Sterling Silver Wedding Ring Set?

Q: My fiance and I are getting married this September, and are about to embark on the hunt for wedding rings. Neither of us like the look of gold bands, but rather prefer silver. We've heard that platinum can be quite expensive, so my question is this: Is it acceptable to have wedding bands made of sterling silver, or is this a no-no? We're on a tight budget and with sterling silver, the price is right. Can anyone offer up any other options/suggestions on this matter?

A:IMO, just as with your engagement ring, your wedding rings should be of what you want them to be and not someone else's pre-designed standard. If sterling is what you want and what you can afford, then there's no shame in that. If you were to decide at a later date to exchange your silver bands for platinum or white gold, that's fine too. I wear a sapphire set with 4 diamonds as my engagement ring. I will probably wear a plain gold band for my wedding ring and move my engagement ring to my right hand after we're married -- when I wear it. It's not what everyone else I know

does, but it's right for me. And ultimately that's what's important. Your wedding bands can be made of anything you want. Jewelers and advertisers promote gold and platinum heavily because they are more expensive... and depending on the composition of the gold, more durable than silver. But if you want beaded rings or copper rings or titanium rings, then you should have it. Legend has it that when gold miner John Brown married Molly (as in "The Unsinkable Molly Brown") he had no "proper" ring to give so he gave her a cigar band. Years later after they were well-to-do folks, he had a ring made or precious stones and gold that resembled that cigar band.