25 guides and 36 comparisons
Ring guides
Written so that you could read them and then buy from somebody else. Every number here is one we would give you on the phone.
Choosing a ring
The decisions, in the order that makes each one easier.
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How to choose a wedding ring Start with how you will wear it, then choose the metal, the width, the profile and the finish, and settle the size last. Make those five decisions in that order and the ring will feel like yours from the first day. -
How to choose a men's wedding ring Start at 6mm in a court profile, then choose the metal by how you use your hands: titanium for lightness, zirconium for the hardest surface, platinum or gold for weight and tradition. Most men wear one ring for decades, so those are the decisions that count. -
How to find her ring size without asking Borrow a ring she already wears on the finger the new ring is for, and measure it with our ring size finder or have a jeweller size it. Still unsure? Order with I do not know yet and we confirm the size with you before anything is made. -
How much should you spend on a wedding ring? Spend what you can afford without borrowing, and give the wedding band more of it than people expect: it is the ring worn every day, by both of you, for life. The three months' salary rule was written by an advertising agency in 1938.
Metals and marks
What the metal does over decades, and what the law requires of it.
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What 9ct gold means and why it makes a good wedding ring 9ct gold is 37.5% pure gold, hallmarked 375. It is real gold, tested and marked by an assay office. It is also the harder of the two gold alloys rings are usually made in, which is why it suits a ring worn every day. -
What 18ct gold means and why it is the classic wedding ring gold 18ct gold is 75% pure gold, hallmarked 750. It is the richest gold most wedding rings are made in, with the deepest colour and the most weight on the finger of the usual gold alloys. Any marks it picks up polish out at a jeweller. - What 950 platinum means, and why it makes a good ring 950 platinum is 95% pure platinum, tested and hallmarked by an assay office. It is the standard for wedding and engagement rings in Britain, and for a ring it is better than 999, because the 5% of other metal is what lets it keep its shape.
- What a UK hallmark proves, and how to read one A UK hallmark proves that an independent assay office has tested the metal in your ring. Gold, silver, platinum and palladium rings must carry one by law, a requirement Britain has had since 1300, which makes it the oldest form of consumer protection in the country.
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Can black zirconium, titanium and gold rings be resized? Gold and platinum: yes. Titanium: a little larger, never smaller. Black and anodised zirconium: not in the usual way, because the colour is grown into the surface. Here is why, metal by metal, and how to get the size right first time. -
Do black rings wear off? A black plated ring does: the plating is a thin layer laid over another metal, and it wears through where the ring rubs hardest. A black zirconium ring is different. Its black is grown out of the metal itself in a furnace, a hard oxide around Mohs 8, so it keeps its colour through everyday wear and only a hard knock against stone or steel can mark it. -
How anodised colour works, and how to keep it bright Yes, anodised colour can wear where a ring rubs hardest, because it is a thin oxide film grown from the metal rather than paint. Ordinary daily wear is what an anodised ring is made for, colour set in a recess is sheltered from direct contact, and a dull look can simply be residue that washes off. -
Rings for sensitive skin and metal allergies Titanium, zirconium, platinum and palladium are hypoallergenic, so they are the natural choice for skin that reacts to nickel. If a ring has already given you a rash, it is worth finding the cause too, because soap trapped under a band can irritate skin just as a metal allergy can. -
Mixed metal wedding rings: yes, you can mix metals Yes. You can mix metals in wedding rings, whether that means two partners in different metals, a gold band beside a platinum engagement ring, or two metals inside one ring. What changes is where the metals meet, and each of those three has a straightforward answer. - Are recycled gold wedding rings ethical? Yes, recycled gold can be a responsible choice for a wedding ring, because it gives existing metal another life. The strongest claims go further and show, through a named chain-of-custody standard, where the gold was traced from.
- Can a titanium ring be cut off in an emergency? Yes. A titanium ring needs a different cutter from gold, not a different outcome: powered ring cutters and diamond blades go through it, and UK hospitals have published how they did it. Here is what is used, what about black zirconium, and when to take a ring off.
Stones
What you are paying for, and what holds up to being worn.
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Lab grown or natural (mined) diamond: which should you choose? Choose lab grown if you want the largest, cleanest diamond for your money, and natural if it matters to you that the stone was mined from the ground. They are the same mineral, a gemmologist needs a machine to tell them apart, and what separates them is price: at one carat, roughly fourteen times. -
Ring settings explained: which one holds a stone best? Flush (gypsy) setting is the most secure and bezel comes next; claw shows the most stone and protects it least. Choose the setting by how tough the stone is and how hard your hands work. -
The best stones other than diamond, and how to wear them For colour, choose sapphire or ruby first, then spinel or alexandrite. For a colourless look, choose moissanite or white sapphire, or a lab grown diamond if you want diamond itself. Then match the stone to the care you are happy to give it.
Living with it
A ring you never take off meets chlorine, dust and a gym bar.
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How to look after a wedding ring you never take off Mild soapy water, a soft brush and a lint-free cloth are all most wedding rings need. Take it off for the pool, the gym and the garden, give it one home when it is off, and follow the note for your metal or stone below. -
How to insure a wedding ring in the UK Home insurance usually covers a wedding ring at home up to a single-item limit, typically a couple of thousand pounds. Above that limit the ring needs naming on the policy, and for a ring you wear everywhere, you also want cover away from home. -
What to do if your wedding ring is lost or damaged Retrace your steps from the last moment you know it was on, report a theft to the police, and call your insurer before anyone repairs or replaces the ring. If it is damaged, keep every fragment and stop wearing it until a jeweller has looked.
Custom and meaning
Where the conventions came from, and how far they bind.
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What to engrave in a wedding ring Engrave your partner’s name, your wedding date or a short promise you would actually say, such as “Always us”. Keep it short enough to read inside the band, and read the proof letter by letter before you approve it. -
Which hand and finger does a wedding ring go on? In the UK, the fourth finger of the left hand, below the engagement ring. Across much of Europe it is the right hand, and a Roman belief about a vein that does not exist sits behind both. -
Can you propose without a ring? Yes. The proposal asks the question and the ring records the answer, so the two can happen at different times. Say that you want to choose the ring together, and proposing without one feels deliberate rather than forgotten. -
Eternity ring or anniversary ring: what is the difference? An anniversary ring is any ring given to mark a wedding anniversary; an eternity ring is a band set with a repeating row of stones. An eternity ring given on an anniversary is both, and for a ring worn every day, a half eternity is usually the easier choice.
Metal against metal
Every metal we work in, compared against every other, from the actual hardness, density, resizing and hallmarking figures. No page recommends the dearer option by default.
- Anodised zirconium or Black zirconium?
- Anodised zirconium or Titanium?
- Anodised zirconium or Precious inlay?
- Anodised zirconium or Sterling silver?
- 9ct gold or Anodised zirconium?
- 18ct gold or Anodised zirconium?
- Anodised zirconium or Platinum 950?
- Anodised zirconium or Palladium 950?
- Black zirconium or Titanium?
- Black zirconium or Precious inlay?
- Black zirconium or Sterling silver?
- 9ct gold or Black zirconium?
- 18ct gold or Black zirconium?
- Black zirconium or Platinum 950?
- Black zirconium or Palladium 950?
- Precious inlay or Titanium?
- Sterling silver or Titanium?
- 9ct gold or Titanium?
- 18ct gold or Titanium?
- Platinum 950 or Titanium?
- Palladium 950 or Titanium?
- Precious inlay or Sterling silver?
- 9ct gold or Precious inlay?
- 18ct gold or Precious inlay?
- Platinum 950 or Precious inlay?
- Palladium 950 or Precious inlay?
- 9ct gold or Sterling silver?
- 18ct gold or Sterling silver?
- Platinum 950 or Sterling silver?
- Palladium 950 or Sterling silver?
- 18ct gold or 9ct gold?
- 9ct gold or Platinum 950?
- 9ct gold or Palladium 950?
- 18ct gold or Platinum 950?
- 18ct gold or Palladium 950?
- Palladium 950 or Platinum 950?