Gold is by far the most popular band choice when it comes to mens wedding rings. From traditional plain mens gold wedding rings through to something a little more unusual, there are a host of options out there from which to choose. This article takes an in-depth look at mens gold wedding rings and provides advice on choosing one and ideas and suggestions for designs and styles.
Gold and Colour
Essentially, gold comes in three different colours; yellow gold, rose gold and white gold. Jewellers who refer to the generic term 'gold' will typically be talking about yellow gold, and this colour is significantly ahead of rose and white gold in popularity when it comes to mens gold wedding rings. Rose gold is rarely used as a standalone option for a male wedding ring, but white gold (with an appearance similar to silver) is far more common - for those interested, a seperate article is available on the site dedicated to mens white gold wedding rings.
One popular option that you may wish to consider is combining different coloured golds into one single wedding band - this is a particulalry popular option for those considering a matching ring with their partner. Both rose and white gold look particualrly striking opting for a two-town wedding ring combined with yellow gold, and the former is nowhere near as 'girly' as the name implies.
Gold and Carats
When looking at mens gold wedding rings, one factor that differentiates gold rings from one another more than anything else is the quality. Where gold is concerned, quality is measured in carats (often abbrebiavted to 'k' or 'ct'), and it's important that you are familiar with them before heading out to to the local jewellers.
Most will already be familiar with the term ’24 carat gold’, but not everybody knows that 'pure gold' is far too soft a metal to be used in mens gold wedding rings, or any ring for that matter. To help strenghten the metal and make it suitable for use in jewellery, metals such as copper and silver are added to form an alloy with the gold. Accordingly, the most popular choices for mens gold wedding rings are:
18k gold wedding ring - 75% pure gold with 25% metal alloy
14k gold wedding ring - c.58% pure gold with c.42% metal alloy
9k gold wedding ring - 37.5% pure gold with 62.5% metal alloy
As a general rule of thumb, the higher the carats, the more expensive the ring, so bear this in mind when determining which gold wedding ring is right for you.
Gold and Style
As a strong and durable metal, gold can generally be manipulated into whatever style and shape you desire - from the traditional plain band you will probabaly be familiar with, to something more intricate and defined, perhaps to even include the odd gemstone or two. Some of the most popular options for mens gold wedding rings are shown below:
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The most popular of all, the plain gold band is both simple and traditional. Shown here with squared edges, domed and rounded edges are also commonly available and prove popular. |
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A combination of yellow and white gold. Shown here with a textured two tone gold wedding ring inset on a white gold band, any combination of white, rose and yellow gold is possible with 3-5 'insets' common, dependent upon the band width. |
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Rising in popularity are mens gold wedding rings inset with a gemstone, typically a diamond. Shown here with a small princess cut diamond inset into the centre of a rose/white gold ring, any combination of stone (ruby, emerald etc) and gold works well. |
When it comes to the style and shape of mens gold wedding rings you are really only limited by your imagination. So, if you do have a particualr bespoke design in mind, be sure to speak to your jeweller of preference to see if they are able to oblige.
Gold Alternatives
If you are unsure if yellow gold is for you, there are a host of alternatives to mens yellow gold wedding rings out there - for more ideas, check out the following links:
White Gold Mens Wedding Rings
Platinum Mens Wedding Rings
Titanium Mens Wedding Rings
Alternative Metals - coming soon
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Related: There are hundreds of wedding articles on the site, each filled with superb ideas, advice and inspiration. Check out the links in the left hand column to read more. Alternatively, to search for a local wedding venue, product or service provider, try our Wedding Directory. With over 13,000 companies already listed, you're sure to find what you're looking for.
