The Laings Journal
Of all the expenses of a wedding, your wedding ring has by far the most longevity - as wonderful as the wedding day is, in truth the flowers will fade, the cake will be eaten and the dress probably won't be appropriate for your next birthday party...
No-one would suggest not to indulge in your dream day as you see fit, however it's important to spend your hard-earned money wisely and invest in excellent quality wedding rings so that you can confidently carry a piece of your big day with you for the rest of your life.
The aim of this series of 'wedding ring buyers guide' blog posts is to help you find the perfect wedding ring that will meet your needs for a lifetime - in this first article we discuss WHICH METAL to choose. One of the most common debates is:
Platinum VS White Gold what is best, why should you choose one over the other when they look so similar and what is the difference in price?
There is no definitive answer, but pro's and con's to each. Platinum is hypoallergenic, naturally white in colour and the most hard wearing of ALL the metals, it is also extremely rare and difficult to mine - these factors combined do of course mean that you can expect to pay more for Platinum than the rest of the metals. The starting price point for a ladies 2mm plain Platinum Ring will be around £335, for a plain gents 5mm Platinum wedding ring you will be looking at upwards of £900-1000.
White Gold looks very similar to Platinum and is also very robust and highly attractive, it is also more affordable - this is because Gold is more plentiful than Platinum and only occurs naturally in a yellow colour, in order to create the white-metal finish it is mixed with silver coloured alloys then Plated in precious Rhodium. This procedure creates a highly reflective, beautiful finish however does require maintenance over time. A white gold ring will need its Rhodium plating re-coated every 1-2 years in order to maintain its original vibrancy - this is simple to do and usually costs approx £30 at most reputable jewellers. It is also recommended that whichever metal your engagement ring is, you choose the same for your wedding ring as Platinum against white gold can sometimes damage the Rhodium plating. The starting price point for a ladies 18ct white gold wedding ring will be in the region of £235, for a mens 18ct white gold wedding ring you would be looking at around £500.
What is Palladium and why is it more affordable than Platinum, is it a high quality metal?
Palladium is rapidly becoming a popular choice for wedding rings, it part of the Platinum family and shares many of the same properties, it is naturally white in colour, hypoallergenic and incredibly durable. Since Palladium is still relatively "new" to the wedding ring market the price is often much more accessible than Platinum due to the current smaller demand. This keen pricing will not last forever, so if you are considering choosing Palladium, now is a great time to buy, a realistic starting price point for a mens Paladium wedding ring is around £340.
What is the difference between 9ct and 18ct gold, is Gold as good as Platinum?
Yellow and Rose Gold are of course the traditional wedding ring choices and feature all the properties that make gold so coveted, such as malleability, strength, beauty and comfort. A 6mm 9ct gold mens wedding ring can start at around £235, whereas an 18ct version of a 2mm ladies gold wedding ring can begin at £265. Yellow or rose gold are generally chosen to match the metal of the engagement ring so the only real choice to consider is the carat weight of the metal. In the UK you will typically see either 9ct or 18ct gold, the higher the weight of gold the higher the price - as explained below.
The purity of gold is represented by a hallmark - any ring made of precious metal features a three digit number inscribed within the band, such as 375. The number changes depending on the gold content of the metal; for example, 9ct is represented by the hallmark 375 which means that 375 parts out of 1000 are pure gold.
Solid gold is a relativity soft, pliable metal so in order to be used for jewellery must be combined with other metal alloys. When this happens it's robustness increases but the gold content decreases. 9ct gold does have its benefits, it is of course more affordable and has an added durability due its the higher mixture of alloys, but you will find that 18ct gold is richer in colour and holds it's value more significantly.
Look out for the next article in the wedding ring buyers guide series - WHEN TO BUY. This piece will offer advice on how far in advance you should consider ordering your wedding rings - timescales can vary if the ring is patterned, features diamonds, requires re-sizing or is custom-designed.