An eternity band is a kind of ring that consists of an endless set of gemstones down the middle of the band. This endless circle of gems is meant to enhance the symbolism of eternal love and the bond that goes on endlessly.
The practice of exchanging rings in the symbolism of marriage dates back some 6,000 to Ancient Egypt. They believed that the round shape symbolized eternity, where the space in the middle was the gateway to a shared future.
In the context of today, a wedding band is commonplace, and the vast majority of people who are married indicate so with a wedding band worn on the left-hand ring finger. This is a practice that started in Ancient Rome when the Romans believed that the love vein was on that finger, and as all roads lead to Rome, only that finger contained a blood vessel that went straight to the heart. Although this is not the case, the thought and symbolism behind it are undoubtedly endearing.
Eternity bands are a more modern version of a wedding band. Gemstones furthermore have their own individual meanings, but there is something about the uninterrupted circle of gemstones that seems to draw some people into its spell. This has led to a rise in popularity of having an eternity band as a wedding ring in the last 50 or so years.
An eternity ring is actually extremely symbolic in more ways than one. Aside from the above-mentioned reference to eternity, there is also the idea of perfection, equality, and completion. If you choose to combine an eternity ring with diamonds, then you also bring in symbols of fidelity, love, purity, truth, trust, and strength. Each gemstone that you choose will have its own set of meanings associated with it.
Traditionally wedding rings do not contain gemstones, but when you give an eternity ring as a wedding ring, then you will likely opt for diamond rings. However, it is always best to match any stones on your wedding ring with the engagement ring’s center stone. A diamond eternity band is an obvious timeless choice and one of the more coveted ring styles available today.
Remember, when you intend to buy an eternity ring, the ultimate eternity ring cost is determined by the metal that you choose and the gemstones that you choose in terms of carat total weight. More diamonds will naturally mean a higher price.
While it is more common to wear an eternity band as a wedding ring, it is not uncommon for some women to stand out of the crowd and opt for an eternity band as an engagement ring instead. After all, there are no hard and fast rules dictating what our rings should look like.
Traditionally, however, an engagement ring is identified by a larger central gemstone, sometimes featuring smaller stones alongside the main central jewel. But, as mentioned, while this is perhaps the traditional option, it is by far not the only one.
Usually, when buying an eternity ring as an engagement ring, it is also safe to go with a diamond eternity ring, but remember that some women might prefer one of our other stone choices. If you choose to give an eternity ring as an engagement ring, make sure to get the size right!
How you choose to wear your eternity bands will likely be determined by what the purpose of the ring was. If it was purchased as a wedding ring, you would likely wear it underneath an engagement ring on the ring finger of the left hand. If it was purchased as an engagement ring, you would wear it above the wedding band on the same finger.
However, these are not the only two functions that eternity rings have. They are common gifts for anniversaries, Valentine’s Day, the birth of a child, or simply just because. In this case, the sky is the limit. Wear eternity bands however you please!
The quality of an eternity ring will be largely determined by the skill of the jeweler. But remember that even the highest quality rings can be damaged. A diamond eternity ring can cause a lot of damage to their close neighbors and require regular cleaning and maintenance. This is a special consideration when buying eternity bands as engagement rings or wedding rings, as these are often worn together and on a daily basis. A diamond eternity band can cause damage to another ring.
Many women enjoy wearing numerous rings, sometimes on the same finger. This is a practice commonly referred to as ‘stacking’. Eternity rings are great for stacking under certain circumstances and create an absolutely breathtaking effect when you mix and match different settings.
That being said, we must urge caution in the practice of stacking your eternity rings. Remember that diamonds and other stones scratch the metals on adjacent rings, and one diamond can damage another when they are touching. This means that stacking eternity rings can cause some damage because these rings are full of stones. Even the most carefully and finely cut eternity bands can damage other rings, especially when you have a diamond band.
Considering the fact that eternity rings cost quite a lot of money, you might want to consider stacking your infinity rings smartly and keeping stacking to a minimum if possible.
As we know, jewelry, especially rings, that are worn often gets dirty faster. This is perhaps especially true for an eternity ring as there are so many little spaces where dirt and debris can get trapped in.
Eternity bands are therefore considered to be high maintenance pieces and will likely require more cleaning than other rings with fewer stones and fewer spaces between the stones. Be sure to follow cleaning and care instructions appropriate to the stones and metal of your eternity band.
Refrain from using hand lotions and such while you are wearing your eternity ring. This is good advice for any fine jewelry. It is always best to remove a piece like an infinity ring if you need to wash your hands or apply creams or sanitizers.
One of the significant problems with an eternity band is the fact that it is extremely difficult to resize if you have chosen the wrong ring size. Some places will state from the start that they do not resize eternity rings at all, whereas others will charge a significant fee for the process.
There are high-end jewelers who will remake the entire ring to fit the new size provided, and others will try to resize in a different way, but whichever way they choose, the process is time-consuming and labor-intensive. This is all due to the eternity ring setting and all the accompanying factors involved in trying to resize a ring with a continual strip of stones securely down the middle.
There are two main types of eternity rings; the full eternity ring and a half eternity ring. As the names suggest, the half eternity rings only have stones set halfway around the band, whereas the full eternity rings have stones set all the way around the band. Depending on the size of the stones, the full infinity ring will likely have a greater carat weight overall than the half pave. They might also serve better as engagement rings than full paves.
We have discussed full eternity rings in a fair bit of detail already, are there any notable differences in a half eternity band?
Half-paved eternity rings have some advantages over their fully paved counterparts. The main one is that they are much easier to resize. Because a portion of the ring is not paved, it becomes simple and straightforward to change the size, and any jewelry store will offer normal resizing options for a half eternity ring. There are also fewer stones to clean, but the value will be less because there are fewer stones, and therefore the total carat weight will be less.
Eternity bands come in a variety of different settings. While there are many variations, we have decided to discuss the four most popular, which you can find below.
This type of setting involves a channel in the metal inside of which the stones are set. There is usually no metal separating the stones, and they sit flush against the outer sides of the metal. The advantage of a channel set eternity band is that the stones are more secure, and because they do not stick out the top, they are less likely to damage other jewelry or get caught on things. This style is suitable for variations in the cut of the stones as well and allows for larger or smaller stones.
This setting is ideal for more square-cut diamonds but can also accommodate other cuts.
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As the name suggests, a prong setting involves prongs grasping the gemstones. The prongs are quite prominent and can be seen from all visible angles of the ring. Prong-set eternity rings are the most popular form of the ring. The drawback of this setting is that the stones are less secure, and because they are more exposed, they can easily catch on things and damage other jewelry. Prong-set eternity rings are better suited to larger stones.
This setting looks beautiful with round diamonds but can also work with other diamond shapes.
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A pave eternity ring setting is aptly named as it resembles the paving of a driveway or cobblestone road. The stones are set close together and snugly against the metal bands. Pave set eternity rings are known to sparkle more because there are more stones that are set closer together. This setting looks best when the gemstones are smaller.
It is popular to have round brilliant diamond cuts in a pave setting. Whatever the cut diamonds you choose, though, it is best to stay on the smaller side to keep this setting more brilliant.
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Bezel set rings involve encasing the entire gemstone in metal. This makes it the most secure setting for your eternity band. This setting is ideal for a mixed variety of gemstone cuts and is best suited to larger stones.
This setting often involves round diamonds along with other shapes of cut diamonds. It tends to bring out the individual sparkling diamond qualities.
James Allen and Blue Nile offer a selection of the well-known “Big Four” stones: diamonds, rubies, sapphires, and emeralds. If you are looking specifically for an engagement ring or wedding bands, then a diamond eternity ring might be exactly what you are looking for. They have several different paving options available in their collection of diamond eternity rings.
That being said, do not let convention dictate your own tastes. If a diamond engagement ring does not catch your fancy, then go for something more adventurous. Diamond eternity rings are not the only eternity bands that are on offer, so feel free to browse and let your imagination run wild.
There is a selection of metals that you can choose from.
The ever-popular and iconic yellow gold is a timeless choice that goes well with diamonds or other gemstones. Our yellow gold option comes in several different carats for you to choose from.
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Similarly, we also have the more adventurous and romantic rose gold option. Rose gold has been growing in popularity in recent years and goes brilliantly with diamond jewelry. Our rose gold option is also available in different carats and can be combined with any of our four stone choices.
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We also have white gold on offer in several carats and in combination with any of our four stone options. White gold is a more expensive but also more durable option. White gold diamond eternity bands are fairly popular for engagement or wedding bands, but white gold is also suitable for other occasions.
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A platinum band is also an option and is by far the most costly and luxurious of our precious metal set options. It, too, can be combined with any of our four stones. At this time, we do not offer a sterling silver option for our eternity ring.
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