Complex and highly finished wooden rings, some featuring mixed species such as ebony with maple trim - often inlaid with gold and jewels - seem to be trending in popularity as everyday jewelry, and as symbols of commitment among soon-to-be married couples.
Kauri and titanium ring from Minter & Richter, Boston, $425 - $850 for a pair
Minter & Richter offers a number of wood-inlayed rings, including a titanium wedding band with 50,000-year-old aAncient Kauri wood with Malachite stone and black concrete inlays. Married owners Scott and Minter Richter operate from a studio in Boston’s Historic Rum Distillery, located in a mid-19th century brick and beam building.
Along with dozens of wood ring sources on Etsy.com and at Customade.com, some other companies in the business include Northwood Rings in Mahone Bay, Nova Scotia (owned by Elizabeth and Alan Hill); Touch Wood Rings, in Williams Lake, British Columbia (owned by David and Nicola Finch); and Simply Wood Rings, based in Chicago (owned by Gustave Reyes). Buyers are willing to spend hundreds of dollars for these diminutive wood and mixed material products - making them certainly the most expensive wood offerings by weight.
Northwood Rings offers this Indian rosewood and maple ring for $365.
Simply Wood Rings in Chicago offers a standard turnaround time of 5 to 6 weeks, though that can be cut in half for an expedite fee.
While jewelry buyers may be more familiar with gold or silver, wood ring makers must explain the variances to be expected in different species, as well as variability "in the color and grain of the wood, as well as the width and profile of your ring, as they are all handcrafted," as Gustave Reyes puts it.
Reyes also provides the story behind the rings - as do other purveyors. Here's his backgrounder to buyers on a walnut ring with maple lining sold as a wedding pair for $950:
For centuries the walnut tree has been a part of many marriage customs standing for love and fertility. The Acer tree, commonly known as the maple, is derived from the Latin word for sharp, referring to the characteristic points of the maple leaves. The maple has often been equated with balance, promise and practicality. This wedding set includes one of our Love is Now rings with a 5mm round moissanite stone setting, moissanites are a conflict-free alternative to diamonds. This set also includes a matching Walnut and maple ring without a setting.
Simply Wood custom rings are hand crafted in its shop. For those who want a ring more quickly than the standard lead time, Simply Wood offers a selection of in-stock rings, such as a stainless ring trimmed with a thin band of rosewood for $495.
Simply Wood Rings stainless ring with wood inlay
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