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[twitter]Simple and classic. That’s what everyone wants. All you have to do is look at photos of your aunts and uncles who got married in the 80s and you quickly realize that if you bow too deeply to the whims of fashion, you’ll be left with nothing but embarassment.

So instead of hitting the usual mall jewellers, where deals can be found – at the cost of whimsical design – Jen and I decided to hit up the old faithfuls; Tiffanys and Birks.

The grand ladies of jewelry design have simple, classic, elegant designs that have stood the test of time. Tiffany’s was first where Jen and I both liked the simple 4mm platinum bands before balking at the $1 900 price tag. I was hoping for something closer to half that, so we took pause.

A quick stroll over to Birks had me trying on similarly simple platinum bands before I noticed the trio of blue-black tungsten rings. I’d never heard of tungsten rings before, but these ones were spectacular. A 7mm width, with a simple bezel on the edge that reflects the light and gives it a unique and classy look.

TrewTungsten® bands are ground and highly polished into a patented design that employs angled facets on the exterior that emphasize light reflections. In essence, a hard metallic surface that exhibits an unparalleled gemstone like luster and brilliance.
[Birks]

Sure, it’s not as simple and timeless as your traditional rounded or straight edged platinum / white gold band, but it was easily my favourite. And the best part? It was the cheapest, just around $800. Toss in a gift card I received from Astral Media for 15 years with the company and we just scored a beautiful wedding band – on a budget.

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