The Eternity Wedding Band

And eternity wedding band, also sometimes called an infinity ring, is made up of a row of diamonds or other precious stones that are set around the full circumference of the ring.

Traditionally, an eternity ring was given to a woman by her husband at the birth of her first child, or on a significant anniversary, such as the 25th wedding anniversary, but it has recently also become popular as a wedding band. This is because the design is symbolic of the never-ending love that couples promise on their wedding day.

Although the basic design of all eternity wedding bands is the same, many variations are possible and a couple can customize their choice, both to make it more personal to them and to adjust the cost of this usually expensive wedding band design.
The metal or combination of metals that the diamonds are set in can be chosen, as can the type of precious stone being used, although diamonds are by far the most popular. The cut and setting of these stones can also be chosen. Popular alternatives to diamonds include emeralds, sapphires, rubies and tanzanite. Often these stones are set in an alternating pattern with one another or with diamonds.

Full eternity bands have their disadvantages, though. Since the diamonds – or other gemstones – are set all the way around the ring, it is almost impossible to resize the ring. Also, since there are so many precious stones being used, full eternity bands tend to be very expensive.

Many people prefer the full eternity band due to the symbolism of eternity presented by the full circle of diamonds, but this, too, poses a problem. The most common jewelry repair job, even above broken watches and chains, is replacing diamonds on the underside of eternity bands that have been lost or damaged. That is why it is recommended that women who wear eternity bands, more than woman who wear other rings, remove them before doing most household chores or participating in sports.

Some people argue that it is of no use to have a full eternity band, since as much as 50% of the costly diamonds are rarely, if ever, visible. That is one of the reasons why getting a half-eternity or ¾ eternity band is such a popular alternative. Other advantages of this design are the ability for these eternity bands to be resized, and they are generally more affordable than full eternity bands. This design also minimizes the risk of diamonds at the bottom of the ring taking abuse and being damaged or lost.

One major advantage of eternity bands, whether they are half, ¾ or full, is that the gemstones or diamonds do not have such a high setting as most other rings, which tend to hook and get caught frequently. But having diamonds and their metal settings going around so much of one’s finger may sometimes cause discomfort and pain to the fingers next to the ring.

If you are considering buying an eternity wedding band, take into consideration all the factors, including the metal and gemstones used, as well as whether you want a full or partial eternity band. Also, make sure that the band fits comfortably; after all, you will be wearing it for eternity.