Comparison
18ct gold or Sterling silver?
Choose 18ct gold if you want the richest colour and the weight of 75% gold. Choose sterling silver if you want a hallmarked precious ring on a small budget.
- Heavier: 18ct gold, about 1.5 times the weight
- Harder surface: about the same (Mohs 3 and 2.75)
- From: 18ct gold £689
- Resizing: 18ct gold, yes, by a jeweller; sterling silver, yes, by a jeweller
Checked .
| Side by side | 18ct gold | Sterling silver |
|---|---|---|
| Surface | Gold alloy, colour varies | Silver alloy |
| Hardness (Mohs) | 3 | 2.75 |
| Density | 15.7 g/cm³ reference | 10.4 g/cm³ reference |
| 6mm band, size N | about 7.6g | about 5.1g |
| Resizing | Yes, by a jeweller | Yes, by a jeweller |
| Hallmarked | Yes, by law above the exemption weight | Yes, by law above the exemption weight |
| Our rings from | £689 | See the range |
Which is heavier, 18ct gold or sterling silver?
18ct gold is heavier, about 1.5 times the weight of sterling silver for the same ring. A 6mm band in size N comes to about 7.6g in 18ct gold and 5.1g in sterling silver.
| Width | 18ct gold | Sterling silver |
|---|---|---|
| 2mm | 2.5g | 1.7g |
| 4mm | 5.1g | 3.4g |
| 6mm | 7.6g | 5.1g |
| 8mm | 10.2g | 6.7g |
Worked out from the reference densities (15.7 and 10.4 g/cm³) with the same model as our ring weight calculator, where you can set your own size, width and thickness. A bigger size adds a little more metal: the size N page and the other size pages give the weights at each size.
Is 18ct gold more expensive than sterling silver?
18ct gold rings start at £689 in our range. Plain sterling silver bands are not in the range at the moment, and the sterling silver material page shows what is. Both are precious metals, so the difference is mostly how much gold or platinum is in the ring.
Every ring is made to order in your size, and engraving is free on every ring whose page offers it.
Which is harder wearing?
They are close in hardness (Mohs 3 and 2.75), so they mark at much the same rate with daily wear.
18ct gold. 18ct is 75% gold, which gives it the deepest colour and real weight on the finger. It is a little softer than 9ct, so it shows marks a little sooner, and they polish out at any jeweller. Yellow and rose gold need nothing more; white gold is often rhodium plated, and replating brings back its bright white whenever you want it.
Sterling silver. Sterling tarnishes as well as scratches, and those are two different jobs: a silver cloth lifts tarnish, polishing takes out marks. Both are quick and we do the polishing free.
Want gold that wears harder? 9ct gold is the harder alloy and costs less than 18ct. Compare 9ct gold and sterling silver
Can 18ct gold and sterling silver rings be resized?
18ct gold: Yes. A plain 18ct gold band can be made larger or smaller by a jeweller, the way wedding rings have always been resized. The exception is a band set with stones all the way round, where there is nowhere to cut without disturbing a stone, so on those the size is settled when you order.
Sterling silver: Yes. A plain sterling silver band can be made larger or smaller by a jeweller, the way wedding rings have always been resized. The exception is a band set with stones all the way round, where there is nowhere to cut without disturbing a stone, so on those the size is settled when you order.
Either way, getting the size right first is the easy part: the free ring size finder measures it at home in a couple of minutes, and the resizing guide explains the differences between metals.
Sensitive skin and hallmarks
18ct gold is a gold alloy, and white gold can be alloyed with nickel, so if you know you react to nickel, a hypoallergenic metal such as platinum, titanium or zirconium is the easy choice. Sterling silver is hypoallergenic and a common choice for sensitive skin. The metal allergy guide explains what causes a rash under a ring.
Gold, silver, platinum and palladium are hallmarked by law above the exemption weights. The marks go inside the band, where you can read the fineness for yourself. The UK hallmarking guide explains each mark.
Our verdict
18ct gold if you want the richest colour and the weight of 75% gold. Sterling silver if you want a hallmarked precious ring on a small budget.
Not sure on width? The band width guide shows what each width looks like and weighs, and the metal chooser weighs the metals up against how you will wear the ring.
In these materials
Rings to look at
Rings made in, or available in, the two materials above, each with its current price, widths and finishes on its own page.
Slim band
Two millimetres of solid gold, narrow enough to sit close to an engagement ring.
Soft ridge
The face rises to a gentle ridge, so the light runs along the finger.
Rounded court
Rounded outside and rounded inside, which is the comfortable one.
Explore the fit and weight
Common questions
- Is 18ct gold or sterling silver harder wearing?
- They are close in hardness (Mohs 3 and 2.75), so they mark at much the same rate with daily wear.
- Is 18ct gold heavier than sterling silver?
- 18ct gold is heavier, about 1.5 times the weight of sterling silver for the same ring. A 6mm band in size N comes to about 7.6g in 18ct gold and 5.1g in sterling silver.
- Is 18ct gold more expensive than sterling silver?
- 18ct gold rings start at £689 in our range. Plain sterling silver bands are not in the range at the moment, and the sterling silver material page shows what is. Both are precious metals, so the difference is mostly how much gold or platinum is in the ring.
- Can both be resized?
- Yes. A plain 18ct gold band can be made larger or smaller by a jeweller, the way wedding rings have always been resized. The exception is a band set with stones all the way round, where there is nowhere to cut without disturbing a stone, so on those the size is settled when you order. Yes. A plain sterling silver band can be made larger or smaller by a jeweller, the way wedding rings have always been resized. The exception is a band set with stones all the way round, where there is nowhere to cut without disturbing a stone, so on those the size is settled when you order.
- Are both hallmarked?
- Gold, silver, platinum and palladium are hallmarked by law above the exemption weights. The marks go inside the band, where you can read the fineness for yourself.