Thinking there is a difference in rings? More info

[cultkid]

Hey so it's my anniversary next month and we have been married 8 years
My husband lost his ring the first year we married and I want to replace it for his anniversary
I don't work so I'm selling a handbag to buy it for him so it's a surprise

I've looked online and seen a few rings my budget is around £200

I've called a lovely jewler who my friend recommended to me and they said they can do a 9ct 3mm men court ring for £210 in white gold

I looked online and I can see a couple of better prices BUT I don't know if the ring is going to be better quality if not from a website of a sort of cheaper place
What do you think shall I get it online or from the one I called (they were very nice on phone much more helpful then the others I've called)

I want to use somewhere with a good service
I know it isn't much money but it's what I can afford and I know he will be touched

Thank you

That's a really lovely idea to get your husband a new ring!

For something like this, I personally would go to the jeweller your friend recommended (if they can do it within your budget - obviously don't get something you know you can't afford). Online could be a risk unless it's a big, reputable company that also sells on the high street - you don't know what the service is like, you're not seeing the ring in real life until it arrives, and if there was a problem with it, you might have trouble getting it resolved if you go online for something cheaper.

I bought my wedding ring in 1986 for £18 in a jewellers sale. I've worn it everyday for the past 36yrs and it looks exactly as it did when I bought it.

If it's gold I don't see what could be different about the price, 9ct gold is 9ct gold wherever you buy it surely?

Online shops have lower overheads so can reflect this is their prices. It doesn’t mean the product will be inferior. Though for something like jewellery, particularly if you might need to have it resized, it might be preferable to buy from a physical shop rather than potentially have to post it back for resizing.

OP, unless you have a specific reason for wanting White Gold I would avoid it.

Most White Gold rings are flash plated with a very, very thin coating of rhodium (a pure white metal) to give them a more brilliant, pure white appearance. This rhodium plating will wear off over time and reveal the (yellow) gold ring underneath. Then they will need replating.

I agree with this. I have a platinum engagement ring and a palladium wedding ring to avoid having to replate. There is a no noticeable difference.

As a jeweller I would usually recommend platinum over 18ct white gold for the reason it won't need re plating, is a denser metal and will keep its whiteness.(and is currently cheaper)
18ct white gold is alloyed with palladium so it is different to yellow gold without plating, but it still can sometimes look yellow-ish when the rhodium plating wears off.

However given the OPS budget she probably can't get a platinum or palladium one for that price.

OP are the rings the same weight? You get varying weights of wedding rings, some are very light weight which would make them cheaper?

A lot of people are allergic to white gold. I had a white gold ring that I got awful blisters and rashes from when the rhodium plating wore off. Had to have it recoated regularly. Better off with platinum if you can stretch to it, or even silver.

It’s concerning that you are married and don’t have access to any money though.

OP didn't say she doesn't have access to money.

When I was still with dcs dad, and was a sahm I couldn't have spent £200 without him asking what I'd spent it on. Not because I wasn't "allowed" but he'd wonder where it had gone.

You've entirely missed the point

I have access to all the money I need. This is a surprise, I want to make the present a surprise

Our savings our joint
Our bank account is joint

I don't work I am with the kids...
so I want to get the ring without taking money out of our joint bank account. It's nice to buy it for him with money that is mine. I worked very hard to buy the handbag many years ago.

Hope this clears it up..

Does he want a right gold ring? I have a not wedding ring in white gold and it's like butter compared to my platinum rings. It's dented beyond belief.

@FrankTheThunderbird

Thank you this is EXACTLY the point

I take about 1500 a month and put it in my account and I spend that on food / kids/ nails

I don't usually have £200 hanging around especially not at the end of the month

If I took more money out our joint account that would be no problem at all- but £200 that wasn't spent on groceries or my nails/ he would notice! So I want to surprise him. That's all!!

Thanks these are all really helpful tips.

Yes I know it wears off but it's his style really it can be replated if needed

I personally wear yellow gold ring and engagement ring very antique style but he's a bit more plain. As the time goes by and it wears back to yellow im sure he will become accustomed to it

I think I'll get it from the jewellers I have been connected with because they are really kind

I've seen some 4mm ones for a similar price but I don't know if they have the same finish as this jewellers and in a way I prefer to buy from a shop from a family run business that is well established and respected.

Interesting information about the allergy. He didn't have an allergy to the white gold originally but could he be allergic now? Is that a thing? Thank you

Hmm. He did dent his original one. It's what he chose originally

Is yellow gold harder wearing

I love the idea of palladium or platinum
But I can't afford that and I don't want to use money from our joint account for that

He's not very materialistic
My engagement ring is like 100 years old and I love it and my wedding band was really cheap too but I still love it and what the sentiment is. But mine are yellow gold and have not dented
Should I ask for a price on yellow gold instead xx

@Anonmousse

I've asked them how thick the ring is would that be useful to know?

Is the weight the 9ct or is that another bit? Sorry I am so clueless

I wonder is yellow gold cheaper then white
Thank you

I agree with the others regarding white gold, have you looked at titanium rings as there are some lovely modern rings (I particularly like the black titanium).

I've never even heard of them
I wonder if they are in budget

He's a big guy he's 6ft 3 and large

He's also a plumber so I know he will have to take it off for work so he doesn't hurt his fingers but I wonder if he might like black a bit more
I'll have a look

Does it have to be gold? There are some lovely tungsten rings available. Mine in tungsten with a gold inlay

Yes definitely in budget! It sounds like they would be right up his street.

Oh these are interesting I think he would like these yes
I wonder how to gauge it without giving it away

I don't want to let the cat out of the bag I always accidentally tell him when I do a surprise I get so excited

It used to be things like woolrich coats and weekends in Lisbon but life with three kids means we don't do that any more. I feel a bit sad I don't have heaps of my own money to do it but it's for a happy reason

Thank you for taking the time to share the photos with me they are helpful and it's kind of you to make that effort to explain them to me

I'm very not anonymous on here and he's such a gorgeous guy I love him with my heart and soul

Are you sure about a 3mm ring?
It's pretty narrow, especially for a man's ring.

The sentiment is lovely. I'd seriously look at a wider ring in titanium tho.

I like your rings but I think he will prefer something plainer

I'm very classic taste for my rings here are mine they are not valuable in money but they are priceless to me

They also need a clean 😂

He has rather large hands as well.. I did think this it's just he is very not showy and I feel weird about it

I could ask them for a 4mm it's not too much more maybe another £40 I think

So maybe I need to do that

There are plainer ones available. They have a nice weight about them

9ct refers to the purity of gold so

-9ct is 9 parts out of 24 alloyed with other metals

• 18ct is 18 parts out of 24 alloyed with other metals

-22ct is 22 parts, etc and 24 ct is pure gold. (Gold itself is actually quite soft - 22ct and 24ct are much softer and easily dented than 9ct)

Silver is also very soft.

9ct white gold is the same purity as 9ct yellow gold but theyre alloyed with different metals to give the different colours.

Wedding rings will be priced by weight so for example a 9ct 3mm lightweight one might be 3g and a 9ct 3mm heavyweight one might be 4g as its a bit thicker.

Hope this makes sense!

Married for 8 years in October
Together for ten years in March next year
Three children, lots of sickness and hard times and so much JOY, too!

We have been through a lot
Here we are celebrating my birthday a few weeks ago