What gold for my wedding rings?

Many people will be aware that gold comes in different carat weights but do not always know what this actually means.

Pure gold - 24ct, is a gorgeous warm yokey colour but is incredibly soft which is not so good for everyday wear jewellery, so it it alloyed (mixed) with other metals to give it a hardness.

18ct gold is 75% gold and 25% other metals, and 9ct gold is 37.5% gold and 62.5% other metals. The other metals the gold is mixed with gives you the different metal colours - white gold, red / rose gold etc and the higher amount of the ‘other metals’ gives a deeper colour. E.g 9ct red / rose gold is much pinker than 18ct because of the amount of copper in the alloy.

As an independent jeweller Erin chooses the alloy she works with - and this is what is used for our Molten Wedding Rings. She prefers a high palladium 18ct white gold. Palladium (a precious metal in it’s own right) is a member of the platinum family and when alloyed with pure gold produces a warm, but durable gunmetal grey that doesn’t require rhodium plating. 

Photo by Emily Collett Photography

When choosing rings it is a good idea to think about budget. If you are buying an engagement ring in 18ct gold then ideally you will need a wedding ring in 18ct also to wear along side it. 18ct gold is more expensive than 9ct because it has twice the amount of gold content.

You also need to consider lifestyle - will you be wearing the rings all the time, is the person wearing the ring very practical - have a manual job etc?

We are really thrilled people are beginning to question the ethics around their gold jewellery.

Erin is proud to be registered as a Fair Trade jeweller crafting unique items in ethical and traceable gold. She is also able to offer single mine origin gold and works in Eco (recycled) gold as standard. All of Molten’s wedding rings are available in Fairtrade gold and use eco gold as standard also.

Metal colour is down to personal preference. Warm skin tones suit warmer gold such as 18ct yellow, or a red / rose gold where as colder skin tones may be better in a 9ct yellow gold or a white gold.

Photo Emily Collet Photography (Groom wearing 9ct Red gold Wolf)

Photo - Emily Collett Photography. Groom wears 9ct yellow gold wolf ring