Category: Sterling Silver Rings

Sterling silver rings South Africa

Part of the sterling silver jewellery collection at Aria Jewellery Palace. Solid 925 sterling silver rings, made and finished in Cape Town and delivered insured across South Africa, from R190 to R18,995.

Silver is where most people buy their second, third and fourth ring, and there is a good reason for that. A silver ring costs a tenth of the gold equivalent, so you can own a stack instead of a single piece, change your mind without regret, and still be wearing a real precious metal rather than plated brass.

There are 39 rings here, running from a R245 bar ring you would wear every day to custom statement pieces made to order. Everything is 925 unless a listing says plated, and plated pieces say so. If you want the same look in gold, the gold rings collection holds 66 pieces, and the full rings collection holds 104.

The silver rings available now

Ring	What it is	Price
Silver Parallel Bar Ring	Two fine parallel bars. The simplest ring here and the easiest to stack	R245
Sterling Silver Chevron Ring Set	A set of chevron bands designed to be worn together	R995
Sterling Silver Round Cluster Statement Ring	Small stones clustered to read as one larger one	R995
Name Ring	Cut to your wording, made to order	R1,750
Silver Triple Band Ring	Three bands in one piece, so it reads as a stack without being one	R1,795
Sterling Silver Cubic Zirconia Tube Set Ring	Stones tube set into the band, so nothing catches	R1,895
Sterling Silver Rectangular CZ Ring	A rectangular centre stone with clean lines	R1,995
Silver Round Tube CZ Ring	A round tube set stone, made in more than one size	R2,395
Custom Broad Bar Name Ring	A wide bar carrying a name or a date	R2,595
Princess Double Halo Statement Ring	A princess cut centre inside two rows of stones	R2,795
Princess and Emerald Statement Ring	Mixed cuts with blue stones. The most colourful piece here	R2,795
Silver 5 Stone Statement Ring	Five stones across the finger, a silver take on an eternity look	R2,895
Custom Made Silver Ring with Milgrain Finish	A beaded milgrain edge, made to order	R2,895
Custom Silver Square Geometric Statement Ring	Angular and architectural rather than traditional	R2,895
Multi Stone Square Flat Top Ring	A flat top set with 5x4mm stones. Sits close to the finger	R2,995
Custom Champagne Cushion Cut Ring	A warm champagne stone in a cushion cut	R3,595
Custom Silver and Gold Statement Ring	Silver with 9ct gold worked into it. The two metals in one piece	R4,295
Custom Pear Sterling Silver Ring	A 10x8mm pear stone. The largest single stone in the collection	R5,495

Several of these are made to order rather than held in stock, which is why the collection changes shape month to month. If something you have seen here before is not showing, ask, because it can usually be made again.

Ring sizes in South Africa

South Africa uses the letter scale, the same one used in the United Kingdom and Australia. Sizes run from about G at the smallest to Z at the largest, and most women land between L and P while most men land between S and V.

Letter size	Inside circumference	Typically
J	50.0mm	Small women’s fingers, and most little fingers
L	52.5mm	A common women’s size
N	55.1mm	The most common women’s size in South Africa
P	57.6mm	A common women’s size, and a small men’s size
R	60.2mm	Larger women’s fingers, smaller men’s
T	62.7mm	A common men’s size
V	65.3mm	The most common men’s size
X	67.8mm	Larger men’s fingers

To measure at home, cut a strip of paper about 6mm wide, wrap it around the base of the finger, mark where it overlaps and measure the length in millimetres against a ruler. That number is your inside circumference, and the table gives you the letter.

Three things throw the measurement out. Fingers swell in heat, so measure at the end of a normal day rather than first thing on a cold morning. A wide band needs a slightly larger size than a narrow one, so say which ring you are buying when you order. And knuckles matter more than the base of the finger, because the ring has to pass over the knuckle before it settles.

Resizing

Sterling silver resizes easily, which is one of its practical advantages over the harder metals. A plain band can go up or down by a size or two without a visible join, and it can be done more than once as your hands change.

What limits it is stone setting. A ring with stones running all the way around the band cannot be resized without disturbing the setting, so on eternity style rings the size has to be right at the point of ordering. If you are unsure, choose a ring with a plain back and stones only at the front.

Styles, and who each one suits

Style	What it is	Best for
Stacking rings	Fine bands worn several at a time, from R245	Building a look slowly, and the easiest entry point into silver
Statement and dress rings	A large centre stone or a broad worked band	One ring that does all the work on a bare hand
Cluster rings	Small stones grouped to read as one large one	Presence at a lower price than a single big stone
Halo rings	A centre stone ringed by smaller ones	Making the centre stone look considerably larger
Tube set rings	Stones set flush inside a metal collar	Hands that work, since nothing protrudes to catch
Name and personalised rings	Cut or engraved to your wording	Gifts that need to mean something specific
Toe rings	Fine adjustable bands	Summer, and the coast
Two tone	Silver worked with 9ct gold	Wearing silver alongside gold pieces without a clash

What cubic zirconia actually is

Most stone set silver rings use cubic zirconia, and it deserves an honest explanation rather than a marketing one.

Cubic zirconia is a man made stone that looks like a diamond to the naked eye when it is new. It rates about 8 to 8.5 on the Mohs scale, which is hard but well below diamond at 10 and moissanite at 9.25. That difference shows up over years rather than months, as the facet edges soften and the stone loses some of its brightness.

Which makes CZ excellent for what it is for. A R2,000 silver dress ring set with CZ gives you the look of something far more expensive, worn without anxiety, and replaced without heartbreak if it is lost. What it is not is a substitute for a stone meant to last a lifetime.

	Cubic zirconia	Moissanite	Diamond
Hardness	8 to 8.5	9.25	10
Holds brilliance	Softens over years of daily wear	Indefinitely	Indefinitely
Typical use here	Silver dress and statement rings	Engagement rings in gold	Engagement rings in gold
Price	Included in the ring price	From R10,990 in a made ring	From R17,250 in a made ring

Silver engagement rings, honestly

People search for silver engagement rings constantly, and the honest answer has two parts.

A silver ring set with CZ works well as a proposal ring, a placeholder, a travel ring or a stand in while a real ring is being made. It looks right in the photographs, it costs a fraction of the real thing, and nobody is upset if it goes missing on honeymoon.

What it does not do is last thirty years as a daily worn engagement ring. Silver is soft, so the band thins and the claws wear faster than gold, and CZ dulls. If the ring is meant to be permanent, put the money into a gold band and a harder stone. Aria’s moissanite engagement rings start at R10,990 in solid 9ct gold, lab grown diamond engagement rings at R24,990 and natural diamond engagement rings at R17,250. The full engagement rings collection holds 71.

Plenty of couples do both, and there is nothing wrong with it. Propose with silver, then design the real one together.

Custom silver rings

Roughly half of what leaves Aria’s workshop is made rather than bought in, and silver is the cheapest metal to design in, which makes it the sensible place to try an idea.

Six of the rings on this page are already custom pieces, including the Custom Pear Ring at R5,495, the Custom Silver and Gold Statement Ring at R4,295 and the Champagne Cushion Cut Ring at R3,595. Any of them can be remade in a different stone, width or size.

Send a photo or a sketch on WhatsApp with your size and budget. You get a quote before anything is made, and for anything complex a 3D render to approve first. The same process is set out in full on bespoke engagement rings South Africa.

Why silver tarnishes and what to do

Silver reacts with sulphur in the air, and the reaction speeds up with humidity, sweat, perfume, chlorine and sea air. Rings tarnish more slowly than chains because they are handled constantly, and the friction of wear keeps them bright.

What actually dulls a ring is buildup rather than tarnish. Hand cream, soap and sunscreen collect underneath a stone setting and behind the band, and no amount of polishing the top surface fixes it. Warm water, a drop of mild dish soap and a soft toothbrush, with attention to the underside of the setting, brings a silver ring back in two minutes.

Avoid toothpaste and bicarbonate. Both are abrasive enough to scratch a polished surface, and on a plated ring they take the plating off.

Stacking silver rings

Stacking is what silver is best at, because you can build a set for the price of one gold ring. Three fine bands at R245 to R295 each cost less than a single dress ring and give you far more range.

Vary texture rather than width. A plain band, a chevron and a bar ring worn together read as deliberate. Three identical plain bands read as an accident. Keep one finger for the stack and leave the others clear, or the whole hand becomes busy.

Mixing silver with a gold ring on the same hand works, particularly if one piece already carries both metals, which is what the Custom Silver and Gold Statement Ring does.

Silver rings as gifts

A ring is the hardest jewellery gift to size and the easiest to get emotionally right, which is an awkward combination.

Two ways round it. Borrow a ring she already wears on the finger you are buying for and bring it in, or send us the inside measurement across the middle in millimetres. Or buy a style that is size forgiving, which means a stacking ring worn on whichever finger it fits, or a piece that can be resized easily later.

For a gift that does not depend on size at all, a bangle or a chain is the safer route. Browse sterling silver bangles or sterling silver chains, both in the same metal and finish.

Which finger, and why it matters more than you think

Ring size changes from finger to finger on the same hand, usually by one to two letters, and the difference between your left and right hand is real too. Most people’s dominant hand is slightly larger.

The index and middle fingers take the largest sizes and carry wide statement rings best, because there is length to work with. The ring finger sits in the middle and is where most stone set rings end up. The little finger takes the smallest size, usually two to three letters below the ring finger, and suits a signet or a fine band rather than anything wide.

If you are buying a statement ring, decide the finger before you measure. Buying a size N because that is your engagement ring size, then wearing the new ring on your middle finger, is the most common reason a ring arrives and does not fit.

Silver rings for men

Silver suits men well, because a plain wide band in 925 costs a fraction of the gold version and takes daily wear without anyone worrying about it.

Aria’s men’s bands sit in mens sterling silver rings, from R1,095, in widths from 6mm to 8mm with bevelled edges, patterns and stone set options. If a man wants something heavier or in a harder metal, titanium and tungsten sit alongside them in the mens jewellery collection.

Explore the collection

Product counts are live.

Category	What is in it	Pieces
Sterling silver jewellery	The full 925 range, every type in one place	166
All rings	Silver, gold and stone set rings together	104
Gold rings	Solid 9ct dress rings, signets and stacking rings	66
Sterling silver chains	Curb, figaro, rope, omega and paper clip in 925	42
Sterling silver bracelets	Figaro, curb, ID and charm bracelets	33
Sterling silver earrings	Studs, hoops, drops and ear cuffs from R150	28
Sterling silver pendants	Crosses, hearts, initials and charms	16
Personalised rings	Name rings and engraved bands, made to order	9
Sterling silver bangles	Plain, hinged, disc and cuff bangles in 925	6

Caring for a silver ring

Do this	Why it matters	How often
Wash it in warm water with mild soap and a soft toothbrush	Buildup under the setting dulls a stone faster than tarnish dulls the metal	Fortnightly
Wipe the band with a silver polishing cloth	Lifts surface tarnish before it settles into detail and engraving	Monthly
Take it off for cleaning, gardening and the gym	Silver is soft, and bleach and chlorine attack the alloy	Every time
Store it in a closed pouch, not on a dressing table	Air is what feeds tarnish, and other rings scratch it	Daily
Have claws checked on stone set rings	Claws wear on silver faster than on gold, and that is how stones are lost	Every year or two

Delivery

Free insured delivery anywhere in South Africa, including Cape Town, Johannesburg, Pretoria, Durban, Gqeberha and Bloemfontein, tracked from our Table View workshop to your door. You are welcome to collect in person. Made to order and engraved rings need extra time, so order early for a birthday or an anniversary.

Questions

Keep looking

More silver. Sterling silver jewellery, sterling silver chains, sterling silver bracelets, sterling silver bangles, sterling silver earrings and sterling silver pendants.

More rings. All rings, gold rings, tanzanite rings, personalised rings and mens sterling silver rings.

For the proposal. Engagement rings, moissanite engagement rings, lab grown diamond engagement rings, wedding rings and bespoke engagement rings.

More gold. Gold jewellery, gold chains and gold pendants.

Or start from the Aria Jewellery Palace homepage.