Model image. Your ring is made to order in your size.
Classic · 9ct or 18ct gold
Linear contrast, his: 3.5mm in 9ct or 18ct gold
From £605
Bars of white and yellow running across the face of both. 3.5mm, sold alone or as a set.
Three and a half millimetres with bars of white and yellow running across the face, so the two tones take turns around the finger. Comfort fit inside, so the inner edge is rounded rather than left square against the finger. About 1.8g in 9ct and 2.5g in 18ct. It is one half of a set: order it with the matching women's ring and the pair is ten per cent off.
Made to order · About 4 weeks · posted insured
Before you order, in one place
- What you are buying
- Linear contrast, his, 9ct or 18ct gold, made to order in your size. 3.5mm wide.
- Price
- £605 in 9ct gold, £945 in 18ct gold. UK delivery is included and nothing is added at checkout.
- When it arrives
- About 4 weeks to make, then one working day insured and signed for. Delivery in full
- Changing your mind
- 14 days from delivery, return postage paid. The cancellation right
- Who you are contracting with
- Trothe Ltd, registered in England and Wales, company number 17431230, Lytchett House, 13 Freeland Park, Wareham Road, Poole, Dorset, BH16 6FA. Questions and complaints to hello@trothe.co.uk.
- Material9ct gold or 18ct gold
- Surface hardnessMohs 3.5 in 9ct, Mohs 3 in 18ct
- Density11.2 g/cm³ in 9ct, 15.6 g/cm³ in 18ct
- ResizableDesign dependent
- HallmarkedYes, UK hallmarked
- MadeTo order, in your size
- DeliveryAbout 4 weeks, insured
- Returns14 days
Also in: Wedding rings, His and hers, Men's rings, Gold rings
About this ring
Linear contrast, his: 3.5mm in 9ct or 18ct gold, in detail
Bars of white and yellow gold alternate across the face of this 3.5mm band, short blocks laid side by side so the colour changes as the ring turns. Seen straight on it is a run of stripes; tilt the hand and one tone takes the light while its neighbour stays quieter. The whole surface is polished, so the contrast comes from the two colours alone rather than from texture. Where Linear ribbed breaks the same two tones into fine ribs, this keeps them as clear bars, closer to a pattern than to a finish.
How it wears
Polished gold shows its life early. At Mohs 3.5, 9ct will gather fine marks in its first year, and on a striped face they catch the eye on the bright bars first. That is the ordinary patina of a gold band, and it polishes out. The comfort fit keeps the inner edge rounded, so the ring sits easily through a working day. 9ct gold is not hypoallergenic, which matters only to someone who reacts to nickel; for everyone else it simply wears in.
Choosing yours
There is one width, 3.5mm, so the real decision is the carat. 9ct is the harder of the two alloys and the lighter ring, about 1.8g; 18ct carries twice the gold and comes to about 2.5g, a difference felt more than seen. At 3.5mm the band gives pattern without bulk, a good fit for someone who wants colour on the hand but not width.
It is made to sit with Linear contrast, hers, the same bars on the matching ring, and the two ordered together are priced as a set.
The width
| Width | How it reads |
|---|---|
| 3.5mm | Slim, the quietest everyday width |
Carat by carat
| Gold | Weight | Price, delivered |
|---|---|---|
| 9ct gold | About 1.8g | £605 |
| 18ct gold | About 2.5g | £945 |
The design and width are the same in each; the gold changes the colour depth, the weight and the hallmark. 9ct or 18ct gold, compared.
How it compares with the rings nearest it
| Ring | What sets it apart | Metal | Widths | Surface hardness | From |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Linear contrast, his (this ring) | Bars of white and yellow running across the face of both. 3.5mm, sold alone or as a set. | 9ct gold | 3.5mm | Mohs 3.5 | £605 |
| Mosaic, hers | Small polished and textured blocks worked around the band. 6mm, sold alone or as a set. | 9ct gold | 6mm | Mohs 3.5 | £609 |
| Rose satin sparkle, his | Rose gold, satin on his and a frosted sparkle on hers. 3mm, sold alone or as a set. | 9ct gold | 3mm | Mohs 3.5 | £615 |
| Wide court | Six millimetres, high polished, domed outside and court inside. | 9ct gold | 6mm | Mohs 3.5 | £585 |
There are 32 9ct gold bands in the range, from £515 to £719. All about 9ct gold.
The metal, in brief
37.5% gold against 18ct's 75%, so roughly half the metal cost in a year when bullion set an all time record. It is also the harder alloy of the two, which matters more on a ring worn daily than the carat number does. Fully hallmarked, with resizing options that depend on the finished design, and a British standard that has been sold here for over a century.
Surface hardness Mohs 3.5, density 11.2 g/cm³. As a precious metal it is hallmarked under UK law.
Compared side by side: 9ct gold or sterling silver, 9ct gold or palladium 950, 18ct gold or 9ct gold. Or read the full 9ct gold guide.
Work it out before you order
About Linear contrast, his: 3.5mm in 9ct or 18ct gold
- Can this ring be resized?
- A plain 9ct gold band may suit conventional resizing, but the metal alone does not establish a safe size range. Stones, settings, pattern and condition can restrict an alteration; full eternity is not the only difficult design. GIA warns against stretching platinum bands containing stones. Have the finished ring assessed for the size and direction of change, and confirm the method, finish, cost and timing before work begins.
- How long will it take?
- About 4 weeks. It is made in your size after you order rather than picked off a shelf, in the one width this design is made in.
- What is closest to the Linear contrast, his in the range?
- Mosaic, hers (9ct gold) and Rose satin sparkle, his (9ct gold). The comparison table on this page sets them side by side on metal, width, hardness and price.
- What if I get the size wrong?
- Return it inside 14 days and we refund it, and we pay the postage. Use the free ring size finder first if you are unsure, and if the ring is a surprise, ask us and we will talk you through the ways to find out without asking them.