A Guys Guide to Buying a Wedding Ring
For guys, buying a wedding ring isn’t that hard.
By Tim Holdsworth
“Most guys are pretty bewildered when it comes to choosing a wedding ring. Thankfully, it’s not that hard!”
There’s only good news for guys when it comes to buying a wedding ring. Firstly, it is going to be much less expensive than his last visit to a jewellery store, and secondly, he’ll have it wrapped up in no time! The biggest problem is that all wedding rings are custom made, so he’ll be spoilt by choice.
A guy however only needs to make three real choices;
1) White or yellow metal,
2) Width of ring and
3) Pattern on the ring.
That’s it. Done!
Each of these will come down to personal preference and taste. To determine width, try a few on, ignoring the colour or pattern. The ring should be in proportion to his hands and if he’s unsure, just listen to the fiancé!
Pattern or plain? Most guys go with plain, but don’t let this stop him being a trend setter. And for colour, the fashion is white gold, but yellow has been making a comeback of late.
The most important thing is that you get what you pay for, so make sure your ring is sturdy enough to go the distance. That means a minimum thickness of 1.2mm with 1.5 – 1.8mm preferred. Get ‘comfort fit’ (rounded on the inside) as it is much more comfortable.
Regarding different metals and alloys, the main difference is in the price.
18ct has a better colour, but is twice the price of 9ct. Platinum is more expensive again because of its purity and density when used in jewellery.
Good quality wedding rings are work hardened during manufacture so the wear rates and susceptibility to dents, bends and scratching of different metals will be similar.
The main thing to be aware of with some of the more modern metals like titanium and zirconium is that rings can’t be resized effectively, so if your fingers change (they will), you’re up for a new one.