Wedding rings

purple_butterfly28

Hi Everyone

I finally managed to convince the fiance to set foot in the jewellry shop where he got my engagement ring from to have a look at wedding rings this weekend.
He found one he liked (brushed titanium in a flat setting with 2 lines around it) and I found one I really liked that accentruated the diamond on my enagement ring but didn't overpower it.
Problem is that it is only available in 9ct white gold and I ideally want it in 18ct white gold to match my engagement ring. They were trying to tell me that although the metals will rub it will take a fair few years so shouldn't matter with re-plating.
But in my eyes the wedding band should last forever like the marriage.
The 9ct white gold ring is £199
http://www.hsamuel.co.uk/webstore/d/8912904/9ct+white+gold+diamond+shaped+band/
I did find one nearly the same in 18ct white gold for £399
http://www.hsamuel.co.uk/webstore/d/8089825/18ct+white+gold+u+shaped+diamond+ring/
but I havent' been able to try it on as they didn't have it in the store.

My question really is where has everyone else got their wedding rings from?
Did anyone go bespoke and if so where from and would you recommend them?

Thanks for your help in advance

dundeediva

Hi purple!

I just bought my wedding ring the other week. I've got an 18ct White gold solitaire engagement ring and the wedding ring is 9ct gold princess diamond set ring. My jeweller said although they're different densities of gold, at least they're the same metal so shouldn't b too bad with them rubbing.

I used goldsmiths

ruby_eskimo

OH had my ring made by a private jeweller. We went back there to get some quotes for wedding rings and he ended up being 20% cheaper than the same design on the high street. That's mainly because he was looking at the real price of the metals and then factoring in the cost of making them rather than have a flat price to cover any fluctuations in the market. For an 18ct yellow gold heavy weight band and a my platinum one it came to just under £1200, whereas the design OH wanted was almost that much alone in Beaverbrooks!

Evil_Olive

dundeediva wrote: »

My jeweller said although they're different densities of gold, at least they're the same metal so shouldn't b too bad with them rubbing. I used goldsmiths

I did silver/goldsmithing as part of my craft degree and that was terrible advice! :eek:
It is not the same metal.
18 carat gold is 75% pure gold (soft) and 25% other metals (hard)
This makes it a lot softer than 9 carat gold which is only 38% pure gold and 62% other hard metals. It will wear unevenly! It's also a slightly different colour.
The Rhodium plating that is put on white gold nowadays is very thin and tends to start wearing off after a month or so anyway so this will be no protection.

I would take any advice you get from staff in high street chains with a pinch of salt - they are not jewellers, they are salespeople.

Try little local independent jewellers that are in smaller parades of shops in residential areas rather than the town centre high street - the kind that often have a pawn shop attached - I got both my engagement and wedding rings (18k) in those and the wedding ring was around 25% cheaper than the same thing in any of the high street chains and was a little thicker/weightier. The engagement ring was less than half the price of the same thing in the high street chains and had a better grade diamond to boot.

purple_butterfly28

Thanks everyone for your replies.
That is what I always believed Evil Olive so I was very hesitant to believe the shop assistant.
I think I will definately look in some little independant jewellers this weekend (though they are hard to find around near me).
Definatley don't want something wearing away after a year or so. :eek:
My Engagement ring rhodium plating is already looking less sparkly than when I first got my ring last December.

They did tell me that I could get it re-plated for free if I brought it back within the first year so think I will be doing that soon.
I just don't like being without my ring and don't know if I can handle waiting 2 weeks lol

Evil_Olive

Glad to help

Sounds awful, but try looking in the less salubrious parts of town for those independent shops if you can't find them elsewhere - that's where I found a fair few of the ones I looked in, including the one we eventually bought from.

And don't discount the ones that are mainly a pawn shop but also sell new jewellery - people who're buying pieces off, possibly dodgy, punters day in day out have to know their stuff, or they'd go bust right?

RE: the re-plating...
I just decided not to re-plate mine at all
White gold never used to be plated - it's quite a recent fashion.
Modern brides like the 'bling' of it, according to a jeweller I spoke to

Real white gold is actually quite a pleasant, very pale, hint of lemon/champagne colour whereas Rhodium is very, very white and much shinier than gold - a bit like the chrome plating you get on taps.

When I thought of it like that, the shiny, shiny, mirror finish coating started to look cheap to me and I figured, why buy something made of gold and then cover it up

I decided to let it wear off and see how I liked it, and I'm very pleased so far Saving cash, and I never have to be without it.

Leanne200

I recently seen this company at a wedding fair, they don't have stores so no overheads and they come to your home. They are worth checking out, we are considering booking an appointment

http://www.goldfinger-rings.com/about-us

Paulaviki

Mine came from Wedding Rings Direct, they have a shop in Brighton but also send out silver versions of rings in the post so you can try the size and shape at home. I was really pleased with my ring as it perfectly fits against my unusual shaped engagement ring. They do offer a bespoke service as well.

sharnad

My engagement ring is a 18 ct yellow gold triple diamond ftom a jewellers and my wedding ring is a 9th second hand ring. Its the only one that would fit

sillyvixen

my engagement ring is 18 ct gold, my wedding ring is 9 ct gold - my Nan gave me her ring in 2 pieces as she had to have it cut off a few days before she died. I promised her I would have it repaired, i have worn it on my right hand ever since. it just seems fitting to use it as my own wedding ring now the time has come.

actually my other half choose the 18 ct ring as he had an inkling i would used my Nan's ring - as it is older gold the modern 18 ct is a better colour match for the older 9 ct ring.

you can actually see where the ring has been repaired with modern 9 ct gold as the colour is different - there is even a small scratch that has been infilled where the ring cutter slipped.

Idiophreak

My wife's is platinum from Tiffany. Off the top of my head, it was £300 and something 3 years ago.

I got a palladium one from the JQ for much the same price. (mine, obviously, is rather larger than hers)