Wedding Rings South Africa

What is the difference between a wedding ring and an engagement ring

An engagement ring marks a proposal and is usually worn alone until the wedding. A wedding ring is exchanged at the ceremony and worn daily afterwards, often stacked against the engagement ring on the same finger. Wedding rings do not need to match each other. Many couples choose the same metal in different widths, or two different metals entirely.

Which metal for a wedding ring in South Africa

The metal decides three things at once. How much it costs, whether it can be resized later, and how it survives daily contact with your hands.

Gold is the only metal here that gets easier to keep as it ages. It marks over decades rather than months, and a jeweller can always refinish it. Titanium and tungsten trade that flexibility for hardness. Once either is custom made, it stays exactly that size for life, which is why we confirm your measurement before we cut or cast either one. If your weight is moving, or you are unsure of your size, gold or platinum is the safer starting point.

9ct, 14ct and 18ct gold, and which one to choose

Gold purity is measured in karats, and it changes strength as much as it changes colour. 9ct gold contains 37.5% pure gold and is the most durable of the three for daily wear, which is why it is the most common choice for a working wedding ring. 14ct sits in the middle. 18ct is richest in colour and highest in pure gold content, but marks more easily. All three come in yellow gold, white gold and rose gold.

Platinum sits above all three gold options on density and durability. It does not need rhodium plating the way white gold does, so it never needs replating to stay white, and it develops a soft matte patina over years rather than losing colour. It is also the heaviest metal on this page, which some people want and others find too much on the hand. Because platinum is priced per design rather than sold at a fixed rate, ask us for a quote against the specific style you have in mind.

Titanium and tungsten, the hardwearing option

Titanium and tungsten resist scratches far better than any precious metal, cost a fraction of the price, and cannot be resized once custom made. Titanium is the lighter of the two. Tungsten carbide is denser, closer in feel to white gold, and harder again, sitting between 9 and 9.5 on the Mohs scale against titanium's 6. Our tungsten wedding ring guide covers finishes, plating and care in more depth if that is the metal you are leaning towards.

Because neither can be altered afterwards, we ask for your measurement in writing before we ship. Order the size you wear in a narrow ring and a wide tungsten or titanium band in that same size will feel tighter, since a wider band grips more of the finger. Half a size up is the usual correction on anything 6mm or wider.

Moissanite and lab diamond wedding rings

A wedding band does not have to be plain metal. Eternity bands set with moissanite or lab grown diamonds run the length of the band rather than sitting as a single centre stone, and work equally well worn alone or stacked against an engagement ring.

Moissanite scores 9.25 on the Mohs scale, close to lab grown diamond and easily hard enough for daily wear. It throws more coloured light than a diamond, which some people choose deliberately and others prefer to avoid, so the two are a style choice rather than a quality trade off.

Womens wedding rings

Womens wedding rings run narrower and lighter on average than mens bands, and far more of them carry stones. A plain gold band, a half eternity ring with stones across the top half only, and a full eternity band set with stones all the way round are the three basic shapes, and the shape you pick affects both price and whether the ring can be resized later.

A plain or half eternity band can be resized the same way a mens gold band can, because there is bare metal on the inside edge for a jeweller to work with. A full eternity band has stones set all the way round the inside, so there is no bare metal left to cut or add. If you choose a full eternity design, treat the sizing step with the same care you would for tungsten: confirm your size before we set the stones, because the ring cannot be altered once it is made.

Contour and curved bands are worth mentioning on their own. They are shaped to follow the profile of a specific engagement ring so the two sit flush with no gap, and they only work well against the ring they were designed for. Send us a photo of your engagement ring before ordering a contour band and we will confirm the fit works before you pay.

Wedding ring sets

A wedding ring set pairs a mens band and a womens band, usually made in the same metal and finished to complement each other without being identical. Most couples do not match width or design exactly. A common pairing is a 4mm to 6mm plain or bevelled gold band for him against a slimmer 2mm to 3mm band or eternity ring for her, in the same gold tone. Browse the full wedding ring sets collection to see current pairings, or send us both ring preferences and we will put a set together for you.

Width and profile, and how each one wears

If you are unsure, comfort fit in 4mm to 5mm is the safest starting point. It is the width and profile combination we custom make the most of, and it suits almost every hand shape and lifestyle.

What people actually buy, and why

How your ring gets made

Gold, platinum, moissanite and lab diamond rings are custom made rather than pulled off a shelf. Once you confirm your metal, width, profile and size, we build a 3D render of the exact ring and send it to you for approval before anything is cast. You see what you are getting before we craft it, and changes at that stage cost nothing since production has not started. Once you approve the render, the ring is cast, set if it carries stones, polished and quality checked before it ships. Titanium and tungsten skip this step, since they are held in standard sizes and finishes ready to send.

Sizing a ring you will wear for life

Get measured at the end of the day, when your hands are at their largest, never first thing in the morning or straight after exercise. Use our ring size guide as a starting point. If you already wear a ring on that finger, measure its inside diameter and send that to us rather than guessing from a size chart. Right hand and left hand sizes commonly differ by one to two letters on the same finger, so measure the hand the ring is actually going on.

On gold and platinum bands, we can resize up to two sizes either way after the fact, free of charge. On titanium and tungsten, there is no correction after production, so we confirm your measurement with you directly before we cut the ring.

How long it takes

Turnaround depends entirely on the metal. Gold, platinum, and moissanite or lab diamond wedding rings are custom made to your exact size, and production runs four to six weeks. Titanium and tungsten wedding rings are held in stock in standard sizes and ship within three to five working days, the faster option if you need a ring quickly and your size is already confirmed. If you are working to a wedding date, tell us when you order rather than after, and we will confirm whether the timeline is realistic before you pay.

Caring for a wedding ring

Warm water, a drop of dish soap and a soft toothbrush handles all four metals. Avoid ultrasonic cleaners on any ring with an organic or resin inlay. Store rings separately so they do not scratch each other in a drawer, and take any ring off before contact with harsh chemicals, chlorine, or heavy gym equipment. Gold and platinum can be professionally polished if the surface dulls. Titanium and tungsten hold their finish on their own and rarely need attention beyond a rinse.

Questions