Choosing a wedding band that sits flat

The one measurement that decides whether two rings live together comfortably.

Most wedding band problems are not about style. They are about a gap: the engagement ring's head sits higher than the band, the two rings rock against each other, and within a year there is a groove worn into the shank of one or both. The fix is a measurement, not a compromise.

Put the engagement ring on and look at it from the side. What matters is the lowest point of the head, the basket that holds the stone, relative to the band of the ring. If that basket sits above the band by more than the thickness of a wedding band, a straight band will slide underneath it and sit flat. If it sits lower, a straight band will not, and you have three honest options.

The first is a contoured band, shaped to follow the head, which sits perfectly but only ever with that one ring. The second is a thinner band, which sits under most heads but wears faster. The third is to raise the engagement ring's head by a fraction when it is made, which is the reason we ask about the band on the day we design the ring, not afterwards.

Metal matters too. Platinum and gold wear against each other at different rates, and a platinum band beside a gold engagement ring will slowly polish the gold. It is not a reason to avoid the pairing, only a reason to know about it and have both cleaned and checked together once a year.

Bring the engagement ring when you come to choose a band. We measure the head, try bands against it on your hand, and tell you plainly which will sit flat for the next twenty years. It takes ten minutes and saves a great deal of annoyance.