EPIJewelry sent me a wedding band for review. All opinions are my own.
In wedding planning groups, sometimes the discussion of “type A brides” and “type B brides” gets brought up. I’m definitely a type b person and wedding planning didn’t change that for me. I enjoyed the wedding planning process for the most part, and wasn’t overly focused on getting all the details ‘perfect’.
Which, I’m grateful for for the most part! For me, the tiny details of things like napkins or aisle decor weren’t worth stressing over too much. My priorities the day-of were mostly about the social and emotional experience, and I am still really happy with how it went in those regards!
However, there was a detail that did matter to me some, that we messed-up the day of! The wedding band that we bought to use at the altar didn’t end up matching my engagement ring. Ryan always knew I preferred yellow gold, but he asked me what sort of engagement ring style I wanted before we got engaged. I shared that I really preferred solitaires, and round-cut ones. He chose the rest from there, and selected a gorgeous engagement ring. I didn’t know how many additional details there were in engagement rings, he had to choose things like the clarity of the diamond, how pure of gold the band should be, and whether the band should be flat, beveled, or knife-edge. He opted for a knife-edge band in 18k gold. It’s gorgeous!
We went on two pick out coordinating wedding bands. We both loved the super classic concept of two yellow gold bands, with his being thicker than mine. Regular rounded bands, not particularly flat but also not beveled. When mine came, I tried it on the ring finger on my right hand to make sure it fit, but didn’t try it on with my engagement ring. I’m not usually a superstitious person, but for some reason it just felt wrong to put it on my left hand with my engagement ring prior to the ceremony. So, I didn’t! I thought it fit and that was all that mattered.
After the ceremony though, I realized two things. The wedding band was a different shade of yellow gold than my engagement ring, and it sat much lower than my engagement ring. I didn’t like how they didn’t really coordinate very well. I felt bad but I asked Ryan what he thought about the idea of me exchanging it, and he totally understood and even agreed. Why keep a wedding band for the rest of my life that doesn’t match the engagement ring? That’s kinda silly! So, I started looking at other options. I asked Ryan what kind of gold my engagement ring was, as I hadn’t known previously. He shared that it was 18k gold, which explained why the tone didn’t match. Solid gold 18k rings are significantly more expensive (2-3x the price!) of the solid 14k band I had initially bought. So, I started considering 18k gold-plated rings rather than solid ones. Still, I found it really tricky to see how much “height” rings had when looking online. I knew I wanted one that was thicker so that it would sit taller, without taking up more space across the length of my finger. I liked the look of the 2 to 3 MM width range.
EPIJewelry sent me their 2.5MM 18k Gold Vermeil stacking wedding band to review.
What is gold vermeil?
I didn’t know until quite recently myself! It’s when jewelry has a sterling silver base, but a thick layer of gold on the outside. It’s different from gold-plated jewelry in that to be considered Gold Vermeil the gold layer has to be a set thickness. So, you could think of it as similar to gold-plated, but with a guaranteed thicker layer of plating.
EPI 2.5MM 18k gold vermeil wedding band review
I loved this 18k gold vermeil option because it provides the gold look I want, while giving me peace of mind that the coating won’t chip off or become damaged with regular wear thanks to the gold portion being thicker. Plus, with the core of the piece being sterling silver, EPI Jewelry is able to sell this jewelry at a significantly cheaper price than if they were solid gold. This ring is currently on sale for $160!
On the left is my original wedding band in 2MM, on the right is the EPIJewelry 2.5MM band. So, I knew it would be .5MM wider but it’s also thicker and sits taller. There is just a lot more metal in the EPIJewelry band than in the first band.
Perhaps best of all for me, it sits notably higher than my first wedding band did. I’d say it’s about twice as thick, which makes it feel much more sturdy, but it also lets it sit much more flush with my knife-edge engagement ring. My engagement ring band is 2mm, so the wedding band is a little thicker, which I think helps balance out the diamond a bit.
The gold-tone is not quite the same, due to it being gold vermeil but it’s a much closer match than my previous ring was, so I’m still really happy with this upgrade!
EPIJewelry focuses on sustainable jewelry. They sell engagement rings with Moissanite stones rather than diamonds as they are more sustainable (and a lot more budget-friendly). The vast majority of what they sell is made to order, so there is a little wait time between ordering and delivery but I felt it was well worth the wait. I have no doubt that this ring will hold up for a really long time. It’s got a little weight to it, yet isn’t bulky or masculine. It just feels sturdy.
This ring sits so much more flush with my engagement ring than my engagement ring, especially from this side view. The old wedding band was noticeably shorter.
They do offer entire sets if you want to get a wedding set from them to ensure a perfect match. They are an awesome place to shop for budget-friendly, ecofriendly and sustainable wedding sets or fine jewelry for other occasions as well. There are some items from the EpiJewelry “fine jewelry” section that are on my wish list!
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Hi there! I am Emily Evert, the owner of Emily Reviews. I am 28 and live in a small town in Michigan with my boyfriend Ryan and our two pugs. I have a large family and I adore my nieces and nephews. I love reading memoirs, and learning about child development and psychology. I love watching The Game of Thrones, Teen Mom, Sister Wives and Veep. I like listening to Jason Isbell, John Prine, and other alt-country or Americana music. I created Emily Reviews as a creative outlet to share my life and the products that I love with others.
This post currently has one response.
First off, CONGRATULATIONS!!! Your dress is gorgeous and you look so happy!!! I had no idea 18k was more expensive than 14K. Love the final choice you made on your rings.