While my sweetie and I DO want to exchange rings, we DON'T want to spend a lot of money on them, and we have no interest in traditional, mainstream wedding rings. We want something simple, different, and not made out of gold. We live in a town that doesn't have anything like that, so online is our best bet. But once we start looking around for wedding bands, all we find are expensive, boring, overly-decadent gold and diamond style rings… There's just too much online to know where to start! -Sara
I applaud your decision to go the non-diamond, inexpensive route for your wedding rings. Diamonds are grossly overpriced, and of course there's that whole blood diamond thing, so you're so much better off going for either a different stone or no stone at all.
First things first: are you SURE there aren't any custom jewelry makers in your neck of the woods? There's nothing more awesome than designing your own bands, and if you find a good jewelry maker they can usually work within your budget. Plus, it's cool to support a local artisan.
Here's a first tip: Don't look for "wedding rings" — they always cost more!
That said, if there really aren't any around, you're right: there are TONS of online options. Here's a first tip: Don't look for "wedding rings" — they always cost more! There's this strange phenomenon of somehow if it has to do with a wedding it costs twice as much. Seriously. This isn't just for rings, it's for dresses, flowers, suits, chair rentals, everything. It's a total racket. So when shopping online for rings, don't search for "wedding bands." Just look for rings that you like.
That said, here are a few links to get you started:
•If you want to go really kitchy, it doesn't get much better than these Silver "Diamond" Rings from the Netherlands. This is the ultimate "fuck you" to anyone who asks about your diamond ring, and at $129 and $199, they're certainly a middle finger to the bloated prices of your average De Beers solitaire.
• Titanium rings
Titanium rings are harder than gold, silver, or platinum, and less likely to dent or get dinged. They don't tarnish, and are cheaper than platinum. There are lots of options out there in the $100 range, like celtic designs or engraved bands. If you want really simple and affordable, something like these plain bands may be the way to go.
• Tungsten rings
Tungsten Carbide is the metal used for Carbide tips on saws and other cutting tools. It's not as cheap as Titanium, but really shiny and almost impervious to scratches! And as Chris Pirillo wrote about his Tungsten ring, "My wedding ring is the most ultimate wedding ring on the planet. Very strong, very tough, very durable, very scratch and tarnish resistant, very unique, very happily stuck on my finger."
• Eco rings
If you're an environmental/eco-conscious couple, you could consider getting wooden rings. They're in the $200-range and are remarkably durable and gorgeous. Another option is Green Karat, which sells ecologically responsible jewelry. Sadly, they're somewhat expensive.
• Geeky rings
Also a bit more expensive but perfect for computer nerds, you have the binary rings. Oh and of course there are Elven rings out there for the Tolkien geeks.
If you're looking for even more outlandish designs, check out The Carrot Box blog, which is dedicated to unique rings.
Good luck, Sara! And keep me posted about what you end up getting — I'd love to see pictures!
Comments on "Non-sucky wedding rings"
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Elaina
January 25th, 2007 · 3:36 PM · #
My fiance and I are going to the wedding ring workshop, where we're going to make our own rings. A jewler coaches you through melting the metals, shaping, and polishing. It's about as expensive as a wedding ring set (engagement ring, and both bands). We're super excited!
Ariel
January 25th, 2007 · 3:38 PM · #
Wow, Elaina — what a cool concept! More info at http://www.weddingringworkshop.com
Elisa Camahort
January 25th, 2007 · 5:55 PM · #
My fiance and I designed my engagement ring with Brilliant Earth, a San francisco company that makes rings with conflict-free Canadian diamonds, recycled metals, and who donates 5% of their profits to a charity in Africa. It was not cheap, no doubt, but I love it
TheGlimmering
January 27th, 2007 · 6:44 AM · #
How about stainless steel? A plain or black anodized stainless steel band with a CZ tension setting runs $5.50, $2.00 for a plain band. I've seen many around $4.00 with tribal etching, and there are rainbow anodized or eternity bands with rainbow hued stones for $12.00 tops.
Julia
February 14th, 2007 · 7:15 AM · #
I like some of these ideas – thanks. I do wonder why you would get a ring in order to say "fuck you" to some one who's just trying to make friendly conversation. Why not get a ring because you like it, and accept that some people ask about your ring because they're trying to be nice. Thanks.
Ideagirl
February 23rd, 2007 · 11:31 AM · #
Check out http://www.GreenKarat.com. That's where we're getting ours. Everything they use is either recycled (the gold, platinum, and white diamonds), or lab-created (all the other gemstones). We're getting custom rings, but some of the non-custom rings are way affordable, and there's the added bonus that they don't mess with the environment at all (apparently this place even uses wind power for its offices!) and you don't get "conflict diamonds" or other jewels mined by people in the Third World who live like slaves.
Ideagirl
February 23rd, 2007 · 11:38 AM · #
I just noticed that Green Karat was already mentioned above. But it says they're expensive!!! What?! We ended up going with custom rings, but they have gold wedding bands as low as $125: http://www.greenkarat.com/detail.asp?product_id=WBRG001
Also a bunch in the $400-$500 range, from totally normal looking: http://www.greenkarat.com/detail.asp?product_id=RCG002 to totally offbeat:
http://www.greenkarat.com/detail.asp?product_id=CD007
I dunno, that seems reasonable to me. Particularly in this world of $5000 or $10,000 diamond solitaires (ack!!! what a waste of money!)
Ariel
February 23rd, 2007 · 11:46 AM · #
Good point! When I was going through the gallery, all I was seeing was rings in the $500-$2k range — thanks for pointing out their more affordable bands, as well. Not sure how I missed those!
Camille
March 3rd, 2007 · 11:28 AM · #
My fiance decided he wanted something in a "geek metal" so he's going with something from titaniumrings.com. They've got a LOT of styles from plain to funky. Prices are midrange, I'd say…not cheap but not insanely spendy.
sally
March 15th, 2007 · 11:09 AM · #
check out rings by sally brock of fancy in seattle:
http://www.fancyjewels.com/wedding.php
i like her binary ring even better that green karat, and her robot bands make me so so happy. (also, i am a different sally than the sally who owns the store, lest you think the poor girl is running around the internet shamelessly self-promoting)
Dana
June 26th, 2007 · 12:46 PM · #
We had a heck'va time finding a ring. We found a local jewler who was going to design something for us, but as soon as I said "wedding" & "engagement", he lost any sort of creativity. I had pictures of rings by Jamie Joseph & Pippa Small as inspiration…and he went round and round with me, telling me I couldn't do something like that and it had to be gold and it had to be either sapphires or diamonds (because of how "hard" the stones are).
I don't like being told I "can't" do something, and eventually gave in and just bought a Jamie Joseph ring that's gold, silver & labradorite. I will wear a wedding band once we get married (moving the engagement ring to my right hand). I love my ring because it is entirely me, even though it wasn't designed specifically for me.
I have found a few really cool designers on etsy (I wish I'd found this earlier)…
PowderMillStudio makes lovely rings, and this silver ring based on a tree branch is one of my favorites {& if you ask her, she can make it in gold}:
etsy's a nice compromise–you can support an artist directly, but still buy online.
Dana
July 24th, 2007 · 3:57 AM · #
If you're looking for something cheap and simple, check out Something Silver – they have amazing rings, even some fantastic CZ sets. One of the CZ bridal sets we have our eye on is only $38, which is about what many other sites are charging just for the silver band!
They also have many interesting men's bands for 45-65 bucks – my fiance wants something with a little more flair than the average band, but still simple, and many of their bands fit the bill in that department.
Good luck!
| affordableweddingring.info
October 1st, 2007 · 3:01 PM · #
[...] Offbeat Bride | Non-sucky wedding rings of money on them, and we have no interest in traditional, mainstream wedding rings. We’re getting custom rings, but some of the non-custom rings are way affordable, and there [...]
| affordableweddingring.info
October 19th, 2007 · 12:32 PM · #
[...] Offbeat Bride | Non-sucky wedding ringsAnd as Chris Pirillo wrote about his Tungsten ring, ?My wedding ring is the … but some of the non-custom rings are way affordable, and there?s the added … [...]
Amy
November 5th, 2007 · 8:51 AM · #
My fiance mined sunstones in Oregon and had an artist cut and set them for him. It cost him the trip (for which he got a great story), and very little money to pay the artist since he also gave him a lot of the stones he mined for his use when he finished my ring.
More info:
http://www.dustdevilmining.com/
We'll be exchanging simple titanium bands for the wedding.
Ashby
February 16th, 2008 · 8:44 AM · #
My fiance and I were in a similar situation, and after some pretty frustrating searching stumbled upon something perfect for us. We hike a lot, and so Jesse found an artist who makes beautiful, simple jewelery out of found stones, and had her set a tiny pebble we found hiking into recycled silver. We also had her make the band so that it nested with my little wedding band, and she made his band while she was at it – all 3 rings for less than $450. Wahoo!
Alyanna
February 27th, 2008 · 8:25 PM · #
Okay, these are definitely not cheap – but if you want something unique and absolutely beautiful, check out the mirror-image mokume rings by George Sawyer. My fiance and I got these for our wedding bands and we LOVE them! (The images on the website don't do them justice – if you're near one of the stores that sell them, I'd suggest checking them out in person.)
http://www.georgesawyer.com/Mirror-Image.asp
Jen
March 29th, 2008 · 12:38 PM · #
I have an acquaintance who makes titanium rings and when I saw his etsy shop I was blown away. They're really quite pretty and really fun! I'll be sure to leave his etsy shop link around for my boyfriend in the future
http://www.etsy.com/shop.php?user_id=5232205
Michelle
April 3rd, 2008 · 1:34 PM · #
http://WWW.RARU.COM!!!
I LOVE this site. My best friend and I both got our engagment and wedding bands off this site. It does a lot of celtic stuff, but they let you design your own ring, celtic or otherwise, and it is really reasonably priced, especially if you don't like diamonds or have an heirloom stone to use. They do a great job, they are friendly, quick and affordable.
intimeoflilacs
April 22nd, 2008 · 6:49 PM · #
I met a couple one time, and the husband had taken a piece of a canoe they had had an early date in on a lake and moulded the metal into two rings for their wedding rings. It brought a tear to my eye hearing the story..
Amy
June 9th, 2008 · 11:04 PM · #
I got my hubby a tungsten ring for his wedding band. It's gorgeous. I wish my platinum one was as scratch resistant to his.
Here is a link to his tungsten band. I just love how shiny it is in the light!
Andrea
June 30th, 2008 · 2:04 PM · #
I'm not sure if you've ever heard of these guys, but Little King Jewelry in New York does some really gorgeous custom work. I'm sure they're far from inexpensive, but…drool!
Ivy
July 7th, 2008 · 4:51 PM · #
I have a question – does anyone know the name of a jewelry designer/artist who designs engagement rings using wood and diamonds – rough cut stones. She also did bracelets and necklaces. I remember her being based in New York. The pieces were really beautiful. Our computer crashed and they weren't able to get all the memory back so I can't find her.
Jeannie
August 27th, 2008 · 11:12 AM · #
Check out this website:
teeda.com
They are a silver wholesaler and have awesome rings and other silver jewelry (we both dislike gold). We got our wedding bands for under $50!
Note: If your order is under $100, they will charge you a $10 handling fee in addition to the regular $9.95 S&H.
cynzia
September 27th, 2008 · 8:38 PM · #
I found my ring set from ebay and went with a company that I got my birthstone ring from awhile back, I checked out their feedback and was able to trust them for the wedding ring set that I got from them and it turned out great. There are alot of online companys to check out but just becareful by checking for feedbacks or for past customers comments to see about ordering from them.Hope this helps anyone!!
cynzia
September 28th, 2008 · 5:56 AM · #
Forgot to mention that sterling silver rings from places like walmart or ebay ( some companys) dont tarnish and alot of them look great and not expensive either.
Katie
October 18th, 2008 · 6:04 PM · #
My fiance bought my engagement ring from Brilliant Earth, and I absolutely love it. It's made from recycled platinum and has 12 fair trade sapphires from Australia in a channel setting. It's absolutely beautiful — totally me. He said their customer service was great and the prices are fairly reasonable. I would recommend them! http://www.brilliantearth.com
On Weddings | Naomi's Journey
February 25th, 2009 · 5:02 AM · #
[...] Wedding/engagement ring alternatives [...]
megan
April 23rd, 2009 · 1:58 PM · #
My fiance and I just picked out my ring – I wanted a clear stone, but not a diamond for ethical reasons. We found Moissanite to be cheaper, and you get to make all the jokes about space rocks and kryptonite you want!
http://www.moissanite.com/
Rick
May 12th, 2009 · 8:34 AM · #
Here's some advice that I like to give:
Don't forget about palladium. Palladium is a naturally white and affordable metal that is a better choice over white gold if platinum is not an option!
Also keep in mind that any consumer's best option is to educate themselves about all the common metal choices for wedding bands, engagement rings and jewelry – platinum, palladium, gold and even sterling silver. After all, jewelry can be considered and investment, and an educated consumer is the jewelry industry's best customer. It's good to also realize that metals' prices fluctuate – kind of like how oil and other commodities do.
Carrie
May 16th, 2009 · 12:55 AM · #
For Celtic styles check out The Claddagh Store in Dublin. They have beautiful jewelry, not just rings. Their designs range from the classic Claddagh Irish Wedding Band to some really funky modern designs, and hundreds of styles in between. Sterling silver options begin around $30, but they also do higher-end gold, platinum, and even diamonds. My fiance forgot to inlude my size when he ordered, and they contacted us right away to sort it out. We even got to talk to a real person, not just a computer!
Gilroy Fernandez
May 16th, 2009 · 3:07 PM · #
I'm in Houston, Texas and were looking for green conflict free ring for my fiancee and found two local companies in Texas. Green Karat and Green ORO, i went to their respective websites i.e http://www.greenkarat.com and http://www.greenoro.com. I found the prices on Green ORO much more reasonable then Green Karat. I save over $ 500 by buying from Green ORO as they are the direct manufacturers of Green Jewelry.
Few things i found and personally visited:
You can visit their physical Location and Showroom and can see the Green Process
Pros and Cons:
Green Karat
1) Pros:
Green Karat: been in business and internet for long years
Cons:
1) Higher Prices
2) No In house retail showroom or store
3) Green Karat ETA time is much more then Green ORO
4) Don't offer high end created diamond settings or jewelry repairs
5) No Physical Location to visit , everything is Online
Green ORO:
Pros:
1) Reasonable and Cheaper Prices then Green Karat
2) Direct Manufacturer and willing to work with you on Custom Jewelry
3) Repairs are much faster on all green jewelry
4) no outsourcing to any middle man , everything is done within their showroom and have work labs
5) ORO Certificate of Authenticity to Back 100% recycled gold and process.
6) One Tree & One Ring at a Time – i really love this concept as they will put one tree towards the purchase i made. Highly impressed with their unique concept.
7) ETA is much less then Green Karat
Sagekelli
May 26th, 2009 · 2:22 PM · #
I hated every ring in every jewelry store. I want to wear this thing everyday of my life, I want something I love. I found this jewelry store out of austin, tx at ringsunique.com and i actually had to narrow down my top 11 favorites and wittled it down til I picked mine and made some slight changes…like my center stone is a $25 citrine, and the owner was totally supportive unlike the "well we could do a yellow diamond, or yellow sapphire" comments I got from other jewelers. Check it out their collections are so diverse!
Donna Ella
May 29th, 2009 · 3:54 AM · #
We got our wedding bands off of ebay. The guy handcrafts them from Ireland. Our rings have the Claddagh on them and are white and yellow gold. Also he engraved them for free which says "My Love, For Eternity." Our rings cost $400 and are great quality. Love it!
Ashley Mezzatesta
July 30th, 2009 · 11:02 AM · #
Me & my fiance are making our own wedding bands! We found an Instructable (http://www.instructables.com) on how to make rings out of silver quarters, so that's what we're working on now
sam
September 5th, 2009 · 12:24 AM · #
diamond and gold rings are traditional… but if you are searching for something new in the market.. tungsten ring which is 4 times stronger than silver and 5 time stronger than titanium… i got it with life time guarantee.. for more you can visit
regards
sam
cleon dann
September 16th, 2009 · 5:41 AM · #
you can opt tungsten ring as wedding ring…. it will keep your marriage or wedding memories for long time…I never used to take off my tungsten ring from finger for last two year and you will not find even single scratch on it…