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Wedding Ring Advice:
Make the Most of Your Wedding Ring Investment

Your wedding band is a symbol of your love — strong, made to last a life time and precious. Your wedding band is also a financial investment. Tying the knot is one thing.  Getting tied up in knots about your wedding rings is another.

Purchasing wedding bands is an important investment - both financially and emotionally. The cost of wedding jewelry alone, as stated in The Wedding Report, can vary by geographical area, ranging from an average of $1,551 in Oklahoma City to $2,557 in Fairfax County, Va.

To help you maximize your wedding jewelry investment, here are some tips from Brian Patch, an industry veteran for more than 32 years and president of e-weddingbands.com, a premium online wedding band retailer:

Q. What advice would you give someone shopping for a wedding band?

A. This is a special piece of jewelry you'll enjoy for many years, so make sure it reflects your personal tastes and lifestyles, regardless of what may be trendy at the time.  Today's wedding rings come in a variety of metals, finishes, embellishments and designs, so you'll have a host of options from which to choose.  If your ring is 5mm or wider, consider a comfort-fit style wedding band.  Extra metal is used to make the inside of the band slightly domed, resulting in a very comfortable fit, especially for men.

Q. What can I expect from an investment in precious metals and gemstones?

A. When I first started selling wedding bands, gold was valued at $35 per ounce.  Today, it's valued at about $565 per ounce.  The price of platinum has almost doubled in the past few years, and gold has increased approximately 50 percent over the past year alone.

Diamond rings generally increase in value over time as well.  Don't be surprised if the $500 diamond ring that your dad purchased for your mom 40 years ago is now worth $2,000. Recently, we've seen the diamond market dip and then rebound, but a large gemstone should remain solid -- particularly if you purchase a quality diamond from a reputable dealer that offers a 100 percent value trade-up program.

Q. How can I best care for my wedding band?

A. For cleaning and regular maintenance on most standard wedding bands, we recommend polishing with goldsmith-grade polishing cloths, and an occasional five-minute professional polishing to leave your bands as good as new.  If you're looking for more maintenance-free options, tungsten wedding bands are a new -- and very popular -- choice. Since tungsten carbide is a very hard and dense metal, it's the perfect choice for men, in particular, who are concerned about scratching their rings. Florentine or stone finishes are also good choices for people who'd prefer not to think about polishing.

Q. Should I insure my rings?

A. As with all fine jewelry, you'll want to consider either adding them to your existing insurance policy, or purchasing a separate rider policy for higher jewelry values.  While a yearly inspection and cleaning by a professional jeweler will help maintain your jewelry, identify bent prongs, and repair worn areas, there's always the chance that you'll lose your ring.  With today's active lifestyles, people are increasingly removing their wedding rings for sporting and outdoor activities. Adequate jewelry insurance coverage makes more sense now than ever before.

More about buying wedding rings around the Web:

How to Buy a Wedding Ring