and do a search in the SMTB section to see what comes up.

Meanwhile, here's a couple of different looks.

1.58ct OEC in a halo with a 2pt stones in the blingy band:




And also, a .93 modern RB (in halo) with a blingy .36ct graduated bezel set 7 stone band and plain spacer:

 

[Dancing Fire]

Re: Rule of thumb for wedding band tcw compared to solitaire

First - thanks to everyone for your great advice and information. I'm new on PS and have been so lucky to receive great feedback.

I was wondering if there was a general rule of thumb for the total carat weight of a diamond wedding band (eternity) in proportion to the carat weight of the engagement ring solitaire so that everything is in decent proportion... For example, is the ratio 1:1? Or would a 1 carat solitaire look best with a 2 tcw eternity band? I know a lot of it is personal preference, but I was just curious about others' opinions.

Thanks!

5-7 point stones.