Many couples may be inspired to get close to nature through wood wedding bands. When the clamor for staying natural and eco-friendly is growing, why not try wood wedding rings? Choosing to adore wooden wedding rings would mean walking against the tide because metal rings for engagement and wedding are still the most popular choice. This would also give the opportunity of doing things differently and getting counted by standing out from the crowd. It cannot be guaranteed whether you can make heads turn by choosing wooden wedding rings, but surely you would be deriving immense pleasure of patronizing natural products and furthering the green cause.
Adoring wooden wedding rings is a way of celebrating life. When you wear wooden wedding bands, you display a rare sense of aesthetics that is based on your values for respecting nature and natural products. You can bond closer with nature and demonstrate your eco-consciousness that counts a lot. The greatest benefit of using wood for making rings is that there is no fear of any metal allergies. Let us discuss the various aspects of wooden wedding bands in detail.
Hardwood is best for ring making
Rings and bands being circular in shape can be crafted easily from many different types of wood. However, the best in line are hardwoods. This kind of wood is derived from the trees that are grown in temperate and tropical forests. The trees have broad leaves and comprises of both the evergreen and deciduous types. Although named hardwood, it does not correspond to the hardness of wood just like softwood does not mean that the wood is soft. The terms are used to describe the physical structure of wood and the way it is made up. Balsa wood is the lightest yet classified as hardwood.
The best woods for rings
To avoid confusion in selecting the wood that would be most suited for making rings, it would be easier to identify the trees from which it is derived. Apple wood, birch, cherry, oak, maple, hickory, ash, aspen, poplar, walnut, elm and dogwood are considered to be suitable for making rings. The beautiful grain designs of these trees make it the best choice. Wood is also used for band inlays as you would find in the popular Meteorite Wedding Bands.
Beware of misnomer
When selecting the type of wood for making rings, beware of misnomers. If you are offered rings made from bentwood, simply want to know the name of wood from which it has been made. Bentwood is not the type of wood but actually a process of giving circular shape to wood. In this process, wood is softened by steaming and then bent to give the desired shape to it. Choose from the names of trees that help in more accurate and precise selection.
Act with caution
While your eco-friendly approach is demonstrated by selecting wooden wedding rings, a little more caution has to be exercised to ensure that the wood that is used has been obtained through sustainable means. This is especially important for wood obtained from trees that belong to the endangered species. Be careful in selecting Sandalwood, rosewood, mahogany, Madagascar ebony, Spanish cedar and Brazilwood to be sure that it has been sourced correctly.
Handmade rings
Another specialty of wood rings and bands is that these are made by hand only. No machines are used for making and designing wooden rings. The carvings and engraving that you find on the rings are all hand-crafted by artisans who are deemed as specialists in making rings. Getting the rings engraved can make it look strikingly beautiful. There is a special process for engraving wood which is known as wood burning. Engraving helps to create designs on wood without weakening its structural strength that would have happened if the process entailed cutting. However, engraving is applicable for inscriptions only for a limited number of characters.
Limited variety in style and design
Before you get your hopes high about your wooden wedding band, know that this type of wedding band has limited styles. The variety that is available in metal rings cannot be expected from wood. There are selected profiles that work best for wood rings. Sticking to these profiles ensure that the strength of the material does not get reduced. The styles are mostly symmetrical and the profiles are flat. Setting stones on wood rings is also an option.
Caring for wood rings
It is only normal to expect that wedding rings should last a lifetime, and wooden wedding rings can well meet the expectations, provided it is taken care of in proper manner. Unlike metal rings that can be worn without much concern for damage, wooden wedding rings are prone to damage if handled carelessly. Since the ring is supposed to be worn constantly, you have to be alert about protecting it from harmful chemicals, abrasion and hard knock. It should also be kept away from too much exposure to water and should be removed when you are bathing or washing clothes and dishes. Usually a thin waterproof coating is provided to the rings for the primary protection that takes care of any sudden but brief exposure to moisture. This layer can be renewed to extend the life of the ring.
Benefits
Besides being eco-friendly, wood rings are completely friendly with the skin with no possibilities of any allergic reaction that happens from metals for some people. As wood is poor conductor of heat and electricity, the dangers arising from metal rings for those who are exposed to such conditions are totally absent for wood rings. The most attractive aspect is that wood rings are not at all heavy on your pocket. Even the cheapest of metal rings could prove to be expensive when compared to any wooden ring.
Pay attention to proper size selection when using wood rings as it is impossible to re-size it.
About the author: Arthur Goldberg is a seasoned fashion designer who has worked in every spheres of the fashion industry. From clothing, accessories and jewelry, he has dabbled into everything related to fashion. He is well known for his obsession with bands and rings. He has been inspirational for ring manufacturers as would be evident from his ideas on Meteorite Wedding Bands. Collecting antique jewelry is his hobby.