Men’s Wedding Rings – Solutions for the Stressed Groom

Mens Wedding Rings - Solutions for the Stressed Groom

Mens Wedding Rings - Solutions for the Stressed GroomThe truth of the matter is that for many guys, little time is spent choosing the wedding ring. There are, however, many factors to be taken into consideration. Whether you discuss these with your jeweller or research answers online, they will ultimately help you make the right choice for your ring.

Should I wear a Wedding Ring or Not?

The debate amongst many couples, about whether or not to wear a wedding ring remains a hot topic. Many men getting married ask the question : Do I need to wear a wedding ring? The reluctance to wear a wedding ring can cause friction, especially during the all of the other wedding planning. There can be many factors that could cause you reluctance to wear a ring. It is important to both remain open minded and respectful of each others opinions on the subject. The wedding band can be owned and worn for special occasions, when you are both together, as one possible compromise, but much will depend on specific reasons. If worn, typically the band will be worn on the third finger of the left hand. As noted in ‘metal choice’ below, there may also be religious reasons for the omission of a wedding ring which should be noted in passing.

Size Issues

Much of the stress surrounding the purchase of a men’s wedding ring, relates to issues of size. These can relate to either finding out the finger size initially, or problems relating to ordering the wrong size. If you are ordering online but do not wish to have your finger sized correctly, it is possible to request free finger size measuring tools which can be posted out directly to you, to check the size. Alternatively a sample ring could be arranged in advance to confirm the size. Since many online purchases are provided with a no quibble refund / exchange policy, rings can easily be swapped for a correct size. Where a small size adjustment is needed, most styles can be compressed or stretched slightly with ease for a small nominal charge. Avoid fancy detail and keep to a regular plain style such as the court profile, or D shape if you are unsure of your size. Certain styles are harder to re-size – something you might be wise to consider for years later. See also metal choice below for further considerations relating to size.

Cost of the Ring

Cost will relate directly to many of the other characteristics, i.e. metal choice, width, style and finger size. Plain wedding rings are largely based on weight, with the overall cost being directly linked to the gram weight, against the precious metal cost. Since 950 Palladium is lighter in weight (approx. half that of Platinum) and the precious metal price (per gram) is much lower, it stands to reason this is much more cost effective than other metals. Small additional costs will need to be factored in if you are considering a pattern on the ring, or an engraving of any kind.

Robustness

Regardless of metal choice, you will certainly want to keep your wedding ring looking nice. Most metals can easily be re-polished, or re-finished (see our section on wedding ring finishes) and for all metals, we recommend that rings are removed during activities that would result in excessive wear. Most metals will wear to a natural finish, with small scratches, slightly dulled over time. Your occupation could well influence this activity. Both Firemen and Electricians tend to remove their wedding rings during daily work for obvious reasons. Some clients will opt for a less expensive metal choice, such as Palladium to reduce the ‘at risk’ value they wear, especially when frequently removing the wedding ring.

Metal Choice / Colour

Most men will think of colours Yellow or Silver as the wedding ring choices. There are, however, many more precious metal choices. Here are a few to consider. Religious considerations may also play a part. Some Muslim men will prefer Platinum or Palladium over Gold for this reason, or choose not to wear a wedding ring on similar grounds. There can be many person reasons for the metal choice.

950 Palladium – White silver like metal 95% Pure. Low cost. Very Popular. Takes a mirror like polish. Properties like Platinum (same metal group.) Harder to re-size down significantly where any joining work is performed.

9ct Gold – Low cost popular choice. Available in White and Yellow Gold options. Easy to size. Affordable. Available in most styles and widths. Less hard wearing over time than 18ct Gold.

18ct Gold – Most popular choice. High value, available for most metal choices. White and Yellow Gold options available. Easily sized. Substantial weight. Hard wearing.

950 Platinum – Heaviest, most precious, more expensive than the other metals. 95% pure and hypoallergenic. Lighter weight styles will be more affordable owing to the heavier weight of the metal against gram price.

Metal choices for mens wedding rings

Width

The width of the ring can cause some head scratching. Typically men opt for 4mm and 5mm widths. Larger hands will suit 6mm – 7mm widths. Sometimes, a very discreet wedding ring of 3mm will be worn with more subtle effect. Remember the wider the ring in any given profile, and size, the heavier and more expensive it will become.

Top TipFor a quick rule-of-thumb, try cutting strips of paper to various widths and trying each around your finger. This will provide the easiest guide to how a particular width will look.

Which Profile?

The profile of the wedding ring relates to the shape or cross section. Court will be most popular – a traditional style which is curved on the outer face and inner face. There are many basic wedding ring profiles which we have already covered in depth on our website in our wedding ring profiles page.

Light / Medium or Heavy – I’m Confused!

Yes, this is confusing, but need not be. A light-weight ring has less metal. It is basically thinner in depth and is therefore lighter in weight, and less expensive. Medium weight rings tend to be around 1.7mm deep. Comfortable and a nice balance between substantial without being overly heavy. They are the most popular mid-weight styles. Heavy weights, (some companies use terms such as Super-Heavy-Weight – often to give you the sense that you are getting much for your money! Heavy weight rings are substantial but can be more easily felt on the hand against other fingers. Most of the plain ring profiles are available in variations of light, medium or heavyweight. Most typically we work to a medium weight plain ring, but this is always noted in the description.

How soon to purchase?

If you are getting married in the next 12 months, there are certain advantages to purchasing now, rather than later. Firstly, this will be one less consideration and one more thing to strike off the wedding ring hack-list. Anything you can tick off now will be effective use of your time and organisation. Secondly, since metal prices usually rise over time, you stand a good chance of purchasing the wedding ring at a more favourable price, unless for some reason metal prices fall significantly. As you will no doubt be aware, besides small fluctuations in price, costs rarely fall, and the wedding ring will certainly not be going out of fashion anytime soon! If finances are strained, many different finance options will also be available (we offer these to UK residents) including interest free credit, subject to conditions.

Where to purchase?

If your time is restricted and you have little interest in seeing a jeweller face to face, purchasing from a specialist such as ourselves, or requesting information by email might be a good way to go. Most people are well connected via email and we can provide as much or as little information as required. Our up-to-the-minute pricing of all of the plain profiles, in all of the precious metals, means you also have a handy pricing reference to any designs, sizes and widths – see our plain wedding rings section for costs.

Should it match / be purchased at same time as the bride’s wedding ring.?

This is entirely a matter of choice. Some couples decide on matching wedding rings, whilst other partner’s each have a particular style in mind. Most important is that the ring is right for yourself. That it is comfortable, and falls within your budget. A matching pair of wedding rings is a lovely touch, and two rings can match but look distinctively his and hers by the variation of the widths between each ring.

Whether you are in need of advice or information, or already have the information for the perfect band. However much help you require, we are always on hand by phone or email to help. We also offer a comprehensive range or finance products to help with the purchase of wedding rings. Contact us for more information and no-obligation advice.

About Mark Johnson

My name is Mark and I'm founder at Serendipity Diamonds. By day you'll find me working in our showroom—in a variety of roles. My work (which I love) ranges from photographing jewellery, to writing blog posts and helping clients with my colleagues Drina, Emily and Debbie.

About Mark Johnson

My name is Mark and I'm founder at Serendipity Diamonds. By day you'll find me working in our showroom—in a variety of roles. My work (which I love) ranges from photographing jewellery, to writing blog posts and helping clients with my colleagues Drina, Emily and Debbie.