Founded in the 1960s by Tom Tosyali, Benchmark is a brand defined by its charm, character, and customer service. 60 years on, Benchmark has preserved the integrity and dedication that caused its star to rise in the first place, keeping old-fashioned values of integrity and genuine human connections at all the brand’s heart, while openly embracing the latest and greatest design technology. Benchmark’s specialty lies in the brand’s uncanny ability to toe the line between classic wedding band design and innovative, modern design perspectives. Well-loved design elements like milgrain detailing or two-toned metal combinations meet bold engravings and unusual patterns in these spectacular American-made wedding bands. The result? A wedding band that is elegant, timeless, incredibly unique, and, above else, utterly you.
Elegant men’s wedding bands
Let’s consider the quintessential yellow gold men’s wedding band. Most examples of this type of wedding ring will feature an unadorned, shiny yellow gold band. No fuss. No frills. And Benchmark does carry these classics, as seen by pieces like the High Dome Comfort Fit wedding band in polished 14k yellow gold. Where Benchmark really shines (pun 100% intended) though, is when the jeweler embellishes and refines the look of the standard wedding band. It can be something as small as choosing a different finish on the surface of the band, adding a pattern to the edges, or setting a gemstone in the wedding band, but with these careful touches, the look of the ring is completely transformed. The Yuma, for example, is a variation of the classic yellow gold men’s wedding band. Rather than selecting the conventional polished surface for this 14k yellow gold men’s wedding ring, Benchmark opts for a more textured satin finish. A refined wheat pattern rings around the edges of the wedding band—another minute, barely-visible element that elevates the design even further.
Another spectacular example of Benchmark’s specialty in refining the classics can be found in The Alexander. Set in 14k white gold, this men’s wedding band contrasts the satin finish on the center of the ring with its polished beveled edges. The unique texture contrast is supplemented by the geometric contrast between the edges and the inner band. The finishing touch comes in the form of a single, burnish-set diamond in the center of the wedding band. Clocking in at .08 cts, the diamond is just the right size for enhancing the piece without overwhelming it.
Patterned men’s wedding bands
Some of Benchmark’s wedding bands take their mission of reinvention to the next level. It’s 2022; men’s fashion and men’s jewelry are finally, finally taking off the training wheels and heading straight for maximalism’s jugular. Menswear is experiencing a Renaissance of sorts, spearheaded by fashion icons like Billy Porter, Timothée Chalamet, Harry Styles, Young Thug, and Jaden Smith. They follow in the footsteps of Prince and Freddie Mercury with their bold fashion choices and equally bold attitude. So, you don’t have to wear a feather boa or platforms to your wedding—but you can embrace the weird and wonderful with the very same enthusiasm. With patterned wedding bands, you can take the path less traveled and discover along it a wedding band that is perfectly playful, quirky, unusual, and sentimental all in one. Patterned men’s wedding bands can range from opulent to rustic to cultural to geeky—meaning that there’s a unique wedding band out there for just about anyone.
You can choose the rugged route with wild and botanical designs like Benchmark’s The Alder wedding band. Featuring a sophisticated combination of 14k white gold and 14k rose gold, this two-tone wedding band showcases an intricately patterned split wood center, brought to life with the smooth coppery tones of the rose gold center. Cradling either side of the wooden-plank-like center are thin polished 14k white gold bands at the edges, which introduce color, depth, and texture to this already-remarkable men’s wedding band. Branch out from conventional wedding rings, channel your inner Bear Grylls, pay homage to a carpentry hobby, or simply celebrate your own love of nature with Benchmark’s nature-inspired wedding band. We think you wood love it!
Cultural designs also populate the Benchmark wedding band catalog. Out of all of these historical or cultural designs, however, one motif recurs more than any other: the Celtic m. And for good reason! Every other American you run into will probably tell you about their Irish or Scottish heritage—no matter how far back they have to go to find Irish ancestors! Even for those of us without Celtic roots, the symbolism tied to Celtic knots and the special meanings they convey add an extra element of sentiment to the jewelry that features them. Benchmark’s The Blarney men’s wedding band, for example, crafts a sequence of interlocking quaternary Celtic knots into a dreamy modern-meets-traditional platinum wedding ring. Traditionally, Celtic knots lack a distinguishable beginning or end, representing loyalty, love, and friendship eternally. Quaternary Celtic knots specifically feature four faces that symbolize the four cardinal directions of north, south, east, and west; the never-ending connection with four faces means that although life may take you in any direction, your love is forever. The very design of a wedding band—which is complete and circular without neither beginning nor end—further bolsters the sweet meaning of the quaternary Celtic knots.