My Handmade Wedding Band

I'm back after months of wedding planning and crafting! Whew! I'M MARRIED! WHAT?!

The big day was August 4th--a lovely day shared with the loveliest people in our lives. And though we had a great time during our wedding and our honeymoon (Maui!), I'm thrilled to be back in my studio as a Mrs. instead of a Miss.

Before I post any of my new work, it seems fitting to share the story of my and my husband's (it's still very novel to say husband) wedding bands. Here's a shot from our wedding:

photo by Holly Feral

From the start, we both knew we wanted handmade rings. Something simple and classic, but with  subtle uniqueness.

And, of course, we wanted something affordable. So we went with sterling silver--a hardy, trusty metal--and 14k gold. I lined the interiors of both rings with 14k bezel wire. Bezel wire, if you didn't know, is a very thin strip of metal typically used for setting stones. I found it worked well as a cheaper, very effective way to create a two-tone design.

Our rings have beveled edges, so to play up the design, I also added a thin strip of 14k on the exterior of my ring, around the largest circumference.

We wanted our rings engraved with the date and the initials of our first names, so we took them to Fred Meyer's jewelry department. It's a decent option if you're not looking for specialty script and need engraving on the cheap.

After engraving, I oxidized my ring to create more of a contrast between the gold and silver. In the photo above, you can kind of see that contrast.

Some closeups of the engraving inside my ring: 

The two photos above show a slight oxidation on the sterling silver (I took the dark oxidation off). Still can't decide which I like better--the slight grey, or the dark, gunmetal look.

You'll notice this post is missing detailed images of Ben's ring. That's because he lost the ring on our second day in Maui! And I foolishly didn't take pics of it before our wedding day.

Losing or misplacing rings early on in a marriage seems to be common among a few married guys I know, so I guess I don't feel too bad about it. Ben, however, was pretty devastated. He ended up buying a cheap sterling silver ring during our trip (which I've been calling his "training ring"). I think I'll let him wear that one awhile before I make him a replacement. :)

We like to think of Ben's lost ring as an offering to the ocean. Really, the ring couldn't have disappeared in a more beautiful place, in the ocean off Ka'anapali Beach in Maui:

More Soon,
Angela xo