A groom should think long and hard about what to put on his ring finger – a good point seeing it’s the only piece of jewellery many men will wear, and something that’s well worth using the grey matter for. Either that or they’ve all seen Lord of the Rings wayyyy too many times. To bring you up to speed we thought it might be nice to look at some of the options for wedding ring styles and ring materials available to the groom and give you a rough guide to what you might expect to pay.
Platinum
It’s the king of the precious metals. Hard-wearing, expensive and reassuringly weighty. It makes a manly ring for any groom. Not only is its bright, white colour easy to match with watchstraps and other silver coloured jewellery, it’s also one of the hardest metals. A platinum wedding ring will endure a lifetime of wear and tear. But you do have to pay for the privilege of adorning your left hand with platinum. So the question is can your budget take the splurge?
What’s the damage? Based on a standard 4mm N sized band – £489.19
Gold (9, 18 and 22 carat)
The most blingtastic metal material, traditional yellow gold is experiencing a fashion revival. After waning in popularity in the past decade due to a common preference for white metals, gold is fighting back with a vengeance. You have 9, 18 and 22 carat to choose from. What’s the difference? 9 carat is the cheapest due to the lower content of pure gold (commonly around 37.5% with other less precious metals mixed in) and as a result is prone to tarnishing over time. 18 and 22 carat are more expensive due to a higher gold content. In general, gold rings can be less resistant to scratches than harder metals and they can wear thin over time.
What’s the damage? From £99.10 for a 9 carat gold band to £267.88 for 22 carat.
White gold
A high maintenance option. White gold is popular but you have to be prepared to put some work in over the life of the ring. It has the attractive, white colour of silver, the prestige of gold and a lower price tag than platinum.
The flipside is that the rhodium coating that gives it the desirable colour wears off quite easily. This means regular trips to a jeweller for rhodium top ups.
What’s the damage? £107.57
Silver
Well, you’ll know what silver looks like and as a relatively inexpensive precious metal, it’s a popular material for fashion jewellery. Silver is less popular for wedding rings as it scratches easily, has a tendency to wear thin and its sparkling looks will dull over time.
Due to its reactivity with the acid in human sweat, expect a silver ring to get a darkened, tarnished appearance over the years. This can be removed, but again, if you buy a silver ring factor in regular trips to a jeweller if you want to maintain the shiny sparkle of its wedding day appearance.
What’s the damage? £54.22
Wood
Yes, really. This is an option for the green-minded groom. Either on its own or combined with other precious metals (such as gold or platinum) polished wood can be crafted into a striking wedding band. The downsides are it’s far more vulnerable to damage and destruction than a metal ring, it has no intrinsic value and is a more difficult material to keep clean.
What’s the damage? For a white gold ring with an oak inlay – £481.55
Zirconium
For the design-conscious groom, this metal offers an exciting new world of opportunity. Because when this metal is treated with heat, a black, ceramic-like, oxide coating forms, opening the flexibility to create black and silver coloured mens wedding rings with a distinct contemporary feel. And you don’t have to put looks over practicality because as a member of the same family as titanium, it’s strong, light and highly scratch-resistant.
What’s the damage? £139.19
Palladium
As a member of the platinum family, it shares many of the same properties as its prestigious relative. It’s bright white, very hard and a fraction of the cost of platinum. The other main difference is that it’s much lighter in weight. Depending on your personal taste this can be an advantage or a disadvantage.
What’s the damage? £142.98
Tungsten
Yes, it’s what light bulb filaments are made from but it can also be made into a very hard, durable and scratch-resistant ring. It’s not quite as glamorous as the other metals, but it will retain the same appearance for years. However, be warned, tungsten is difficult to resize and in an emergency situation the only way to remove a tungsten ring hastily is to break it (or remove the whole finger!)
What’s the damage? £62.22
Titanium
Extremely hard and more resistant to scratches than most metals, titanium has become a popular and affordable option for groom wedding rings. It’s greyer in colour than silver and so light you’ll hardly know you’re wearing it. With a matt finish it has a very contemporary feel and blends in well with the titanium watchstraps that are currently in vogue.
What’s the damage? £55.99
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