For many of today’s couples, getting engaged means that at least one partner wears an engagement ring. Unfortunately, when it comes to finding men’s engagement rings, gay couples can be in for a daunting task. Many stores cater almost exclusively to women, and male same-sex couples often find the selection to be limited, at best.
Expressing commitment and future marriage shouldn’t be like going on a treasure hunt. The perfect rings—even matching rings—are out there. You just need to know where to find them. And, thankfully, once found, the selection for men’s rings leaves many options for gay couples to find their ideal identical rings. Whether couples want solitaire diamonds or big, bold rings with plentiful gemstones, the choices are more amazing than most couples realize!
Traditional Jewelry Stores
Most couples make the trip to the local jewelry store to check out rings prior to purchasing engagement rings. While local stores may offer some engagement rings for men, the selection is not going to be plentiful. Most of their stock will be women’s engagement rings, leaving men to look at plain wedding bands. The assumption still seems to be that men don’t wear engagement rings. Sometimes retailers lag behind on trends or they worry about overstocking items that are just a fad.
However, male engagement rings represent a shift in tradition—they are not a fad that will fade. Millennials embrace both partners wearing a ring…same-sex, traditional, or otherwise! Feel free to check out your local stores, but be prepared for a less-than-stellar selection.
Engagement Rings from Custom Jewelers
Many jewelers will create custom designs for couples. This is a fantastic option for men who want matching engagement rings. However, custom-designed rings can cause prices to jump quite a bit. Customization takes time, more time than in-stock rings. And time is money.
Online Diamond Jewelers
While brick and mortar stores are limited in size and inventory, the internet is infinite. If you can dream up a ring, you can find it online. And many sites—like Brilliance—also offer a cutting edge selection of rings for men. Without the overhead that a brick-and-mortar store requires, online retailers are able to stay more on point with changing traditions. Online retailers can connect to buyers of all backgrounds, and this means that men’s engagement rings are plentiful for same-sex couples. If you and your partner want matching rings, the choices become plentiful when shopping online. Online jewelers are also known for their ability to design custom engagement rings, often without the huge price jump you would find in a local store.
How to Choose the Ideal Matching Rings
Now that you know where to find your rings, you have to figure out how to choose a style. Matching engagement rings can be tough to choose, but not because of lack of selection. The difficulties arise when—or if—you and your partner have different style preferences.
When discussing matching rings, it’s a great idea to discuss how you define ‘matching.’ In the jewelry world, matching rings may have different meanings. Do you want exact replicas, making a pair of ring twins? Maybe you are both willing to opt for rings that match in style, but also nod to your individuality.
Men’s Pollux and Talos Designer Mangagement™ Rings
Maybe you both want a solitaire. You love large diamonds and white gold, but your love prefers a more modest stone and yellow gold. You could select the Pollux 1 carat white gold solitaire ring, while he could choose the Talos ¾ carat solitaire set in yellow gold. While the rings are slightly different designs, they both feature a solitaire diamond set within an hexagon mount. While the rings match, they aren’t mirror images of each other and reflect your unique styles.
If you both prefer completely identical rings, then you simply need to agree on the design and metal. Or you may choose the same ring in different metal colors.
While standalone stores are a good start for couples to figure out what types of rings they want for their engagement rings, most jewelry stores offer a limited selection of engagement rings for men. Couples may choose to design their own rings, but this can be a more costly option. For most men shopping for matching engagement rings, the internet is the best option. Your choices are vast in the online marketplace, and both you and your future husband can find the ring of your dreams without sacrificing the matching Brilliance.