Today we are sharing another guide on jewellery types. This article is about the different types of rings you can find across the jewellery world. Rings worn by women have been a staple for thousands of years and not just for royalty. You can find ring designs from all over the world and we love to see what new trends will appear in the future.
Types of Women's Rings
Whilst every single design will be different, there are a few core design standards that most rings adhere to.
Band Ring
A band ring is formed with a simple circular band, also called the shank. The band is the bottom portion of any ring of those that have gems on them. But, a band ring can be the most beautiful as just a simple band that has no decoration at all. A band or shank is cut to the size of the finger the ring will sit on. This is also the area that often gets stamped or engraved with a makers mark.
Band rings can be created in any size for any finger. They can also be as wide or as thin as desired. Some can be barely a few millimetres thick, while others can be very deep statement bands. Furthermore, bands can be plain, textured or twisted depending on the style. Here are a few examples of different band ring styles.
- This Elena Dome Ring features a complete smooth band but with a raised profile.
- The Bonnie Double Band Ring showcases the plain band design but a duplicate width sits side by side for more interest.
- The Fine Twisted Ring displays how the band can be shaped to create a more unique band design. It's still circular but has a prominent texture.
- The Anaya Ring is a twisted shape but displayed on the edges. This makes a uniquely shaped band ring that is not circular.
- Both the Zoe and Gloria band rings are good examples of band rings with minimal texture through engraving and raised designs.
Women's Signet Rings
Women's signet rings are incredibly popular, and we've written extensively about this design trend. We are often asked whether women can wear signet rings and the answer is a huge yes! Signet rings are very similar to band rings but they feature a prominent facing at the front of the ring. This can be a plain facing, an engraved design or even a gemstone. Here are a few examples from our collection.
- The classic signet style has a plain front-facing and we stock both the classic silver signet ring and gold signet ring.
- For a classic signet style with the engraving once used to identify the wearer, we love our Maria Signet Ring.
- Signet rings can also feature gemstones in place of an engraving. The Ella Stone Signet Ring has a prominent gem facing, while our Starlight Ring is an example of a more subdued look.
Read more about our favourite gold signet rings and silver signet rings for women here.
Gemstone Rings
Gemstone rings include lots of different ring styles but feature some sort of gems or stones. They can be band rings covered in gems or they could have a cluster of gems in the centre of a shank. Here are some examples of the various styles.
- A baguette bracelet style can be seen in our Anna Gold Baguette ring which features Cubic Zirconia Gems around the full circumference of the ring.
- Some rings feature gemstones less prominently, adding little hints of sparkle and colour along the shank with smaller stones. Our Ava Bamboo Ring showcases a heavily textured band with CZ gems throughout. Our Shona Rainbow Ring, on the other hand, shows lots of colour with rainbow gems embedded into a thin gold band.
- A classic gem look is the cluster of gems set into a front-facing of a ring. Our Gold Birthstone Ring and Silver Birthstone ring, are classic examples of this traditional look. For a more striking gem style, check out our Lana Stone Rings.
Cuff or Adjustable Rings
You can also enjoy a huge range of ring styles that are adjustable. The movable rings or cuff rings are easy to slip onto any finger and gently squeezed to keep them secure on your finger. Adjustable and cuff rings are great options for those who like to wear rings on multiple fingers, swap rings out or whose finger size may fluctuate. Some of our current favourite cuff and adjustable rings include these:
- Eve Adjustable Snake Ring is a striking contemporary ring with smooth lines.
- The Callie Cuban Adjustable Ring is a bold statement that features a chain link cuff band and a large emerald coloured gemstone.
- The Ria Cuff Ring has a beautiful ridged effect creating a unique texture for this cuff ring.
Shop Women's Rings
Check out our full ring collection here. We update our collection frequently so come back to see what's new.
If you are interested in any of the other articles in this series you can check them out on our blog. We've covered types of bracelets, types of earrings and types of women's chain necklaces.
You can also check out our extensive Jewellery Buying Guide for the ultimate list of jewellery resources. If you are not sure about your ring size, check out our handy ring sizing guide here.
