What a mens wedding ring costs

Price depends on the metal, the width and your finger size. Wider rings use more metal and cost more, and that difference is far bigger in gold than in titanium. These are the starting prices in each metal we make.

Gold is available in yellow, white and rose at the same price, since the gold content is identical. Argentium silver and gold combinations are also made to order. If you want the gold look at a lower price, rose gold plated tungsten starts at R1,299.

Choosing a metal

Your metal decides the weight, the price, how it scratches and whether it can ever be resized. This is the honest version of each.

9ct gold. 37.5% pure gold with strengthening alloys, hallmarked 375. Harder and more scratch resistant than higher purities, which is exactly why it suits a ring worn every day. Available in yellow, white and rose. It can be resized and repaired for as long as you own it, and it holds value. If you want to match it to other pieces, the same metal runs through mens chains and mens bracelets.

Sterling silver. Solid 925 silver. The traditional look at a fraction of the gold price, and easy to resize. It will tarnish over time and polish back, which some men like and some do not. See the full sterling silver collection if you want matching pieces.

Titanium. Very light, hypoallergenic and nickel free, and it will not corrode. It suits men who dislike the weight of a metal band, and men who have reacted to jewellery before. It cannot be resized.

Tungsten. The hardest option we make and the most scratch resistant. Noticeably heavier than titanium, which some men prefer because it feels like something. It cannot be resized, and it will crack rather than bend under real force, which is a safety feature around machinery.

Black zirconium. The black is part of the metal rather than a coating, so it does not wear off the way black plating does.

Stainless steel. The most affordable band we sell. It works as a work ring, a gym ring, or a first ring while you save for something else.

Width, profile and comfort fit

Width changes how a ring feels far more than most men expect. Profile changes how it sits against the finger. Both matter as much as the metal does.

A wide ring wears tighter than a narrow one in the same size, because there is more metal in contact with your finger. If you are moving from a 4mm to an 8mm, go up half a size.

Finishes, and which one survives

Finish is the decision men regret most, because a polished band looks best in the shop and worst after six months.

Polished is bright and reflective, and it shows every scratch. It can be re-polished, and if you are the kind of person who will have that done, it is a fine choice.

Brushed and matte have a soft directional grain that hides fine marks almost completely. It is the finish to choose if you use your hands, and it can be refreshed easily.

Grooved and double grooved add a channel or two cut into the surface, giving interest without adding bulk.

Inlays set a second material into the band, such as rose gold plating, silver, black enamel or carbon fibre.

Hammered and textured hide wear better than anything else, because the surface is already irregular.

Choosing a ring for your life, not the photo

Your job and your hobbies should decide this more than the display case does.

If you work with your hands, use tools, or play sport, choose brushed or matte over polished, and choose comfort fit. A polished band shows every mark within a month.

If you are in and out of gloves all day, a narrower width in comfort fit is easier to live with.

If you work around machinery, tungsten is worth understanding properly. It is the hardest option, and in an emergency it is removed by cracking rather than cutting, which is faster.

If your hands swell in heat, if your weight moves, or if you are not certain of your size, choose 9ct gold or sterling silver so the ring can be adjusted rather than replaced.

If you already wear a chain or a bracelet, matching the metal is worth doing. Yellow gold with yellow gold reads as deliberate. Mixed metals read as accidental unless the rest of what you wear is deliberately mixed.

Getting your ring size right

This is the part worth taking time over, particularly if you are choosing titanium or tungsten, which cannot be adjusted afterwards.

Measure at the end of the day when your hands are warm. Fingers are noticeably smaller first thing in the morning and in cold weather, which is how men end up with a ring that spins. If you are between sizes, go up, and go up again if the band is wide.

Custom mens wedding rings

If you have something specific in mind, or you want a band that sits correctly against an existing engagement ring, we make it from scratch in our own workshop.

Send us the idea, a photo or a reference on WhatsApp. We quote on the metal, width and finish you want. We make it to your exact size and deliver it insured. For anything involving stones or a shaped band, we send you a 3D design to approve before anything is made, the same process we use on custom engagement rings.

Engraving inside the band is straightforward on gold and silver, and possible on most of the other metals. Names, dates and short phrases all work. Ask before you order so we can confirm the character limit for the width you have chosen.

Buying both rings together

Most couples buy the two bands at the same time, and there are two things worth knowing.

Metals do not have to match. A titanium band next to a gold band is completely normal, and it usually comes down to what each person will actually wear rather than what looks consistent in a photograph.

Widths usually should not match. A 6mm band that suits a man will overwhelm most women’s hands, and a 2mm band disappears on a man. Choose each for the hand it goes on.

If her ring is a solitaire, a shaped or curved band will sit flush against it rather than leaving a gap. See wedding rings and gold rings for the ladies options, or send us a photo of the engagement ring and we will tell you what fits.

Production and delivery

Every band is made to order in your size rather than pulled off a shelf. That is why we ask for the size up front and why we would rather help you measure than guess.

Orders ship with a tracked, insured courier anywhere in South Africa, including Johannesburg, Pretoria, Durban, Cape Town, Gqeberha, Bloemfontein, East London and Pietermaritzburg. Delivery is free.

Not sure of your size? Do not guess, and do not measure at the end of a cold day. Message us and we will talk you through it in a couple of minutes. It takes less time than a return.

Looking after it

Warm water, mild soap, a soft brush and a dry cloth. That is genuinely all any of these metals need.

Take it off for weights, contact sport, heavy manual work and swimming pools. Chlorine is harder on jewellery than seawater, and a ring caught between a bar and your hand is how bands bend and fingers get hurt.

Sterling silver darkens over time. A silver cloth brings it back in a minute, and our silver care guide covers it properly. Gold, titanium, tungsten and zirconium do not tarnish at all.

Brushed finishes can be refreshed and polished finishes can be re-polished. Neither is a permanent state, so a scratched ring is not a ruined one.

Questions

Keep looking

Mens wedding rings by metal. Mens gold rings, mens titanium rings, mens tungsten rings and mens sterling silver rings.

Wedding and engagement. Wedding rings South Africa, all wedding rings, engagement rings, moissanite engagement rings and custom engagement rings.

More for him. Mens chains, mens bracelets and all mens jewellery.

Gold. Gold jewellery, gold rings, gold chains and necklaces, gold bracelets and gold earrings.

Silver. Sterling silver jewellery, silver rings and silver bracelets.

Guides. Mens wedding rings South Africa, gold jewellery South Africa and silver care guide.

Also worth a look: personalised jewellery for engraved pieces, and the Aria Jewellery homepage.