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A guide on mens wedding rings.

A guide on mens wedding rings and some things to think about.

Now Mens wedding rings come in all different shapes and sizes, I myself am always thinking of trying to make something just slightly different. However for most, a plain simple classic band will do the job nicely. However there are a few things to consider first before you just settle for any band that fits off the shelf. 

Since that wedding ring is going to be on your finger for many years it’s worth selecting a wedding ring that meets some criteria. Take just a little time and have a think. 

What metal?

Nowadays you have a choice of precious metals to choose from. Gold, White Gold, Rose Gold, Platinum, Palladium, not to mention the different karats of gold available. It’s easy to get bogged down and feel a bit lost. 

A good place to start is choosing what colour metal you want for your wedding ring. If you wear a watch or other jewellery then its worth considering what colour would match with the rest of your jewellery or watches you own. Do you have a gold dress watch, or is it stainless steel? Did you want your wedding ring to match? Do you want to match your fiancee’s wedding ring? Do you like traditional, contemporary, or unique styled wedding rings?

From a hard-wearing point of view, platinum and palladium wedding rings for men are all very heard-wearing compared to Gold or silver. If you have a job thats very hands on then choosing one of these metals would be recommended over silver as they would last longer. Platinum or palladium are also great for anyone with skin issues as they are all hypo-allergenic. 

Style? 

Men who favour the contemporary look may prefer incorporating more than one coloured metal into a wedding ring. This not only adds visual appeal but can solve problems of matching watches, matching other jewellery and of course matching the bride’s wedding ring.

Rings also come in different widths and thicknesses so its important to try some rings on and get a feel for how wide and thick you might want it. Wedding rings with diamonds tend to be a little thicker due to the depth of the diamonds set. The wider the band the heavier the band will be. 

Shape?

Flat, D Shape, Court shape, Flat court shape, slight court shape?? Confused yet? 

There are a fair few shapes to choose from but don’t get bogged down with them. It’s simple, do you want a Flat band or a Rounded band? Court or comfort fit as its sometimes known is the inside of the band. The ring is rounded off on the inside for comfort so there are no sharp edges. This is something I do as standard on all rings I make because it makes the band fit and feel much nicer.

Again you need to try on some rings to get an idea of the difference in feel. Check out my guide on wedding ring profiles for more information. 

Lastly and most importantly have a bit of fun! You don’t need to decide straight away..  as long as you have enough time of corse. Having a wedding ring especially made for you too will not only allow you to combine elements from different rings but will also allows for a personal feel. Especially if photos are taken of the making process!

Thanks for reading. 

Settings for engagement rings. 

So you’re looking to propose to your loved one, you head out to the high street or fire up the Mac to start looking and all of a sudden theres more than one type of Engagement ring available with just about any shape of diamond you can think of. Not only that, once you’ve made your mind up on a shape of diamond you have a choice of settings to go with that particular stone. The choices that lie before you can sometimes be a bit overwhelming! 

Fear not! I am here to help and give you some things to think about.  

Every stone needs a seat. 

So you know what shape stone / diamond you want to go for and now you need a ring for it. The first thing you need to decide is the setting. This is the part of the ring that holds the stone / diamond in place. This is without question the most important part of any ring. Get the setting style right and the stone you’ve chosen will be shown off to its very best. Get it wrong and it could jeopardise the stones beautiful sparkle. 

Light

 

A diamond (or any stone for that matter) is as only as good as the light around it. After all, you cant see a diamond in the dark, no matter how expensive it might be. If the setting is big and bulky, you’re going to be hiding that stone from all the lovely light that could be bouncing its way through the diamond and around the facets (little flats around a stone to help reflect light).

Strength. 

The setting (or collet as its sometimes known) has to be strong. After all, you don’t want that expensive stone popping out on an idle Tuesday afternoon while you’re shopping.. because your never find it no matter how hard you try. 

Light vs Strength.

More light into a diamond means less metal round the diamond. However less metal can sometimes mean less strong.. but it doesn’t have to!

My advise, try and get a bit of both. Something that shows off the diamond but wont fall apart when you least expect it. Having a Setting thats handmade instead of cast will instantly make the setting stronger. If there are four claws on a Round stone, look at bottom of the claws not just the top where the stone sits. Most settings get their strength from the base of the collet, where everything meets together and attaches to the ring. 

Most importantly ask questions. Google is a great tool for finding inspiration and seeing what might work well. Ask your Goldsmith to give you some advise on settings and see if they could do a drawing if they can to see what fits. 

Process of elimination. 

I see many clients thinking they have no idea what they want or where to start. You have to start somewhere so my advise would be to get stuck in. It’s fairy easy to work out what you don’t like and work from there. I like to think in stages. Stage one might be the Diamond, finding the right shape and quality to suite your budget. Each stage leads on from the last so there’s no point thinking about the rest of the ring until you have the first stage cracked. 

Hopefully this has helped in a small way. If you’d like any advise on Engagements rings or any rings in general don’t hesitate to contact me! 

Fun facts about Jewellery!

People are really curious about Gold these days, especially since the price has been consistently going up, so I thought I’d share some cool, interesting and practical information about the precious metal:

GOLD PURITY

Pure gold is too soft or everyday wear, so it is alloyed with a mixture of metals like silver, copper, nickel and zinc to give it strength and durability.

Karatage is represented by a number followed by abbreviation “k” which indicates purity or how much of the metal in a piece of Jewellery is gold. This signifies proportion of gold content, and should not be confused with “carat,” which is a unit of weight measurement for precious stones such as diamonds. Karatage is expressed in 24ths, making 24k= 100% gold, 18k= 75% gold, 14k= 58.3% gold and 10k= 41.7% gold.

GOLD COLOR

The Colour of gold is determined by two factors:

1) The type of metal alloys included; and

2) The percentage of each metal alloy

Yellow Gold:  natural gold and colour-saturated alloys are what give yellow gold Jewellery its rich shine. The alloys most commonly used are copper with a red hue and silver featuring a green hue. An expert mixture of copper, silver and pure gold gives its signature warmth.

White Gold: a silvery-white character is what makes white gold Jewellery so appealing. In order to make the gold white, it is combined with metal alloys (nickel, zinc, copper, manganese) that are silvery-white in nature. It is often Rhodium plated to provide a bright non-tarnishing finish. (Look for our future blog that will be all about Rhodium).

Rose Gold:  The beautiful pink hue of rose gold Jewellery is created by using a copper alloy. The overall percentage of metal alloys is the same for rose gold as it is for yellow or white, there is just a higher proportion of copper used.

GOLD PRICING

*Gold Jewellery prices are dependent upon the purity of the gold or karat weight, the market value of gold, and the level of craftsmanship and design of each piece of Jewellery.

GOLD ATTRIBUTES

Gold, element Au, was one the first known metals. It was the second metal to be worked by humans as early as 3000 B.C. The gold standard defines the world’s currency system, whereby money represents a value in gold. It has unique qualities: resistant to rust, tarnish, and corrosion. Although it is very strong, Gold is also the most malleable of all precious metals.

At Jason Keith Jewellery we’ll  buy your unwanted Gold for Cash!