Rings come in many shapes and sizes, from ultralight carbon fiber stackables, to hefty 10mm solid gold wedding rings. With so much variation it can be difficult to wrap your head around what all the different terminology means. In this article, we're going to be looking at Ring Shape.
Ring Shape ultimately describes how the ring’s exterior will be shaped during the build process, and it greatly affects how the final ring will look and how it might feel on your hand. There are many different shapes and engagement ring styles to choose from, and the world of jewelry is always creating new and unique things, so we’re just going to focus on the few that are most important to us at Element Ring Co.
Square Edge:
Aesthetics:
As the name implies, the outer edge has a square or rectangular shape. Sometimes referred to as a Hard Edge, this ring style will mostly retain a flat look. The edge should still have a slight roundness to it however, to avoid being sharp and uncomfortable. This style allows a ring to show off an unbiased view of its material and patterning with a much sharper, bolder look that makes it very popular in men’s designs.
Feel:
This exterior presents an interesting consideration. The top is nearly completely flat, meaning the wider and thicker the ring, the more opportunity there is for the ring to uncomfortably restrict your other fingers. The harder edges, while still slightly rounded, can concentrate much more pressure into a single area on your finger and can cause a bit of discomfort if the ring isn’t sized correctly.
Ultimately this shape is usually constrained to thinner rings, or rings that conform more comfortably to your finger. Don’t get the wrong idea though, this shape is still worn very comfortably, and is one of the most common shapes we make! Remember, correct sizing will often mitigate many comfort concerns.
Soft Edge:
Aesthetics:
This exterior allows a ring to mostly retain the flat look of a square edge, with the added benefits of extra comfort. This type of exterior will often soften the look of a ring, however, and could potentially begin to distort the patterning of certain materials, though usually not to any significant degree. This exterior is very popular as well and you may notice it on some of our thicker designs!
Feel:
You could consider this the more comfort-aware brother of the square edge. As the edge is more significantly rounded, the ring is able to blend more naturally to your finger and becomes much less noticeable as a result. It’s often considered a happy medium between aesthetics and comfort by those who prefer a flat look, especially on thicker and wider rings.
Domed:
Aesthetics:
A domed exterior breaks away from the flat ring aesthetic, instead opting for a fully rounded, convex shape. This style is popular on designs with a mirror finish for the interesting way it reflects light. It's one of the more popular engagement ring shapes. It can also serve to highlight the 3-Dimensional aspects of some materials, which is one of the reasons why you’ll see it on so many of our Wooden Rings!
Feel:
As this style is completely smoothed over, it blends the most naturally into your finger and is often considered one of the most comfortable options. This also allows for a ring to be exceptionally thick and wide with much less noticeability than a square or soft edge. If comfort is your number one priority, then a domed style is a great choice!
Now that you know the different styles on offer, you should check them out in action in our large collection of rings here! We offer a lot of variety in our designs, meaning theres always something for everyone.
