Grooms Wedding Ring

Some basics have to be covered when choosing your wedding rings. Many  couples would like to have matching rings, but this can be quite a mine field when the fingers of the bride and groom differ dramatically. Manual men like to be practical with their wedding rings, favouring 9ct for its strength, in preference to 18ct.
Now this may seem a strange first question to ask yourselves, but it is probably the most important is some ways. Is the groom going to be wearing his wedding ring full time?
No, only for dress occasions. This means the ring can be as intricate as desired as it won’t be subjected to the daily knocks which result in many work environments.
Yes. The ring has to be comfortable to wear at all times and more resilient to masculine work. You must consider the gardening, the diy, the car and hobbies.
All the time
Only on social occasions
Gold is the standard for wedding rings. Pure gold is very soft and is 24ct and is not really used in jewellery. The next is 22ct, a vibrant yellow soft gold which is favoured by Asian Grooms for not only its colour, but also its value.
In the U.K. the hallmarking office generally marks 9ct or 18ct gold. 14ct is available but you will probably have to have it made for you. All gold jewellery weighing over 1g has to be hallmarked as a legal requirement in the U.K. A hallmark consists of a minimum of 3 stamps, the assay office, the metal number and the makers mark.
For example
375 = 9ct
750 = 18ct
925 = Sterling Silver
9ct Gold is the most hardwearing so many men choose this if their work or hobby is manual.
So we have decided on the ct of your ring, then what? How about colour. Available in 22ct is only bright yellow, because this is virtually pure gold. 18ct and 9ct can have different alloys added to make different colours; hence white gold, yellow gold and rose gold are available in 9ct or 18ct.

The pitfalls of purchasing white gold.

White gold is a percentage of gold (which is yellow) added to alloys (different metals) to produce a white colour. This mixture can make the white gold vary wildly in colour and so virtually every manufacturer of white gold covers their jewellery in a fine plate of Rhodium which gives a bright silver coloured finish.
In time this Rodium plate wears off, the jewellery can be re-plated at a small expense, but many customers are disappointed with the White Gold colour that is underneath the Rhodium.
Yellow
White
Or Rose
Now we have the colour and the carat we need to decide the finger and ring size. Sounds strange to need 2 sizes, but you need to consider how high you want your ring?
5mm
8mm
10mm
12mm
The wider the ring, generally the bigger the size. As the ring will go up your finger, you will need to be able to bend the finger whilst wearing it.

Finger size?

Finally we can look at designs,
Standard rings for men are either flat/straight, or curved/rounded. All high street shops will be able to sell you these rings.
Alternative handmade rings.
It’s your special ring, you can enjoy the making of a unique ring just for you. This process is as easy or hard as you want to make it. Deciding to work with a designer is a great experience. You will be asked a number of questions and you can come to a design together. This can sometimes be drawn first, or a mock-up made in silver to assist with alterations.
Time is needed to make a special one-off piece, so please allow at least 6 months prior to your wedding to begin discussions.