Men's Wedding Rings

We’ve spent some time looking at the huge variety of rings available for ladies, so now is the perfect time to look at the options available for the groom to wear for one of the most important events of their life. It is often in the shadow of the bride's engagement and wedding rings, it’s often neglected and one of the last things considered by the groom or bride, but it deserves to be well thought out given the time it deserves. Finding the perfect wedding band can be a challenge, especially if they are not already an avid wearer of rings, it might be tough finding something they’ll be happy to wear for years to come.

Men's Wedding Rings

We think the male wedding ring deserves to have more attention paid to it, a groom should definitely think about the type of wedding band they want since it’s likely the only piece of jewellery they will consistently wear every single day. To help you in your quest for the perfect unique men’s wedding band, we’ll explore the range of wedding band designs, styles and materials available to the groom of today, and we’ll hopefully provide you with some stunning wedding band inspirations to make the choice that much easier. One of the first steps in picking the perfect wedding ring should be to pick what sort of material you would like to have. In our guide below, you’ll find a list of the different sorts of men’s wedding rings available, along with an explanation of the materials available, tips and tricks to care for your new ring and style choices which might suit your lifestyle.

Materials Used for Men’s Wedding Rings

Before you dive in and look at the styles of rings available, I would suggest becoming familiar with the metals available for your wedding ring. There are more than a few metals available these days, so it’s no longer a simple decision of picking between white or yellow gold. This might have been the case a few years, but we now have a multitude of metals and materials available, all with unique characteristics and advantages, so finding the perfect choice in 2017 requires some research. When picking the wedding ring, consider the materials and whether or not they suit your lifestyle and what you do for a living. Certain materials are better suited to rough treatment based on the properties of the metals use, while others offer aesthetic properties which might particularly suit a professional environment. In addition to Gold, Silver and Platinum, here are some wedding ring materials which are readily available and might be worthy of consideration.

Silver Men’s Wedding Rings

Silver is one the most traditional and ancient metals used for men’s wedding rings, it’s been used for centuries and for good reason. Silver is a reasonably soft metal and is more pliable than platinum, titanium, tungsten and gold, it doesn’t possess the resilience and hardness exhibited by some of these other metals. It’s a very popular choice for custom made and boutique jewellery as it’s very malleable, easy to work with and is one least expensive precious metals available. This malleability and softness have an obvious disadvantage, silver can scratch easily and it will tarnish and lose its shine over time. For these reasons, silver is most commonly recommended for a piece of jewellery which is only worn occasionally and is not recommended for wear every day or to be worn for extended periods of time.

Silver jewellery starts at around £50.

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Gold Men’s Wedding Rings

Gold is probably the most popular choice of metal available for a men’s wedding ring, this is partly due to tradition and partly due to golds properties which means it rarely decreases in value and it does not tarnish. Gold is a soft, dense and one of most malleable precious metals available. Gold men’s weddings rings are often very shiny and bright, which is something that is not likely to fade over time due to their resistance to tarnish. When picking a gold men’s wedding ring, it’s important to consider the colour and carat value. You’ll likely see 9k, 14k and 18k carat values for wedding rings, this value indicates the purity of the gold, the higher the value the more the ring will cost. Gold can come in a variety of colour choices, with yellow and white gold being the two most popular options, however, rose gold, bronze, red and lime gold are sometimes used.

Gold jewellery starts at around £100.

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Platinum Men’s Wedding Rings

Platinum’s acceptance as a men’s wedding band is on an ever-increasing upward trend, it’s easy to understand when we appreciate the metals substantial durability and it’s increasing value. To the eye, platinum will look silver-white in appearance, but unlike gold, jewellers will often use platinum in its 95% pure form. Platinum as a very heavy, dense metal, so if comparing two rings, platinum will appear heavier than a similarly sized gold ring. Not only is the density of platinum significantly more than gold, its values are also around twice as much. If all aspects are equal, a platinum men’s wedding ring will on average cost twice as much as the equivalent gold ring. The selection of platinum rings styles available will also generally be smaller versus gold, silver or titanium rings.

Platinum jewellery starts at around £600.

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Titanium Men's Wedding Rings

Titanium is one the longest lasting and resilient metals in the world, it could conceivably last several lifetimes of punishing daily wear and still appear unscathed. The popularity of titanium as a wedding ring is partly due to its immense durability, partly due to its lightweight and partly due to its exotic nature, featuring heavily in aeronautics, performance cars and space exploration. By default, titanium is a dull grey colour, however, due to clever scientists and jewellers, it’s possible to get a titanium wedding ring in a range of colours and hues. Pure titanium is 100% hypoallergenic, so if you find yourself adversely reacting to other types of metal ring, a titanium wedding ring would be an obvious choice as it won’t react with your skin. It’s important to remember that titanium cannot be soldered, which means it might be impossible to resize your ring, so make sure you carefully select the correct size option when purchasing your ring.

Titanium jewellery starts at around £50.

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Tungsten Men’s Wedding Rings

Similar in respects to titanium, tungsten is a popular choice for a men’s wedding ring, due to the metals innate strength and durability. A ring made from tungsten is incredibly scratch resistant and will not bend or become misshapen, making them an excellent choice for any man that likes to work with their hands occasionally. Tungsten by default has a grey-white colouring, which in some ways is similar to white gold or titanium. Tungsten rings can also come with a permanent polish applied, which means they will always look brand new, shiny and bright. They will not need to be polished, which is a massive advantage over any other metal ring. Tungsten is very affordable and is less expensive than gold or platinum, it’s closer in price to titanium or silver. As with titanium, it’s very important to purchase the correct size of the ring as they cannot be resized due their incredible hardness.

Tungsten jewellery starts at around £50.

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Cobalt Men’s Wedding Rings

Comparable to tungsten and titanium, cobalt chrome is one of the more recent types of metals to become available as a wedding ring. Traditionally, cobalt has commonly used to provide a deep rich blue pigment to jewellery. However, in its natural form, a cobalt men’s wedding ring will have a white silvery hue, so it’ll look similar to white gold or platinum. Cobalt is a light metal, yet it is also very strong and hard, meaning it is difficult to scratch and should last a lifetime of use. Despite its durability, cobalt can be quite workable given the right jeweller's equipment and can be easily worked into stunningly unique custom pieces.

Cobalt jewellery starts at around £50.

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Stainless Steel Men’s Wedding Rings

Stainless steel wedding rings for men are not an especially common choice. While stainless steel is by no means a new metal, it's used for jewellery is relatively rare, however, that is changing. Buoyed by a surge in popularity across Asia, stainless steel jewellery is making inroads into the western market. It’s a great choice for any man that wants a functional, durable and affordable men’s wedding ring. The benefit of stainless steel is that you need not worry about stains or smudges, it has low associated maintenance costs, caring for the ring may only involve giving it a wipe down occasionally.

Stainless Steel jewellery starts at around £30.

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Palladium Men’s Wedding Rings

Palladium is a silvery-white precious metal and is part of the platinum family, characterised by their natural silvery white colour which will not tarnish and their innate durability. Like platinum, palladium will not tarnish, it’s hypoallergenic and it’s flexible, but the cost of palladium is less, which is attributed to its lesser density. Palladium has a darker cast to it when compared to platinum, but it’s no less beautiful.

Palladium jewellery starts at around £60.

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Ceramic Men’s Wedding Rings

Ceramic men’s wedding rings are incredibly durable and pocket-friendly option. One of ceramics best features is its long-lasting shine and glossy finish. This modern compound is said to have the best elements of both tungsten carbide and titanium; it’s scratch resistant, lightweight, durable and crack resistant if treated well. A ceramic ring offers a contemporary alternative to a standard metallic option.

Ceramic jewellery starts at around £30.

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Wooden Men’s Wedding Rings

Wood, either as a standalone ring or when it’s combined with metals such as gold and silver, can make a beautiful ring. A polished wooden veneer or solid wood ring can be a unique and earthy wedding band, the downside is that they can be vulnerable to damage, additionally, they hold no intrinsic value and can be hard to clean.

Wooden jewellery starts at around £30.

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Picking the Ideal Wedding Band

As a man, I can appreciate that the process of choosing the perfect wedding band can be a daunting prospect, especially if like me you’re not used looking at men’s jewellery. Additionally, the terminology used in jewellery can seem otherworldly, and the seemingly endless variations types of rings can make it exceptionally difficult to find that perfect option. The easiest way to make your job easier is to break down your options, considering the features and properties you’re most interested, this will help narrow your choices until you find the ideal men’s wedding ring.

It’s incredibly important to know what to look for in a wedding band, after all, it’ll be the ring you’ll be wearing every day for the rest of your life. You’ll want to make sure you pick a man’s wedding ring which suits your lifestyle, personality is comfortable to wear for long durations and is within your budget. If you’d like to choose a traditional metal, palladium, gold and platinum are excellent choices. If you prioritise strength and resilience, then consider an alternative metal choice such as tungsten, titanium, palladium or ceramics. If you want a silvery white look then cobalt chrome, silver and white tungsten are brilliant options worthy of consideration. If you’re on a budget, consider stainless steel or wood options, but conversely, if you’re looking for a touch of luxury, a platinum wedding ring with a small diamond can be a great piece.

Wedding Ring Comfort

Some men are concerned that a wedding ring might not be comfortable, especially after extended periods of wear, but they can be if you know what to look for and you pick the ring carefully. The two most important factors to consider is the shape of the ring and the width of the men’s wedding ring.

Shape of the Wedding Ring

The shape of the wedding ring will go a long way to determining how comfortable the ring is when worn on your finger. There are a few factors and options that must be considered when choosing the shape of the wedding ring:

• Softly rounded edges are infinitely more comfortable that angular edges.
• A gently curved inner edge on the ring will make the ring more comfortable.
• A soft fit wedding ring will have slightly curved edges on the inside of the ring.
• A comfort fit wedding ring will be even more curved on the inside of the ring.

Width of a Wedding Ring

When choosing the width of the wedding ring, consider the length and size of the fingers. Men’s wedding rings are generally wider than a ladies wedding ring, which is obvious when you consider men’s fingers are generally wider. It’s very important to have your sized correctly, it’s probably worth going into a store to try on a variety of ring sizes to find a size you feel comfortable with.

A Wedding Ring for Every Man

The ‘I’m Not Fussed’ Guy

A classic choice such as gold wedding ring may suite a no-fuss kind of guy perfectly, it’s not too fancy or alternative. There are still many sorts of simple men’s wedding rings out there, with a huge variety of widths and shapes to choose from, it can change the look and feel of a ring substantially. A simple metal wedding ring for a not fussy guy might look like a gold 7mm band, but there are still plenty of other options if that doesn’t take your fancy.

The Gemstone King

It might not be the first thing that springs to mind, but it is perfectly acceptable for a men’s wedding ring to contain gemstones. You might want to give careful consideration to the type of lifestyle you lead, the works that you do and the sports that you play before considering a gemstone. Most gemstones require some sort of setting, and depending on the setting used, the gem might be vulnerable to damage or being lost depending on the activities performed while wearing it. You’d want to avoid any rough contact sports or manual labour when wearing a men’s wedding ring which contains a claw setting.

The Hard as Nails Ring

If the ring wearer lifts a lot of weights, performs manual labour or spends their spare time doing DIY, then a delicately intricate wedding ring might not be the most appropriate choice. A heavy ring choice such as stainless steel, tungsten, palladium or cobalt might be better suited to some rough work. The rings can still be interesting and fun, for example, a two-tone option woven together might be a perfect balance of design and functionality.

The Modern Man

In decade past picking a man’s wedding ring was as easy as picking out a correctly sized gold ring. Over the last 10 – 20 years the popularity of a simple gold wedding ring has been declining, style and trends have gravitated towards something a little bit different. More eccentric cool men’s wedding rings have started to make an appearance, including designs featuring rose gold, titanium, platinum; coupled with inlays, wavy edges and of course the ultimate wedding band with diamonds.

Caring and Cleaning for your Men’s Wedding Ring

DIY Jewellery Cleaning

It should be noted, with the exception of tungsten wedding rings, metals will invariably scratch, no matter how careful you are. As such, never use a hard-bristled toothbrush to clean your wedding ring, this can and will result in tiny scratches which will dull the appearance of your ring. If you want to avoid such issues then you should definitely read on for our easy to do home care solutions. These tips and tricks can apply to most metals such as silver, titanium, platinum and gold. Platinum and titanium are fairly resilient, however, with time even these metals will become scratched, there’s just no way to avoid this short of not wearing your ring. We would suggest having your rings professionally cleaned and polished once a year.

Caring Tips

Caring for your wedding ring at home can actually be quite straightforward. Following the steps laid out below will keep your ring in tip top condition, allowing the ring to sparkle just as much as the day you bought it.

Make a simple DIY solution of mild dish soap and warm water, just make sure you do this in a little bowl away from the sink. Gently apply to a soapy solution to the wedding band with a soft cloth, rinse thoroughly to remove all residue, pat dry with a paper towel and leave out to air dry away from direct sunlight and out of the way.

If you want to restore the shine to your ring consider using a store bought cleaner, there are several types available, you should ensure you buy one to suit your ring metal. If in doubt consult a professional jeweller.

It perhaps goes without saying, but try and keep your ring away from strong chemicals and unnecessary abuse. A word of warning, your ring might be looser than you realise, there’s nothing worse than watching your ring drift of your finger while you’re trying to demonstrate your swimming prowess in the Indian ocean. So take it off before you go for a dip.

Keep your ring safe, sound and well maintained and you’ll also avoid any additional grievances from your wife. As the saying goes ‘a happy wife makes for a happy life’. If you want to accessorise your look for your wedding day consider a watch to complement your look, you can even get one to match your new ring.

from
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