Comparison
9ct gold or Sterling silver?
Choose 9ct gold if you want a hallmarked gold ring that wears harder than 18ct and costs less. Choose sterling silver if you want a hallmarked precious ring on a small budget.
- Heavier: about the same
- Harder surface: about the same (Mohs 3.5 and 2.75)
- From: 9ct gold £515
- Resizing: 9ct gold, yes, by a jeweller; sterling silver, yes, by a jeweller
Checked .
| Side by side | 9ct gold | Sterling silver |
|---|---|---|
| Surface | Gold alloy, colour varies | Silver alloy |
| Hardness (Mohs) | 3.5 | 2.75 |
| Density | 11.4 g/cm³ reference | 10.4 g/cm³ reference |
| 6mm band, size N | about 5.5g | 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 | £515 | See the range |
Which is heavier, 9ct gold or sterling silver?
They weigh about the same. A 6mm band in size N comes to about 5.5g in 9ct gold and 5.1g in sterling silver.
| Width | 9ct gold | Sterling silver |
|---|---|---|
| 2mm | 1.8g | 1.7g |
| 4mm | 3.7g | 3.4g |
| 6mm | 5.5g | 5.1g |
| 8mm | 7.4g | 6.7g |
Worked out from the reference densities (11.4 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 9ct gold more expensive than sterling silver?
9ct gold rings start at £515 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 3.5 and 2.75), so they mark at much the same rate with daily wear.
9ct gold. 9ct is 37.5% gold and the harder of the two gold alloys, which matters more on a ring worn every day than the carat number does. All gold picks up marks with wear, and any jeweller can polish them out; polishing takes a very small amount of metal each time, so it is an occasional refresh rather than a routine. White gold is often rhodium plated, and a jeweller can replate it when it starts to look warm.
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 the deepest gold colour? 18ct is 75% gold against 9ct's 37.5%. Compare 18ct gold and sterling silver
Can 9ct gold and sterling silver rings be resized?
9ct gold: Yes. A plain 9ct 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
9ct 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
9ct gold if you want a hallmarked gold ring that wears harder than 18ct and costs less. 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 9ct gold or sterling silver harder wearing?
- They are close in hardness (Mohs 3.5 and 2.75), so they mark at much the same rate with daily wear.
- Is 9ct gold heavier than sterling silver?
- They weigh about the same. A 6mm band in size N comes to about 5.5g in 9ct gold and 5.1g in sterling silver.
- Is 9ct gold more expensive than sterling silver?
- 9ct gold rings start at £515 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 9ct 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.