When it comes to something as important as men’s wedding rings, you don’t want to make a snap decision. Rings symbolise your relationship – you’ll want one that’s perfect, and crafted to last a lifetime.
You stop by your nearest jewellery shop to look at the options. The salesperson is helpful, but you didn’t realise gold rings could be so complicated!
Karats, colour, rhodium plating… what does it all mean?
To help you choose the perfect ring for you and your special someone, we’ve put together this quick crash course on the different types of gold men’s wedding rings.
Types of gold men’s wedding rings
Yellow gold
Gold the metal and gold the colour are practically synonymous – when you hear the words “gold wedding ring”, you immediately think of a shiny yellow colour.
Yellow gold is the ‘purest’ form of gold – that is to say, it has the highest concentration of actual gold content in it.
As the traditional colour of most wedding rings, yellow gold remains one of the most popular choices for men’s wedding rings. Dora offers rings in 9ct (37.5% pure gold), 14ct (57.5% pure gold), and 18ct (75% pure gold).
However, rarely is gold jewellery made of pure gold. In many cases, gold jewellery is made up of a combination of alloys which includes copper, silver, zinc, palladium and ruthenium.
The reason for this is simple: pure gold (24ct) is a relatively soft metal. This can make it difficult to work with and care for.
This is why many ring makers mix in other metals for added durability.
It’s also the reason that most ring manufacturers (Dora included) don’t offer gold-plated rings, as the thin gold on the surface is extremely prone to flaking or scratching, and simply doesn’t last.
In addition to affecting the attributes of your wedding ring like strength and shine, the exact alloy composition can be used to create different gold colours…
White gold
While gold is made of metals such as palladium, although other metals such as silver, zinc and ruthenium are also used. Like the name suggests, white gold is a gold alloy that features a higher portion of white.
Owing to the lower gold content, white gold men’s wedding rings also tend to be less expensive compared to yellow gold – no doubt this is one of the reasons that white gold is increasing in popularity!
Of course, it wouldn’t be this popular if it didn’t also look fantastic and wear extremely well: white gold is a popular wedding ring option owing to its clean, sleek, and contemporary look.
Finally, adding to these metals also leaves you with a stronger ring – exactly what you want from your wedding band.
DORA designs and crafts white gold men’s wedding rings in 9ct (37.5% pure gold) 14ct (57.5% pure gold) and 18ct (75% pure gold).
Explore DORA’s white gold men’s wedding rings.
Rose gold
Copper is a metal with a distinctive, rust-like colour to it. When alloyed with gold, it creates a light red-pink tone.
While many use the names rose, pink, and red gold interchangeably, each of these is a different composition.
Specifically, the copper content changes – the more copper, the stronger the red colouration.
- Red gold: has the highest copper content
- Rose gold: features moderate levels of copper
- Pink gold: uses the least copper
Additionally, many ringmakers will also add other metals to further modify the colour. For example, the addition of zinc changes the colour to a reddish-yellow.
Rose gold is increasingly popular among those who want a ring with a warmer colour to reflect their relationship. While white gold may be contemporary and yellow gold more traditional, rose gold wedding bands are having a type of renaissance in popularity, especially when combined with white gold or carbon fibre.
Others see rose gold as a vintage option, a look seen in antique jewellery. This results in a wedding band that looks like it has stood the test of time – just like your marriage will!
Explore DORA’s rose gold men’s wedding rings.
Rhodium plating
If it’s white gold that you’ve chosen for your wedding ring or band, you might want to look at rhodium plating your ring (sometimes called rhodium dip or flashing).
While we may call it white gold, the fact of the matter is that there’s always going to be a tinge of colour to it, thanks to the yellow gold content.
Rhodium plating is a process that gives white gold wedding rings their blinding white shine.
Rhodium is a silver-white coloured metal that’s part of the platinum group of metals (of which palladium and ruthenium are also a part of).
It’s rare, and extremely bright. As a result, it’s often added to white gold wedding bands to increase shine and lustre, lending white gold jewelry a pure white appearance.
In addition to its effect on appearance, rhodium plating can also make your wedding band more resistant to scratches and tarnishing, giving you a ring that lasts longer.
At Dora, we understand that you want your rings to last forever. That’s why all of our white gold rings are rhodium plated, unless requested otherwise.
Carats and karats, explained
When it comes to choosing a gold wedding ring, you’ll hear the word carat (cT) and karat (kT) being thrown around, often interchangeably.
In Australia, you won’t have to worry about which spelling you use, as they both refer to the same thing: the purity of your gold jewellery.
Down under, carats and karats both measure gold purity by measuring the amount of gold content in a piece of jewellery.
With most wedding rings nowadays making use of alloys for their physical or aesthetic qualities, this is a measurement that you’ll want to read up on before you go ring shopping.
Gold content is measured in 24ths, with 24 karats representing 100% pure gold.
So therefore, 12 karat gold is 50% pure gold and so on.
In Australia, our gold options are 18ct – 75%, 14ct – 58.5%, 9ct – 37.5%
The carat system is employed across most of the English-speaking world… with the exception of the US.
In the US, “carat” is used to measure the size of a gemstone, while “karat” is the spelling used for gold purity.
If you’re researching men’s rings online, you’ll want to pay careful attention to whether or not you’re visiting an American website, as it can make things confusing at times!
Explore DORA’s men’s wedding bands in Australia
There are few things you buy that should last forever – your wedding band is one of those things. At DORA, we ask you to consider this and we ask you not to compromise on this most important purchase. In return, we offer you the most perfectly made ring and an after sales service that satisfies like no other in the years that follow.
At DORA, we specialise in men’s wedding bands and rings. We believe in longevity – in addition to making quality rings, our team also offers a lifetime warranty on each special ring we create.
Want something customised? We can do that too! Create a ring that reflects your personality, style and relationship with our custom men’s wedding rings.
See something you like? We’ll help you find it in store! Tell us the style you’re after.
Alternatively, find your local stockist to discuss your wedding ring options and discover DORA rings are MADE TO MEAN MORE.
