In this month’s guest feature from Platinum Guild, we take a look at Tacori platinum and diamond wedding bands for the bride and groom. If you’re on the fence on what type of band you and your bride will be wearing — we highly suggest taking a look. Cheers!

TACORI designers create platinum and diamond wedding bands for the Bride and Groom that are uniquely united through matching crescent silhouette design elements.

Have you made your most important wedding purchase?  Long after your wedding, when the flowers are gone, the cake has been eaten, and the dress safely stored…your wedding rings will be the ultimate visible and lasting symbol of your commitment.

From the wedding day onward, wedding bands are an enduring symbol of eternal passion.  While many brides and grooms plan key wedding items months in advance – it’s importance to place the same amount of serious thought and planning into the purchase of wedding bands.

Tacori Designer Paul Tacorian

TACORI designer Paul Tacorian knows a thing or two about timeless designs.  His family business, TACORI, has been designing engagement rings and wedding bands for three generations.

“Wedding rings are a symbol of your marriage that’s with you always,” says Paul Tacorian. “Wedding bands may indeed be THE ultimate accessory of your lifetime.  It’s the mark of a lifelong connection, and your wedding ring will reflect your passion and commitment every day of your life.”

Continues Tacorian, “TACORI prefers to use platinum in any design that is being set with diamonds – from engagement rings and wedding bands to earrings, pendants and bracelets – because the pure white metal reflects the quality of our colorless diamonds best.”

“Also, and this is important – we’ve found that the majority of TACORI brides request platinum for their engagement and wedding rings; and something to think about when purchasing the wedding band is to choose the same metal for your engagement and wedding rings, because these two rings will be sitting together and should have the same metallurgical properties in order to avoid scratches or nicks between the two rings.”

When selecting your wedding band, also consider its long lasting quality. When you say “I Do,” you want your bridal jewelry to last as long as you’re enduring commitment. Because a key property of a platinum wedding band is its durability — it doesn’t ever wear away; making it ideal for rings that will be worn every day or handed down as family heirlooms.

Like your relationship, platinum endures over time, so your rings will look just as breathtaking 10 years from now as they did on your wedding day.

Looking for your Perfect Match?  Simply answering these six questions to find perfect wedding bands that reflect your unique style:  http://www.tacori.com/Perfect-Match-Quiz

To view more wedding band styles from Tacori, please visit PreciousPlatinum.com/designgallery.

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platinum guild international is a sponsor of the man registry’s groomsadvice blog

How much thought have you put into the type of metal that your wedding band will be made of? Has your research focused on platinum? Why or why not? Let us know in the comment section below.

By Guest Blogger: BrilliantEarth.com

It’s just one of those things. Society has decreed that the act of marriage be solemnized by the exchange of wedding rings. Not that this tradition is beyond critique. In fact, in honor of Earth Day, the next time you attend a wedding ceremony (not yours), you might even consider voicing an objection—not to the marriage, but to the rings.

Standing up and clearing your throat, you’d have at least two good points to make. First off, why must it be jewelry? Couldn’t something a tad more guy-friendly—or at least gender-neutral—be the object of exchange? And second, has anyone out there, anyone at all, stopped to consider the environmental consequences of this ring exchange?

Your first point would be self-evident. For a lot of guys, it’s difficult to get hyped up about jewelry. Your second point would require some elaboration. Something along the following lines would suffice: Rings are made of precious metals and gemstones, and mining for those materials can be devastating for the environment. Gold mining is a particularly dirty process, releasing toxic chemicals like mercury and cyanide into the environment and generating about 20 tons of mine waste for every gold ring. On top of this, in many countries around the world, mining for precious gemstones and metals is fueling civil conflicts and leading to all sorts of human rights abuses, from worker exploitation to child labor.

Happy Earth Day from BrilliantEarth.com & The Man Registry

Should you manage to complete your rant without first being dragged out of the room, congratulations. But we think that both you, and the unfortunate groom, could avoid this unpleasant scenario by first checking out Brilliant Earth—the leading provider of ethical origin jewelry. We use only recycled gold and platinum in our wedding rings, thereby avoiding the need for dirty mining. In addition, our diamonds and gemstones are all conflict-free and originate from sources adhering to the highest labor and environmental standards. We are certain that our wide selection of eco-friendly jewelry will address the concerns of even the most environmentally-ardent wedding ring critics.

But what about that other objection to wedding rings: guy-friendliness? At Brilliant Earth, we are careful to be guy-friendly, as well as eco-friendly. We’ve helped many a marriage-bound lad to select a wedding band that suits his preferences and needs. We find that guys can get pumped about wedding bands, just as girls often get ecstatic about their wedding rings. In our experience, we’ve learned that the issue is not so much the band itself, but that jewelry tends to be described in terms that appeal mostly to ladies.

We’ve therefore decided to describe our major wedding band styles in language that guys may appreciate more. The daunting task of selecting wedding bands doesn’t have to be just about choosing the perfect beveled edge or matte finish. Instead, why not choose a ring that brings to mind an expensive, high performance, luxury automobile? A basic rule of advertising is to associate your product with things your customers like. So, we’ve shamelessly taken the liberty of associating each of our ring styles with “equivalents” in the world of sports, booze, and cars. Let us know if you have any objections.

BrilliantEarth.com makes it easy for you guys by breaking ring styles down into manly categories below:

Classic Bands
Standard Description: Unsurpassed quality and elegant design. For a classic look, try our Comfort Fit Wedding Ring, featuring a rounded inside edge for increased comfort. Another excellent option is our Beveled Edge Matte Wedding Ring with Grooves, featuring a soft matte finish balanced with two high-polished grooves and light-catching beveled edges.

Sports, booze, and automobiles: Guys appreciating our classic bands may also know how to appreciate the 1961 New York Yankees, featuring the famous home run race between Roger Maris and Mickey Mantle; a glass of scotch whiskey, single malt, no ice added; or a spin in a Ferrari 250, the legendary Ferrari convertible featured in Ferris Bueller’s Day Off – using veggie-oil diesel, of course.

Nature-Themed Bands
Standard Description: Make your ring a constant reminder of your shared commitment to the environment. For instance, our Equinox Ring with Beveled Edges is an intriguing band featuring the smooth lines of a wave balanced with two high polished grooves and light-catching beveled edges. Or, take a look at our River Ring, a distinctive band that comes with a hammered, matte-finish center; two high polished grooves; and light-catching beveled edges.

Sports, booze, and automobiles: Fans of these rings may also be fans of Michael Phelps, winner of eight gold medals at the 2008 Olympics in Beijing; pinot noir, the light, silky red wine featuring flavors of berries and spices; and the Toyota Prius, the most successful hybrid vehicle on the road, averaging 50 miles per gallon.

Modern Bands
Standard Description: Progressive styles, perfect for the forward-thinking couple. For a modern look, try our Beveled Edge Matte Wedding Ring. A handsome band with contemporary detail, this distinctive ring features a soft matte finish balanced with two polished beveled edges. Or, try our Flat Matte Comfort Fit Wedding Ring, featuring a matte, brushed finish and a stylish, modern look.

Sports, booze, and automobiles: Guys drawn to our modern bands may also have a soft spot for the Chicago Bulls of 1995-1996, led to 72 wins by Michael Jordan, the man who modernized and defined the present era of NBA basketball; any alcoholic beverage with Red Bull, the high-powered energy drink; and the Chevrolet Volt, the promising electric vehicle on which GM is staking its future.

Antique-Style Bands
Standard Description: Vintage look, reminiscent of a romantic era. An outstanding antique-style option is our Wide Antique Scroll Ring, a handsome, antique-style ring featuring a high-polish center balanced by two rows of engraved scrolls on either side. Another good choice is our Milgrain Wedding Ring, which features fine milgrain detailing along the edges for a refined finish.

Sports, booze, and automobiles:  Fondness for our antique-style bands goes hand-in-hand with fondness for the Chicago Cubs of 1908, the last Cubs team to win the World Series; a pint of Guinness, the dark Irish beer with a tradition dating back to the 1700s; and the Mini Cooper, the popular small car with an old-fashioned, boxy, British design.

Glamorous Bands
Standard Description: For those who believe that glamour need not come at great human or environmental cost. A superb option is our Brushed Diamond Ring with Polished Edges. This stylish, modern band features a brushed center set with six evenly-spaced round diamonds.

Sports, booze, and automobiles:  Those opting for a glamorous band may also be enthusiastic about the New England Patriots, winners of three Super Bowls in the past decade and headed up by quarterback Tom Brady, married to supermodel Gisele Bundchen; vodka martinis, shaken not stirred, James-Bond style; and the Tesla Roadster, the all-electric luxury convertible able to accelerate from 0 to 60 in just 4 seconds, silently.

Custom Platinum channel set eternity band with princess cut diamonds

By Guest Blogger: Whiteflash.com

It is coming closer and closer to your wedding day and you still don’t have a wedding band? This happens more often than not and many grooms find themselves in a time crunch to find a wedding band in a mist of wedding dilemmas.

With today’s connection to online communities and social media applications like Facebook and Twitter, e-commerce shopping trends have increased dramatically. The traditional engagement ring and wedding band search has traveled to a new realm; the online shopping world. The ease of access to the internet has taken over most peoples lives in the simplicity of online shopping: click, buy and ship.

Statistics show that shopping online for wedding bands and many wedding items has increased in popularity with couples finding more time on their hands to go online, rather than searching the endless line of brick and mortar stores for the ever-time consuming journey. And at the end of your tedious journey you try to recount what you saw before, where is was and how much. Today’s online groom has is much easier browsing from their desk at work, while getting a coffee at starbuck’s or even more often on their phone. The search does not stop with wedding rings but also is seen in groomsmen’s gifts and bridal accessories as well. The world has become more connected…the grooms of today can browse through a stores collection located in Texas while tanning on the beach in Cancun. This phenomenon of global search has steadily become the norm. So get online and searching!

A Couple Tips on Your Search:
1) Make sure you know which metal is best for you (Gold, Platinum, Titanium, Tungsten, etc)
2) Reputation Matters (find an accredit company and look up reviews on sites such as iVouch and BBB)
3) Know how much you want to spend
4) Bring ideas for styles (do you want something you have already seen or something customized to your taste)

Custom 14K white gold men's ring with two princess cut diamonds and a wirebrush finish

Custom 14K white gold men's wedding band including two rows of five channel set princess cut diamonds totaling approximately 2.00ctw

Custom Platinum Men’s Braid Wedding Band with a Satin Finish.

Guest Blogger Profile: Whiteflash.com

Our friends at Whiteflash.com have grooms covered with a wide selection of wedding bands and men's jewelry.

The last thing a groom thinks about is his wedding ring. It’s the poor cousin to his bride’s spectacular diamond engagement ring. That said, the groom’s wedding ring is the one indicator that this man has a gorgeous wife somewhere, possibly on his arm. The great news is that a groom and bride’s wedding rings are the one item in a wedding that don’t cost a fortune. In this article, Whiteflash.com covers what a man needs to know about the most important piece of jewelry he’ll ever wear.

Unless you’re a groom wearing a high school or college ring, chances are your wedding ring is going to be the first real piece of jewelry (gasp!) and the most important ring you’re ever going to wear. While you did your duty by buying an engagement ring and popping the question, you’ll want to think about the ring that you buy for your bride and the one you’ll wear on your ring finger. We make it easy to get through the variety of choices for men’s wedding bands, from platinum to titanium and everything in between.

Cost of the Wedding Ring
A man’s wedding rings will cost between approximately $100 (for titanium rings) to $2000 (for platinum with diamonds set in the ring), with most rings coming in around $600. The reason for the price range (albeit much less of a range than a woman’s diamond engagement ring) is the material used to make the band, and whether diamonds are used.

Mens Wedding Rings Materials
A groom’s wedding band will be made of platinum, white gold, yellow gold, titanium or stainless steel  Platinum and white gold are, at present, the most popular materials.

White gold is an alloy of gold (ie. it is a mixture of gold and silver or palladium). This is where the concept of Karat comes in. Karat is a measure of the purity of the material. An 18K gold ring has 75% pure gold. The higher the karat, the softer the ring and the more easily it will get scratched and dented. Accordingly, 18K is considered the optimal karat (with pure gold coming in at 24 karats).

There are positives and negatives with each type of wedding ring material you purchase. In particular, each will show different wear and tear after some time. The photo above shows what you can expect after one year of wear from each of the popular wedding ring materials.

Learn more about men’s wedding ring materials:
•    Platinum Wedding Rings – the king of rings
•    White Gold Wedding Rings – the most popular choice for the groom
•    Gold Wedding Rings – the classic ring choice for the groom
•    Tungsten Wedding Rings – won’t scratch and very inexpensive
•    Titanium Wedding Rings – slick, but has some drawbacks

Men's wedding rings from Whiteflash.com

Width of the Wedding Ring
The width of a man’s wedding ring is measured in millimeters. The smallest rings are 3 mm in width, whereas the largest rings are 8mm in width. Generally, men will purchase a ring that is on the larger side, tending towards 5-6 mm.

Style
Many of the younger generations of men choose simple wedding bands, and generally, have shied away from yellow gold in favor of 18k white gold or platinum. Some men have chosen rings that have a braid carved in them, or alternatively, some other edging that the manufacturer has set. Diamond-studded rings for men are definitely in the minority.

For additional comfort, grooms should consider purchasing a ring where the inside of the wedding ring is cambered or with rounded edges. Frankly, however, when a groom first wears a ring – any ring – it is likely to feel like a foreign object, with hard edges. Over time, rounded edges probably don’t add much, especially since most of the time, you’ll not even notice your ring. (You will, however, notice when your ring is not on your finger, as you reach to play with it. Read on to find out why this is the case.)

When to Buy the Wedding Band
Generally, a groom will buy his bride’s diamond engagement ring separate from the wedding bands, as the bride and groom each have wedding bands, and may want to choreograph the look of their rings with matching wedding bands. Accordingly, the wedding bands should be purchased two months before the wedding (at the latest). This will allow for time to get it sized properly, and make any adjustments.

Matching groom and bride wedding bands from Whiteflash

Ring Measurements
The diameter of the ring will be measured either by your jeweler, or if you are buying wedding rings online, all reputable online retailers have suggested wedding ring size guides that you can print out. And even if you are buying your ring online, jewelry stores will happily fit you for your ring (as they try to sell you on their product!)

Working Out
A note – men should take their ring off and put it in a safe place (and the same place) when going to the gym to work out. This is because dumbbells and barbells can easily scratch or dent ring materials. Don’t leave it in the locker, but rather, put it in your bag. Countless husbands have had to admit to their wives that they lost their 18k white gold wedding ring at the gym.

Playing with Your Ring
One of the first things a groom will do upon wearing his ring for the first time as a husband, and not a groom, will be to play with it. Twisting it on his finger, many a groom will twist and turn at the ring when nervous, such as when the groom makes his wedding speech.

Your wedding band will be a constant reminder of your wife and the commitment you’ve made. Perhaps it’s a reminder that you haven’t bought flowers recently. Or that you should tell her that you love her everyday. Whatever it signifies to you, take some time to pick out a man’s wedding ring you will be happy to wear.

BrilliantEarth.com shares their top 10 tips on saving some money while shopping ethically for your engagement ring or wedding band.

Conflict free diamonds at BrilliantEarth.com

It’s tough times out there, but you don’t need to sacrifice your ethics in order to save on your engagement and wedding rings. Here are some tips from our jewelry specialists on how to save a bit of green when shopping green.

1. Opt for one special ring in place of both an engagement ring and wedding band. Look for rings with ornate patterns, unique details, conflict free diamond accents, or a more substantial width to serve as your all-in-one symbol of love and commitment.

2. Instead of giving an engagement ring with a larger center stone, give her multiple bands – each with its own meaning – that she can stack. One for the engagement, one for the wedding, another to symbolize your families coming together….The possibilities are endless!

3. Purchase your wedding bands before purchasing the engagement ring. This way you will both have a ring to wear as a symbol of your love for one another. You will have plenty of time together to design that perfect conflict free diamond ring down the road.

4. While platinum is a beautiful choice, you may want to consider the less expensive 18K while gold option, or even alternative precious metals, such as palladium. Palladium is a naturally white precious metal from the platinum family, but costs less than both platinum and gold. All of Brilliant Earth’s rings are also available in recycled palladium- contact us for more information.

5. Select classic, recycled metal wedding bands. They are simple, understated and elegant, and are reminiscent of many of our parents’ traditions. They are also a beautiful, classic accompaniment to any diamond engagement ring.

Brilliant Earth donates 5% of profits to the support of African communities

6. Select an ethical origin sapphire center gem for your engagement ring, which is more affordable than most diamond options. Precious sapphires have been revered all over the world for centuries. They are very durable, and are therefore an excellent choice for engagement and wedding rings. Deep-blue sapphires are most well-known, but they also come in many other colors, including pink, orange, green, yellow and purple.

7. Select recycled metal rings that gleam with light-catching details, such as milgrain and engraving. These brilliant features will make your ring sparkle without the additional cost of diamond accents.

8. Take advantage of upgrade policies! You’ll want to start your life together in a strong financial position, so be realistic about what you can truly afford. Down the road you will be able to upgrade to a larger conflict free diamond – which will be an especially romantic gesture of your growing love.

9. Recycle your gold and platinum jewelry that you no longer wear for a credit towards any Brilliant Earth purchase. By selecting jewelry made of recycled metals, you will help to decrease the global demand for newly mined metals. Contact a Brilliant Earth customer service representative if you are interested in sending us your jewelry for recycled metal credit.

10. Shop online! You won’t be paying the retail store overhead for bright lights and glass display cases. Brilliant Earth will even ship your rings to you with free fully insured next day shipping.