When it comes to declaring your love for your future wife, no other diamond ring is as unique and cherished as the tension ring. This unique engagement ring is different from other engagement rings in that the diamond is held in place by pressure, as opposed to prongs or other traditional mountings. In fact, the average tension ring exerts around 12,000 pounds of pressure per square inch!

Despite the enormous amount of compression present in the ring, it still lends a special appearance to these perfect engagement rings, as the diamond appearances to be floating in midair. Additionally, there’s no need to worry that your tension ring will suddenly lose its hold on your diamond, as high-quality tension rings can last for hundreds of years before experiencing any loss of the compression that keeps your gemstone firmly in place.

Tension rings are a new addition to the world of unique wedding bands. The concept was first created in the 1960s by an employee of renowned jewelers Niessing. Earlier tension rings were extremely bulky, but the design first achieved the smooth and stylish look we know today in 1981. As the design of the tension ring becomes simpler, harder elements are required to preserve the strength of these unique wedding rings without adding unsightly bulk. For example, master jeweler Steven Kretchmer patented an alloy known as Plat/SK, which has much greater strength than platinum. Because there is so much pressure exerted on the gemstone, jewelers have assessed that there are only three gemstones that can withstand such pressure: diamonds, sapphires and rubies.

However, before you grab your car keys and head to your local jewelry store, it’s important to note that tension rings are not manufactured and then sold to jewelry stores. Why is this? Simple: unlike inexpensive engagement rings and wedding bands (which are manufactured in certain sizes), tension rings must be exactly fitted to the finger of the wearer. This means that you’ll need to take your sweetie with you when purchasing that tension ring, because an exact fit is crucial to the function of the ring! Additionally, tension rings are constructed based around the required gemstone, so you’ll need to specify want kind of stone you want in the setting before you’ll receive the high-quality engagement ring of your dreams.

If you’re interested in incorporating one of these unique engagement rings into the wedding of your dreams, it’s important to learn how to recognize the characteristics of the tension ring that will make a perfect engagement ring for your sweetheart. Look for tension rings that have been made with special heat treated alloys, as these materials will preserve the strength and pressure that is exerted on your gemstone. Additionally, be wary of “tension rings” which feature a strip of metal running across the bottom of the gemstone. These are not true tension rings, since the gemstone is held in place by a combination of pressure and the strip of metal.

If you’re looking for beautiful tension rings that will make a perfect engagement ring or unique wedding band for your sweetie, browse through 25karats’ extensive selection of brilliant high-quality tension rings!