If silver happens to be your favorite metal, you are probably wondering if you can go ahead with a silver ring as a wedding ring to match your collection! Or, maybe you have begun your research and just realized that gold and silver jewelry fall into very different price ranges, and are wondering if it's really necessary to spend so much more money for gold rings?
Overall, there are no hard rules, and silver might be a good choice for some couples, but in order to make an informed decision, you must consider these three things:
GOLD VS. SILVER: DURABILITY
It is important to understand that gold is simply a harder and more durable metal. It is tougher, and more scratch resistant. In fact, an 18K gold ring weighs 50% more than the exact same ring in silver. That is because gold is a denser metal, meaning that the gold ring has more molecules than it's silver counterpart, and is therefore more durable.
Gold and silver rings will both eventually scratch and show signs of wear, but with silver it will be much, much quicker. This means that over the years, details will get softer, and the band will slowly wear away.
This is the case with all jewelry, but rings are the hardest wearing type of jewelry, because they come into contact with everything our hands do. When scratches show up on a ring, it means that micro pieces of metal have been abraded away, making your ring a teeny tiny bit lighter and thinner. This process happens so slowly that it usually unnoticable, but over the years it can really add up and eventually will get thin enough that it can easily be bent out of shape.
The inherent durability and hardness of gold is the reason gold is the go-to choice for wedding bands.
GOLD VS SILVER: PRICE & BUDGET
At the time of writing this post, the cost of pure gold on the global market is 88 times the price of silver. Yes, you heard that right, 88 times more!!! Luckily, gold jewelry doesn't quite cost 88x the price of silver jewelry, although 10-20x is completely normal and to be expected within the handmade jewelry industry. Over the years, my masculine bands have been chosen by quite a few couples as simple & classic wedding bands. The current price for one of these bands in silver is €65, whereas the same style ring in 18K gold would cost closer to €800.
This price difference is significant, and for couples on a tighter budget, silver might be the best choice. Whereas for others, the fact that gold has been used as currency and investment around the world throughout history, and knowing that it is a metal that will increase in value over time is a reason they are drawn to gold.
GOLD VS SILVER: INHERITENCE & HEIRLOOM VALUE
Wedding rings are often one one of the most sentimental and treasured items that are passed down from one generation to the next. While you can certainly pass along a wedding ring in any metal, you might want to consider the following:
- Assuming that you will be wearing this ring for decades before passing it down, it is very unlikely that a silver ring will still be in desirable condition for wear by the time it reaches a next generations hands.
- Gold is one of the most important & stable economic comodities and it it's value has only ever increased, so passing down gold jewelry is also a way of passing down family wealth.
- Gold is a metal that many goldsmiths (including myself) will be happy to use down the line to melt and remake into new jewelry, whereas it isn't worth it to do the same for silver. After many years of use, you might be in the mood for a change in style of wedding band, or, your loved one who inherits it will have the possibility of reimagining it into a new piece of jewelry, all while holding the sentimental value of using the same metal that was used to celebrate your wedding.
What to do if you decide to go Silver...
If you do decide to go for silver, you should consider the following:
- How important it is for you to take good care of it and have it good looking over the years vs. how important it is for you to never take it off. Taking good care of it will mean removing it when doing hands on activities.
- Choose bands that are at least 2mm thick. This is really important!
- If you are going to be using gemstones in your ring, go for a bezel setting and absolutely stay away from prongs, unless if you are willing to take extra good care of it!
By the way, if you are settling for silver rings but are really dreaming of gold ones, you can always get married using silver rings and then upgrade to gold in the future...maybe for a special anniversary or milestone!
Hot Tip: Try reaching out to your family members to see if there is any unworn gold jewelry in the family that might be able to be re-dreamed into your wedding rings. This could significantly reduce the total price of your rings (how much depends on the gold weight). This is what me and my husband did when we got married, which was both a major savings for us, as well as a sentimental bonus, to be able to use my late grandmother's old jewelry that was only collecting dust in my mother's jewelry box, and re-dream it into our wedding rings!
CONCLUSION
Many goldsmiths outright say that silver is an unsuitable choice for wedding rings, but I don't believe there is a hard rule for everybody. I don't think it is a good reason to put yourself into financial hardship. Nor do I believe you should put off getting married until you can afford your dream ring. Also, truth be told, not all of the "cons" of going for silver speak to everybody...some people might just not care! You might not mind knowing that their silver ring will age quicker, and that they might have to take extra good care of it or have to be replaced a few decades down the line.
To me the most important thing is that you are given the information to make an informed decision, and after reading this post you are well informed on all of the ins and outs! If you still need help making your decision, please don't hesitate to get in touch!! And if you are looking for some simple, classic wedding bands, check out my masculine bands. Or, if you are looking for something more personalized and unique, you can read what the process of getting a custom piece designed for you could look like!
