Men’s engagement rings

It’s becoming increasingly common for men to wear engagement rings.

In the past men have generally only worn a wedding ring, though today, more men are choosing to wear an engagement ring also.

Men’s engagement ring designs

The distinction between the design of a men’s engagement ring and men’s wedding ring is far less obvious than it is for ladies rings.

However, one popular determining factor when considering the actual design of the rings is that men’s engagement rings will often feature a diamond.

Men’s engagement rings

Suited as a men’s engagement or wedding ring

Though naturally a diamond is optional, depending upon the taste of the groom-to-be.

Men’s engagement rings are also normally made in 18ct yellow gold or 18ct white gold (or two tone), or platinum.

Otherwise, there aren’t really any guidelines when it comes choosing the design of a men’s engagement ring.

Wearing 2 rings – a men’s engagement ring and men’s wedding ring

Generally, if a men’s engagement ring is worn, it will continue to be worn as an engagement ring after the wedding, in addition to a separate ring which is worn as the wedding ring from the wedding ceremony onwards.

Where to wear the men’s engagement ring and wedding ring – Same finger or different finger?

It is possible to wear both the men’s engagement and men’s wedding ring on the same finger (wedding ring finger on the left hand), though men’s rings are often quite wide, so wearing two rings on the same finger isn’t always practical or comfortable.

Most men choose to wear the men’s engagement ring on the wedding ring finger until the wedding ceremony. They then move the men’s engagement ring from the ‘wedding ring’ finger, to another finger on the other hand.

That way, after the ceremony, the wedding ring is worn on the wedding ring finger on the left hand, and the engagement ring is worn on the right hand. The right hand ‘ring finger’ is the most common, though, the finger that the engagement ring is worn on after the ceremony is entirely a matter of personal preference.

Using the same ring as a men’s engagement ring and men’s wedding ring

It’s possible to use the ‘one ring’ as both a men’s engagement and wedding ring – whereby the ring is initially worn as an engagement ring – as a symbol of the engagement and pending nuptials, and then after the wedding, the ring is worn as a wedding ring.

This ‘transitioning’ concept isn’t all that common, though, as you may have already noticed, when it comes to men’s engagement rings there aren’t any hard and fast rules – so at the end of the day, it really comes down to the couple’s wishes and preferences.

See men’s engagement rings here and men’s wedding rings here.

Stainless steel pendant

If you have decided to look past the tie and sock aisle of your local department store for a men’s birthday gift – good for you! A lot of people are surprised by the range and suitability of men’s jewelry that is available nowadays. Couple this with the fact that men’s jewelry is becoming more widespread, and worn even by the real ‘man’s men’, and you have a whole new world of gift ideas!

If your man’s birthday falls between the 23rd of September and 22nd of October, he is a Libran. This gives you a range of starting points – the birthstone for October birthdays is the opal, which is available in many more varieties than the standard blue-green, very colorful and almost feminine type. Opal is also available in white and black varieties – nomination bracelet links are available in subtly individual white opal, for example. Other birthstones for Librans are the sapphire and the lapis, whose beautiful deep blue to green colors make them ideal for strong, confident men, who like to be individuals.

The metals associated with Libra are steel, gold and platinum – really quite handy if you are thinking about a jewelry gift for their birthday! Our personal pick (although it may need to be an integrated birthday and Christmas persent, at least!), is the platinum and white gold ring, with beautiful barely-there striations of each metal throughout the piece. For subtle, integrated jewelry pieces for men that don’t really like wearing jewelry (although we find it hard to imagine such a person!), have a look at the range of tie clips, money clips, and cufflinks – all available in steel, gold or platinum pieces.

For Scorpios, or those born between October 24 and November 22, the metal for their starsign is also steel – stainless steel is the obvious choice for a jewelry base. Luckily for you, stainless steel is a popular material in mens jewelry, and it is available in colors like black and red, as well as the traditional silvery look of stainless steel. Men should appreciate the hardy, long-lasting, no-nonsense qualities of stainless steel, as well as the simple but classy stylings of the men’s jewelry pieces in our range.

Platinum engagement ring

The earliest known use of platinum dates back to 7^th Century BC, when it was used to craft caskets in Egypt. Its use for this purpose shows that even the earliest civilizations valued platinum as an important and precious metal. Today, platinum is one of the most demanded metals in the bridal market. It’s popularity is beginning to surpass white and yellow gold in engagement rings, and is growing increasingly favoured as the metal for both men’s and lady’s wedding bands.

But what is it about platinum that makes it so popular, and also so expensive?

Platinum is very popular because of its many advantages. Unlike white gold, which has to be rhodium plated to achieve its brilliant white shine, platinum is a naturally white metal that will never require re-plating. Platinum is also a little harder wearing than gold, making it less susceptible to, though not completely impervious to, the signs of everyday wear and tear.

There are three reasons why platinum jewelry is relatively expensive as compared to gold or white gold jewelry.

Platinum wedding ring

The metal platinum is a more expensive metal than gold as it’s a more rare metal and there are difficulties involved with mining it, which also adds to its price. Platinum is also used in a much higher concentrations in jewelry than the proportion of gold used in jewelry. The platinum alloy used in jewelry consists of 85% to 95% platinum, that’s 850 to 950 parts platinum for every thousand parts. Gold jewelry conversely generally uses a maximum of 75% or 750 parts gold per thousand parts for 18ct jewelry, or less gold for 14ct, 10ct or 9ct jewelry.

Whilst traditionally platinum was mixed with an alloy of gold, it is now combined with another member of the platinum family such as palladium or iridium which helps to retain its whiteness. Palladium is also more expensive than gold and it has a metal price more comparable with platinum than gold. This change in alloy mix has also contributed to raising the price of platinum.

Platinum is also a denser heavier metal than gold, making a ring design made in platinum heavier than the same ring design made in 18ct gold. As the metal price is calculated based on gram weight, this density or heaviness, also contributes to making platinum more expensive than 18ct gold.

Titanium ring

Titanium is becoming an increasingly popular metal for men’s jewelry pieces. Titanium is admired for its unique properties including its lightweight nature, strength, its resistance to corrosion and its innovative addition to the jewelry industry.

Gillett’s Jewellers offers a wide variety of titanium jewelry including wedding rings, fashion rings and bracelets.

Most men and women will choose titanium because of the style, durability and the fact that titanium is a hypoallergenic metal. Meaning titanium does not react with any skin types.

Blue moon colored titanium ring

Titanium is as strong as steel and 45% lighter! It is a white/silvery metallic color.

If you are looking for something different to traditional yellow and white gold, titanium is a great alternative. Not only is it everything mentioned previously but also it is very affordable.

Gillett’s Jewellers also offers a unique ‘design your own’ titanium ring section. It allows you to choose your ring color, add gemstones, add inlay stripes and choose the ring width. It becomes your very own created jewelry piece at a very affordable price.

The different coloring of the titanium rings is caused by oxidisation. It is not paint, plate or pigment. Oxidisation occurs through a heating process that then at different stages will change the titanium to different colors.

Celtic Tungsten Ring

If you’re looking for a wedding ring that’s husband proof, then a tungsten wedding ring is the ring to choose.

Tungsten wedding rings, are made with a metal called tungsten carbide, a very hard, strong and durable metal.

Tungsten rings have a characteristic unique to this special metal – tungsten is highly scratch resistant.

Unlike gold, platinum and even titanium, tungsten rings do not scratch with everyday wear like the other metals do.

Tungsten rings

Having a wedding band that’s scratch resistant offers a lot of advantages.

Tungsten rings always look new and bright and shiny. They don’t need the polishing maintenance that gold, platinum and titanium rings do. They can stand up to the wear that even the roughest husbands can dish-out.

Tungsten has an appealing color which almost all men like. The tungsten color is a grey-white color, similar to that of white gold or silver.

An increasing number of tungsten ring designs are also now available. This gives men the ability to choose a practical design that meets their own personality too.

If it’s scratch proof and style that you’re looking for, you need look no further than tungsten wedding rings.

Tungsten rings

Free delivery is now available for the new tungsten rings at Gillett’s Jewellers!

Tungsten rings are the ultimate choice for today’s man.

Tungsten offers a unique characteristic that makes it a great choice for men’s wedding rings – it’s highly scratch resistant!

Tungsten rings, made from a metal called tungsten carbide, are more scratch resistant than the other precious metals used in wedding rings such as titanium, platinum and gold. This means that tungsten rings stand up better to everyday wear, and keep looking newer for longer. This is especially important for men’s wedding rings, as men tend to be a lot tougher on their wedding rings than ladies are.

Unlike titanium rings that are quite light-weight, tungsten has a heavy, dense feel that makes it especially suited to men’s rings.

Discover the appeal of the tungsten wedding ring today.

Black titanium ring

Black titanium is the choice of the modern husband-to-be looking for an alternative to the traditional gold wedding band.

Black titanium wedding rings offer a style all their own.

With the appeal of a fashion ring, yet carrying the symbolic characteristics of a wedding ring, the black titanium ring matches the modern man’s lifestyle.

Night Sky titanium ring

Black titanium is the ultimate choice for coordinating with men’s accessories. It matches perfectly with black watch faces and black watch bands, black belts and black shoes.

Titanium is a very strong and durable metal, making it a great choice for wedding rings.

Of all the titanium colors available, black is also the most durable and stands up to everyday wear best.

If jet black isn’t for you, more subtle black colors are available including Night Sky, Black Rainbow and Solar Ash colors.

If simple yet stylish is your plan, a black titanium band is for you.

Ruby and diamond wedding ring

Red rubies are the preferred choice of many ladies for their engagement rings and wedding rings today.

Red rubies are stunning, so it’s not surprising that they’re popular, though there’s a highly practical reason for choosing a red ruby for your rings.

Red rubies are particularly well suited to engagement and wedding rings.

Ruby wedding ring

Red rubies are durable enough to stand up to the everyday wear that wedding and engagement rings receive.

Rubies are a very hard gemstone. Rubies (like sapphires), have a hardness of 9.0 on the Mohs scale. (The Mohs scale is the scale used to measure the hardness of gemstones).

Of all the gemstones and all the natural substances in the world, rubies and sapphires are the second hardest substance, second only to diamonds!

This special hardness property of rubies makes them especially suited to jewelry, especially for everyday wear, making them a fantastic choice for wedding rings and engagement rings!

From a design and appeal point of view, the red color of rubies makes a wonderful alternative to the traditional white diamond ring.

A combination of rubies and diamonds is a desirable option. The red of rubies looks fantastic with the white color of diamonds. The contrasting red and white gemstones are especially enhanced by white gold settings.

Of all of the alternate gemstones for engagement and wedding rings, rubies and sapphires are the number one choice!

Princess cut diamond wedding ring

Choosing a diamond wedding ring just became easier!

Follow these simple six steps to know which diamond wedding ring is right for you.

Your wedding ring needs to sit neatly next to your engagement ring. Depending upon your engagement ring design, you may be able to wear a straight edged wedding ring or you may need to wear a curved or fitted wedding ring.

For the purpose of this article we’ll assume that you can wear a straight edged wedding ring. See our curved and fitted wedding rings information page for more info on these types.

For straight edged wedding rings, once you answer these six questions, you’ll know which wedding ring to choose.

1. What type of diamond is best for your wedding ring?
2. What style of diamond setting should you use?
3. How may diamonds you should have in your wedding ring?
4. What metal to have your wedding ring made in?
5. What width your wedding ring should be?
6. What band shape your ring should be?

See diamond wedding rings at the Gillett’s Jewellers web site for inspiration on wedding ring styles.

Baguette and princess cut diamond wedding ring

Brilliant cut channel set wedding ring

Grain set diamond wedding ring

Princess cut diamond wedding ring

Prong set diamond wedding ring

Baguette cut channel set diamond wedding ring

Grain set diamond wedding ring

Baguette and princess cut diamond wedding ring

Hammer set diamond wedding ring

Prong set diamond wedding ring

Prong set diamond wedding ring

Baguette cut diamond wedding ring

Full circle prong set diamond wedding ring

Diamond wedding ring

Diamond shape

Round diamonds, also known as brilliant cut diamonds are the most popular choice for diamond wedding rings.

The diamond shape traditionally matches the shape of the diamond used in your engagement ring. If you have an engagement ring with one round diamond, you would choose round diamonds for your wedding ring. See round diamond wedding rings for a selection of these styles.

If you have a princess cut diamond engagement ring, you would choose princess cut diamonds for your wedding ring. See princess cut diamond wedding rings.

If your engagement ring has a round diamond in the center, with princess cut diamonds in the band, you would choose princess cut diamonds for the wedding ring.

If your engagement ring has a round diamond or emerald cut diamond in the center, and baguette cut diamonds in the engagement ring band, you would choose baguette cut diamonds for your wedding ring. See baguette cut diamond wedding rings.

Diamond setting

There are three main types of diamond settings that are used in wedding rings – channel setting, grain setting and hammer setting.

Channel setting is by far the most popular.

Channel setting is a setting style where the diamonds sit in a row where the diamonds touch each other without metal in between.

Channel set diamonds offers the brightest most sparkling option. See channel set diamond wedding rings.

Grain setting uses four mini-prongs on each corner of the diamond to hold the diamond in place. Grain setting is also known as pave setting. See grain set diamond wedding rings.

Hammer setting is a miniature form of bezel or rub over setting. Hammer setting requires that the diamonds be spaced apart in the band. See hammer set diamond wedding rings.

If you have a solitaire diamond engagement ring, you can choose any of the diamond setting styles for your wedding ring.

If you have an engagement ring with channel set diamonds in the band, you should match that setting with channel set diamonds in the wedding ring.

If you have an engagement ring with grain set diamonds in the band, you should match that setting with grain set diamonds in the wedding ring.

How many diamonds?

If you have a solitaire engagement ring, you can choose as many diamonds in your wedding ring as you like.

For solitaire engagement rings, 7 diamonds is the most popular choice for the wedding ring.

Whichever number you choose, it’s best to choose an odd rather than even number of diamonds for the wedding ring as the proportions of an odd number of diamonds looks best. 5 or 9 diamonds are also popular choices.

For engagement rings that have diamonds in the band of the engagement ring, it’s best to have the wedding ring look like it was made to match the engagement ring. To achieve that, it’s best to have the diamond span across the wedding ring and match the same span of the diamonds on the engagement ring.

The size of the diamonds should also match the size of the diamonds in the engagement band when possible.

Which metal?

It’s generally best to have your wedding ring made in the same metal as the engagement ring.

If your engagement ring is yellow gold, you would have a yellow gold wedding ring.

It is best to also match the gold carat – with an 18ct engagement ring you would have an 18ct wedding ring.

It is possible to have a different carat if required, though it’s best to choose the same carat, preferably 18ct when possible.

Ring width

When choosing the width of your wedding ring, you need to consider the width of your engagement ring. You should do this for two reasons:

1. You need to consider the length of your fingers and how much room is available between the base of your finger and your knuckle to comfortably wear a ring
2. In keeping with the strategy of having your two rings look like they were made to be together, you need to consider the proportions of both rings. If the widths of both rings are proportional to one another, the rings be appear to compliment each other better.

The width of the engagement ring will strongly influence the width of your diamond wedding band.

When considering the width of the engagement ring, you should consider the width of the engagement ring on the side or base of the ring, not the top gemstone setting width.

As a general guide, a diamond wedding ring should be either the same width or very slightly wider than the engagement ring band.

Most wedding rings are 3mm or 3.5mm in width.

Band shape

If you turn your engagement ring on its side and look at the engagement ring band you will see that the band has a shape. The most common types of band shapes are softly rounded, high domed and flat.

Most engagement rings are made with a soft rounded shape. The soft rounded shape has a gentle curve to the outside of the band. The gentle curve is about half way between a high domed and flat shape.

A flat band has a flat outside surface with flat edges.

A high dome band has a slightly exaggerated rounded shape to it. High domed bands are most often made in narrower widths.

Your wedding ring should ideally have the same band shape as your engagement ring. Try to identify the shape of your engagement ring then look for a wedding ring that has the same or a similar band shape.

It is not essential that the band shapes be the same, though the rings will sit better together and look better together if they have the same band shape.

For example, a high domed band may look a little odd next to a flat style band.

After answering these six questions, you should now be able to more easily find your perfect diamond wedding ring!

1ct Diamond Engagement ring

Traditionally ladies wear both an engagement ring and a wedding ring.

The engagement ring is given or purchased at the time that the couple becomes engaged.

On the wedding day, the groom gives the wedding ring to the bride.

Then after the ceremony and into the future, both rings are normally worn together on the same finger.

Diamond wedding ring

Gold wedding ring

White Gold Engagement ring

Of the two rings, most couples invest a higher proportion of their money in the engagement ring.

The engagement ring is traditionally the larger, more attention-seeking of the two rings.

Engagement rings traditionally have a larger diamond or gemstone, possibly with additional diamonds.

The wedding ring is usually designed to match and sit next to the engagement ring.

The wedding ring is often a plain band, a band with a row of diamonds, or a design to match the theme of the engagement ring.

The wedding and engagement ring are traditionally worn on the left hand, on the finger between the index finger and pinkie finger.

The wedding ring sits at the base of the finger and the engagement ring sits next to it, closer to the knuckle.

Naturally, this is just the traditional approach. Some ladies prefer to wear just the one ring rather than two rings. Ladies choosing that option often choose a wider ring that is designed to represent both the engagement and wedding ring.