Ring Enhancers: A Complete Guide
You’ve chosen the perfect engagement ring, and now your spouse-to-be wants to be sure to show it off for the rest of time. But besides just adding a plain wedding band under the engagement ring, what options do you have that allow them to still wear their engagement ring daily?
That’s where ring enhancers come in.
Here’s your complete guide to ring enhancers.
What Are Ring Enhancers?
Ring enhancers—also known as ring jackets—are add-on rings typically paired with engagement rings. They’re often used to upgrade an engagement ring into a wedding set, but there also are ring enhancers meant to celebrate anniversaries or just add on to a ring.
The enhancer is a band that has a cutout space designed to nest onto the main stone of the engagement ring. The band can be undecorated, but it often has stones and other designs in a similar look to the engagement ring itself.
Finding the Right Enhancer
There are so many options available for ring enhancers, it can be difficult to make a choice. Here are some things to consider when choosing a ring enhancer:
Style
When choosing a ring enhancer style, you want to find one that will complement the original engagement ring. There are three main styles of ring enhancer:
- Circle guard: These go around a solitaire stone. Full or partial ring guards give a balanced look and can add shine and sparkle to the center stone. Circle guards are usually paired with cushion, round, or brilliant-cut diamonds.
- Side wrap: These are separate bands that sit on one side of the original ring and can be attached to it.
- Dual wrap: These are also called guards or inserts, and they sit on either side of the engagement ring. Some guards allow you to slip the engagement ring into the middle, where it rests between the other two bands.
Balance
Ring enhancers are meant to enhance the original engagement ring, not detract from it.
If the ring has a larger center stone, it can support larger side stones or a more elaborately designed ring enhancer. Smaller center stones, though, will be easily overwhelmed by large stones or more highly decorated enhancers.
For best results, a ring enhancer shouldn’t have a total carat weight of more than 200% of the center stone.
Color
For the most part, ring enhancers are designed to augment a solitaire stone with more of the same stones, or ones that are colored to complement the main stone. Whether or not your enhancer features colored stones is up to you.
You also can mix metals on your enhancer, or stick with the same metal.
Size
Depending on where on the finger the enhancer fits, you may need a different sized band than the engagement ring. Because of this, it’s a good idea to shop in-person for an enhancer, or have one specifically designed for the ring.
Some things to consider when sizing a ring enhancer include:
- Whether or not the ring moves or wiggles when the enhancer’s added.
- How the total weight of the enhancer and engagement ring feels on the finger.
- Whether the finger can be bent normally with the enhancer added.
Enhancers usually can be sized just like typical rings, but more ornate enhancers may be more expensive to size.
Engagement Rings and Enhancers in Frederick, MD
At Gold Thumb Jewelry, it’s our goal to make sure you get an engagement ring and enhancer that will last a lifetime. Whether you’re looking for something to take home today or you want a custom design, we can help. Visit us today for a consultation!