The art of pairing your wedding band and ring
Choosing your wedding ring isn’t just about finding something beautiful. It’s about creating a pairing that feels natural and personal. Your wedding band should enhance your engagement ring, not compete with it: and together, the two should tell a story that’s uniquely yours.
To help navigate the art of pairing your wedding band and engagement ring, we spoke with Kate, Operations Manager at Larsen Jewellery. With years of experience creating custom pieces for couples across Australia, Kate shared her expert advice on choosing a wedding band that not only complements your ring, but also feels unmistakably yours.
Meet Kate, Operations Manager at Larsen Jewellery
Whether you’re after a classic pairing, a modern contrast, or a custom design that sits seamlessly against your engagement ring, understanding the fundamentals of balance, proportion, and wearability can make all the difference. Here’s what you need to know about mastering the art of pairing your wedding band and ring.
1. Start with the metal and setting
When a couple walks into Larsen Jewellery, the first thing Kate looks at is the metal type of the engagement ring. For her, it’s not just about matching colours: it’s about ensuring the metals are compatible in hardness.
Complementary metal hardness is one of the few strict rules Kate follows. “I wouldn’t put a hard metal wedding band, like 18ct gold, against a softer 9ct engagement ring or vice versa. You don’t want one ring wearing away the other unfairly over time.”
The setting also plays a critical role.
If the engagement ring has a prominent setting that sticks out, Kate advises against choosing a straight wedding band. “I wouldn’t recommend a straight wedding band if the engagement ring needs a fitted band. Otherwise, the wedding band will rub and eventually wear away at the engagement ring’s setting.”
This is why each recommendation is carefully considered. The wrong pairing might not just look awkward but could shorten the life of your most sentimental jewellery.
Kate uses Blake Lively’s famous pink diamond engagement ring as an example. “It’s beautiful, but its delicate design means the wrong wedding band can compromise the structural integrity of the setting,” she explains.
Blake Lively’s ring detail at the Cinema Society screening of “Cafe Society” on July 13, 2016 in New York City. PHOTO: Andrew Toth/FilmMagic
2. You don’t have to stick to the default
One thing Kate wishes every couple knew? “You don’t have to go for the default choice. If your engagement ring has diamonds down the band, you don’t have to match it exactly. You can choose something that feels more you.”
Whether it’s adding contrast, introducing a texture you love, or slightly adjusting the stone size for a more deliberate design, your wedding band should feel like an extension of your own style — not just a copy of what came before.
3. Honour your engagement ring
This is where Larsen Jewellery’s designers really shine.
If a client brings in a creative or non-traditional engagement ring — especially one not originally designed as part of a matching set — the team doesn’t just try to “make something fit.”
Instead, they work with the existing design, using negative space, graduated stones, or asymmetrical details to create a band that looks like it was always meant to be there.
“If you walk into a standard jewellery store with a unique ring, you’re often forced to pick from a set selection of bands that might not really work,” Kate says.
“At Larsen, we design around the ring’s individuality: finding a way to balance asymmetry and make the pieces feel like they were always part of the same story. We might create a wedding band that pulls in elements of the style they love, like a pear-shaped detail or fine, ornate engraving, while still respecting the original heirloom piece.”
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4. Create an intentional mismatch
Mismatched wedding sets are growing in popularity, but Kate explains there’s a fine line between intentional contrast and something that simply looks mismatched.
“If you’re matching a diamond-set band to a diamond-set engagement ring, and you want a difference, you need to go meaningfully larger or smaller with the stones. If the change is too subtle, it can look like poor workmanship rather than a deliberate design choice.”
When it comes to metal contrasts — such as pairing a white gold engagement ring with a rose gold wedding band — Kate recommends weaving the original metal into the new design.”
“I would encourage them to include a white gold element in the wedding band to tie it back to the engagement ring,” she explains. “You could, for example, set all the round diamonds in rose gold and the baguette diamonds in white gold to create a subtle link between the two.
5. Skin tone over trends
In terms of metals, Kate notes that white gold and rose gold are becoming increasingly popular choices, moving away from the yellow gold wave that’s dominated in recent years.
Interestingly, trends are also shifting towards personal colour theory: think “winter” or “autumn” palettes, with more customers choosing metal tones based on what complements their skin tone rather than chasing fashion.
Texture-wise, classic polished finishes are making a comeback for both men’s and women’s rings. Matte and brushed textures, while still available, are less commonly requested today.
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6. Lifestyle matters more than metal choice
Choosing the right metal for your wedding band is important, but how you wear and care for your rings matters even more.
“We have the perfect litmus test when people come in,” Kate says. “We take a look at their engagement ring. If there’s significant wear and tear, it’s not about recommending a harder metal: it’s about lifestyle.”
Rather than recommending a harder metal just based on someone’s profession, Larsen’s team looks at real evidence: how the ring has handled everyday life so far. Kate recalls clients in nail salons and even banks — professions you might not expect — whose rings suffered extensive damage because of daily habits, not just the type of work they did.
“Gold isn’t as hard as steel: it’s a workable metal. You can damage it,” Kate explains. “Big culprits are wearing rings to the gym, gardening, or doing heavy physical activities without thinking.”
Instead of focusing solely on metal strength, Kate encourages couples to adopt a more mindful approach. “If you notice something pushing against your engagement ring and it leaves a mark, be conscious of it. Everyday wear and tear is inevitable, but awareness can make a big difference.”
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Kate also points to a powerful generational shift:
“Think of your grandmother’s engagement ring. It was probably very fine, made of a thin piece of metal, and she never needed to have it repaired. It was more of a mindset: your rings were precious, and you took them off when doing the dishes, gardening, or working with your hands.”
The takeaway? Choosing the right metal helps, but treating your jewellery with care is what truly preserves it for the years to come.
7. Don’t miss the opportunity to make it personal
According to Kate, one of the most overlooked aspects of choosing a wedding band is making it personal.
“So many couples just tick the boxes. But you’re going to wear this every day, why not make it meaningful?”
She encourages couples to consider engraving a special message inside the band or taking part in Larsen Jewellery’s wedding ring experience, where you and your partner spend four hours at the bench, physically crafting each other’s rings under the guidance of a jeweller.
The experience takes around four hours and offers a rare, hands-on connection to the rings you’ll wear forever. Couples sit at the jewellers’ benches, bend the metal into circles, roll it out to the right width, solder, file, and hammer — going through the exact same process the jewellers use to create professional pieces. While the team is there to guide and oversee every step, it’s the couple who does the work.
“It’s personal,” Kate says. “You’re literally shaping the metal yourself. It’s such a beautiful thing to be able to say, ‘My husband made my wedding band.’”
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8. Choosing should feel special, not stressful
Choosing a wedding band can feel overwhelming, but at Larsen Jewellery, the process is designed to be calm, considered, and genuinely personal.
“If people come in overwhelmed, the worst thing you can do is show them 400 wedding bands and expect them to choose,” Kate explains.
Instead, Larsen’s team starts with a conversation: asking what the couple loves, what they don’t like, and what they’re open to. “We use the process of elimination,” Kate says. “Here’s four rings: which one do you want to eliminate? Try these two on. Tell me what’s working, what’s not.”
“Our designers know what’s going to work,” Kate says. “But more importantly, they know how to help couples discover what feels right for them.”
Your love story deserves more than ordinary
While there are important rules to consider — like matching metal durability and ensuring the perfect fit — there’s also plenty of room for creativity and personal expression. Whether you choose a classic match, an intentional contrast, or a completely custom design, the goal is to create something that feels personal, beautiful, and lasting.
Where all the magic begins at Larsen Jewellery. What kind of rings would you like to see brought to life?
Discover bespoke jewellery pieces that are 100% Australian made.
At Larsen Jewellery, every piece is crafted with care, expertise, and a deep understanding of what makes a wedding set truly meaningful. With custom design services, hands-on experiences, and a passionate team of designers, Larsen offers couples the opportunity to create rings that feel authentic, considered, and unmistakably theirs.
If you’re ready to design a wedding band that feels like it was made just for you, the team at Larsen Jewellery is ready to bring your vision to life.
All custom pieces are meticulously handcrafted in their studios located in Sydney, Melbourne, and Brisbane, ensuring high-quality craftsmanship and attention to detail.
