Price the pair by metal, stones, engraving, and resizing
| Metal | Low | Typical | High | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Silicone | $15 | $25 | $40 | Backup or active-lifestyle primary |
| Tungsten carbide | $50 | $100 | $200 | Very scratch-resistant; can't be resized |
| Titanium | $70 | $150 | $250 | Light, hypoallergenic; can't be resized |
| Sterling silver | $60 | $120 | $250 | Least precious; tarnishes, needs care |
| 10K gold | $300 | $500 | $800 | Hardest gold alloy, palest color |
| 14K gold | $500 | $900 | $2,000 | The standard choice; resizes well |
| 18K gold | $800 | $1,400 | $2,500 | Richer color, softer metal |
| Platinum | $1,500 | $2,000 | $3,000+ | Densest, most durable precious metal |
Published anchors: The Knot puts women's bands at a $1,200 average and men's at $600; Zola's run ~$600 / ~$1,400 with an overall $100-$5,000 range. Those averages land inside the 14K-gold row because most bands sold are 14K — the diamonds explain the hers-versus-his gap more than the metal does.
| Adder | Low | Typical | High |
|---|---|---|---|
| Diamond or gemstone accents (per band) | $300 | $750 | $2,000 |
| Engraving (per ring) | $20 | $40 | $100 |
| One paid resize (gold; platinum costs more) | $30 | $60 | $100 |
Engraving is often included free with purchase, and many retailers cover the first resize within the first year — both worth asking about before you pay. An eternity band (stones all the way around) can't be resized at all, since sizing would break the stone line: order it made-to-measure.
Two rings, one budget line. This calculator prices each band from its metal tier, stacks the stone, engraving, and resizing adders you select, and shows the pair total with a low-to-high band around it. The Knot's "wedding rings" category runs about 5% of the average wedding — roughly $1,710 of a $34,200 celebration — so this is one of the few lines you'll still own (and wear) decades after the day.
Pair total = metal band 1 + metal band 2 + stone accents (per band, if selected) + engraving (per ring, if selected) + resize (if not covered). Each component carries a low/typical/high band, and the totals combine the matching ends — no fancy compounding, just honest bracketing.
Pick the metal for each ring honestly; a matching-his-and-hers platinum pair is a statement, and the calculator should say so. Set band 2 to "none" if one partner is keeping an existing ring. Skip the stones checkbox on a plain band and check it for anything with a diamond row — the $750 typical adder is what turns a $900 band into the $1,200+ women's average. And before you budget for resizing, check whether your retailer covers the first one; most online jewelers and many local shops do.
The classic pair: her 14K gold band ($900 typical) and his tungsten carbide ($100 typical), both engraved ($40 each), resizing covered by warranty. Pair total: $1,080, with the range running $590-$2,400. That's deliberately under the $1,800 couple average — plain bands, smart metal mix.
The statement pair: her platinum band with diamond accents ($2,000 + $750 typical), his plain platinum ($2,000), one engraving ($40), one paid resize ($60). Total: $4,850 typical, range $3,350-$8,200. Same ceremony, nearly 5x the line item — metal and stones, not ceremony customs, make that call.
The average couple spends about $1,800 on the pair — $1,200 for the bride's band and $600 for the groom's, per The Knot's pricing data. Zola's averages run slightly higher for women's bands (~$1,400). The full national range stretches from about $100 for two basic alternative-metal bands to $5,000 and beyond for matching platinum with diamonds.
Men's bands average $600. The metal does most of the pricing: tungsten carbide runs $50-$200, titanium $70-$250, and 14K gold $500-$2,000, while platinum starts around $1,500 and runs $3,000+. Most men's bands are plain, which keeps them well under women's diamond-set averages.
Women's bands average $1,200, and the gap versus men's is almost entirely diamonds. A plain 14K gold band runs the same $500-$2,000 as a men's; adding a diamond or gemstone row typically adds $300-$2,000, which is how the average gets there. Eternity bands, which set stones all the way around, sit at the top of that adder.
Tungsten carbide, at $50-$200, is the value pick — extremely scratch-resistant, though it can crack under a hard blow and cannot be resized. Titanium ($70-$250) is lighter and hypoallergenic with the same no-resize caveat. Silicone bands ($15-$40) work as backups for the gym, work, or travel rather than as the only ring.
Machine engraving typically runs $20-$40 per ring and hand or ornate engraving can reach $100. Many jewelers include basic engraving free with purchase, so ask before paying. Tungsten and titanium bands are too hard for traditional engraving and need laser work, which some shops charge extra for.
Often, yes — many retailers and jewelers cover the first resize within 30 days to a year of purchase, so read the warranty before paying out of pocket. Otherwise expect roughly $30-$100 to resize a gold band, more for platinum (it's denser and harder to work), and nothing at all for tungsten or titanium, which can't be resized — you reorder instead.