Wedding Rings: Metals, Hallmarking, and When to Buy

Wedding rings are one of the few wedding purchases you'll use every day for the rest of your life, so they deserve more thought than a quick trip to a jeweller a month before the day. Bridebook's 2026 figures put average spend on rings and wedding jewellery at about £1,060 - but the range is huge, and the choice of metal matters more than the price for how they'll look in ten years.

The metals, and what they're like to live with

• Platinum - naturally white, dense, and very hard-wearing. It doesn't need re-plating, but it develops a soft satin patina over time that some people love and others have polished away. Usually the most expensive option.
• Palladium - in the same family as platinum, naturally white, and much lighter to wear. Usually cheaper than platinum, though prices move with the metal markets.
• White gold - gold alloyed with white metals and usually plated with rhodium for a bright white finish. The plating wears over time, revealing a slightly warmer tone underneath, so white gold rings typically need re-plating every year or few to stay bright - a small ongoing cost to factor in.
• Yellow and rose gold - classic warm tones that don't need plating. Rose gold gets its colour from copper in the alloy.

9ct or 18ct? The number tells you how much pure gold is in it: 9ct is 37.5% gold, 18ct is 75%. 9ct is cheaper and, because of the harder metals mixed in, often more scratch-resistant; 18ct has a richer colour and feels more substantial. Both are proper gold.

Matching your engagement ring

• Choose the same metal as your engagement ring if you'll wear them together. Rings rub against each other all day, and a harder metal can gradually wear down a softer one.
• Check how they sit together. Some engagement ring settings sit low or stick out, leaving a gap or stopping a straight band from sitting flush. A shaped or fitted band is made to curve around the engagement ring - take your engagement ring with you when you shop.
• Your partner's ring doesn't have to match yours. Plenty of couples choose completely different styles and metals. Not everyone wants to wear a ring at all, and that's fine too.

Width, profile, and comfort

Bands come in different widths and profiles: court (rounded inside and out, the most comfortable), flat, and D-shape (flat inside, rounded outside). Try several on - a ring you'll wear every day needs to feel comfortable when you're typing, gardening, or holding a coffee, not just look good in the shop. Wider bands generally need to be a slightly larger size to feel comfortable.

Getting the size right

UK ring sizes run alphabetically from A to Z (with half sizes). Get measured properly by a jeweller rather than guessing with a string, ideally at the end of the day when your fingers are at their largest, and not when you're very cold or very hot - fingers can change size noticeably with temperature. If you're between sizes, ask for advice based on the band width.

Hallmarks: the UK's built-in quality guarantee

This is one area where buying in the UK gives you real protection. Under the Hallmarking Act, anything sold as gold, silver, platinum, or palladium in the UK must carry a hallmark from an independent assay office if it weighs more than a small minimum - 1 gram for gold and palladium, 0.5 grams for platinum, and 7.78 grams for silver. Almost every wedding ring is over those weights.

A UK hallmark includes:

• A sponsor's mark - the initials of the maker or company that sent it for testing.
• A fineness mark - the precious metal content, such as 375 for 9ct gold, 750 for 18ct gold, 950 for platinum, or 950 for palladium.
• The assay office mark - the leopard's head for London, an anchor for Birmingham, a rose for Sheffield, or a castle for Edinburgh.
• Sometimes an optional date letter showing the year it was hallmarked - a lovely detail if you'd like your rings marked with the year you married.

Jewellers must display a notice explaining hallmarks. If you're buying online or abroad, ask whether the ring is UK-hallmarked - it's your independent proof the metal is what you're paying for.

When to buy, and engraving

• Buy about three to six months before the wedding. That leaves time for resizing, engraving, and any problems.
• Allow longer for anything made to order - a bespoke ring or a shaped band can take several weeks or more.
• Engraving inside the band - initials, the date, a few words - usually adds a week or two. Check the spelling twice.

After you buy

Add your rings, and your engagement ring, to your home contents insurance as named items if they're above its single-item limit, or take out specialist jewellery cover - and check that they're also covered before the wedding (see wedding insurance). Decide who's looking after the rings on the morning, and make sure it's someone reliable.