tungsten - Suzanne Crudden Custom Jewellery

Rising Gold Prices: Rethinking Wedding Rings Without Compromise

Suzanne Crudden — Wed, 28 Jan 2026 01:06:21 +0000

Rising Gold Prices: Rethinking Wedding Rings Without Compromise

Over the past few years, many couples have noticed the same thing while planning their wedding: the price of gold. And although the price of gold has being going up consistently over the past few years, the price keeps rocketing up! Naturally, this can raise questions when it comes time to choose wedding rings.

But higher gold prices don’t mean fewer options. In fact, for many couples, they’ve opened the door to more thoughtful, flexible, and meaningful choices.

Today’s wedding rings are less about following a single tradition and more about choosing what fits your lifestyle, values, and budget. Whether that means adjusting proportions, exploring different metals, or reworking existing jewellery, there are plenty of ways to design beautiful wedding rings without compromise.

Why rising gold prices are changing wedding ring decisions

Gold has long been the default choice for wedding rings, but as prices rise, couples are understandably becoming more intentional. Rather than automatically choosing a traditional gold band, many are asking better questions:

How will I wear this ring every day?
What matters more: colour, durability, or symbolism?
Can we design something meaningful without overspending?

For couples in Toronto and across Canada, where cost-of-living conversations are very real, this shift toward intention makes sense. The good news is that custom design allows for flexibility, creativity, and control, even when gold prices are high.

Smaller gold bands: classic or custom

One of the simplest ways couples are navigating higher gold prices is by choosing smaller or “less wide” gold bands. A slimmer profile uses less material, but more importantly, you can still choose to go classic or custom. Smaller bands can still be customized to fit and compliment your engagement ring.

This choice isn’t about “downgrading.” Many clients prefer a narrower band because:

It pairs beautifully with engagement rings
It feels lighter and more comfortable
It can satisfy an understated, minimalist aesthetic

Many of the gents prefer a thinner band because they might not be used to wearing jewellery. With a thinner width and lighter weight smaller gold bands can be easier to adjust to everyday wear.

10k vs 14k gold: choosing what works for you

Sometimes during our meetings we find that people aren’t aware of the differences between gold karats. To know which karat of gold works best for your wedding rings you can consider the below points.

10k gold contains less pure gold, making it:

Durable and resistant to wear
Slightly lighter in colour (in yellow gold)
More affordable

14k gold offers:

A warmer, richer gold tone (in yellow gold)
Over 50% pure gold in the alloy

Choosing 10k over 14k is not about cutting corners. It’s about making an informed decision based on your lifestyle, budget, and how the ring will be worn. For a plain band perhaps you would go for the 14k.

Or perhaps you’d opt for 10k if you wanted to allocate some of the budget to a custom design or gemstones. For hands on jobs or active lifestyles, 10k gold can be an excellent and practical choice.

Alternative metals: titanium and tungsten wedding rings

Another growing area of interest is wedding ring alternatives to gold, particularly titanium and tungsten. These metals are chosen not as substitutes, but as intentional design choices.

Titanium wedding rings are known for being:

Lightweight and comfortable
Extremely strong
Sleek and modern

Tungsten wedding rings offer:

A substantial, bold feel
Exceptional scratch resistance
A darker, contemporary tone

For couples looking for non-gold wedding rings that are durable and modern, these materials offer affordable wedding ring options with their own distinct character.

A few notes on alternative metals. First, we are unable to custom make rings in alternative metals. Our studio is set up for precious metals and these alternative metals require entirely different tools and equipment. We also cannot set gemstones in alternative metals.

Next, alternative metal rings usually have a minimum width of 5mm and are often not available in finger sizes smaller than 7.

Sterling silver wedding rings: accessible and customizable

Sterling silver wedding rings can be a beautiful and meaningful option for couples looking for more affordable wedding ring options especially when designed thoughtfully.

Silver is a softer metal than gold, which means ring thickness matters. When choosing a sterling silver wedding ring, opting for a slightly thicker band helps ensure durability and longevity for everyday wear. This isn’t a drawback it’s simply a design consideration that allows the ring to age well.

Tarnishing is another important factor to understand. Sterling silver does tarnish over time, but interestingly, rings worn daily tend to tarnish less than those left sitting in a jewellery box. Regular wear naturally polishes the surface, keeping the ring brighter with minimal maintenance.

While the price of silver has also increased in recently, it’s not even close to being comparable to the cost of gold. For couples navigating rising gold prices, silver can offer a classic look at a much more accessible price point.

As with any metal, the key is understanding its properties and designing accordingly. When done well, a sterling silver wedding ring can be both practical and deeply personal.

Reusing yellow gold jewellery: meaning over market price

One of the most meaningful ways to design around budget is by reusing existing yellow gold jewellery. Whether it’s an inherited piece or a ring with personal history, reworking gold allows couples to carry stories forward in a new form.

Using family gold can:

Reduce material costs
Preserve sentimental value
Create a one-of-a-kind custom design

This approach is especially powerful for couples who want their wedding rings to represent connection not just between each other, but across generations. It’s a reminder that the true value of a ring isn’t tied to current gold prices, but to the meaning.

Designing wedding rings around budget without sacrificing meaning

You can still make meaningful wedding rings while making budget conscious choices despite the price of gold.

By adjusting band width, karat, metal choice, or reusing materials you already own, couples can design rings that feel deeply personal and are beautifully made.

For many Toronto couples, this approach aligns perfectly with a desire for sustainability, practicality, and long term wearability.

More choice is the real luxury

Rising gold prices may have changed the conversation around wedding rings, but they haven’t diminished what matters. If anything, they’ve encouraged couples to slow down, ask better questions, and choose rings that genuinely fit their lives.

Whether you’re drawn to a slimmer gold band, deciding between 10k and 14k gold, exploring alternative metals, exploring silver options or reimagining inherited yellow gold, there are many options.

Because the most meaningful wedding rings aren’t defined by market trends they’re defined by the meaning and the stories they carry.

The post Rising Gold Prices: Rethinking Wedding Rings Without Compromise first appeared on Suzanne Crudden Custom Jewellery.

Men’s Wedding Bands

Suzanne Crudden — Sat, 22 Mar 2025 20:13:15 +0000

Custom or Classic: What's Your Men's Wedding Band Style?

There are many styles of men’s wedding bands and ways to customize them. Are you a classic man that likes a simple high-polished yellow gold wedding band? Perhaps you’ve spent a lot of time on designing the perfect engagement ring and want to get in on the fun yourself?! I personally love a classic wedding band: the subtle curves of a half-round shape and a high polish finish, oh-lala! But I also love to design something special that may include a gemstone or a custom finish to the surface. A lot of men don’t know the options available to them. So use this as a guide to help narrow your likes and dislikes.

Gold and Platinum Wedding Bands

Gold and platinum wedding bands are the most popular choice when choosing a wedding ring. One must consider the longevity of the ring: it needs to last a lifetime. Different karats of gold can be used depending on budget and lifestyle of the wearer. For example: if you plan to wear your wedding band everyday and you use your hands a lot, you may wish to use a lower karat gold so it is more durable for everyday wear. If you like to see a patina develop or like the feel of a heavier piece of jewellery you will want to consider Platinum.

Both platinum and gold wedding bands will stand the test of time and are often passed down from one generation to the next as they are easily sized and refurbished. We recommend trying on wedding bands in different metals, widths and sizes to see how it looks on your hand. Skin tone and hand proportion can play a role in what suits your hand. And since this will be something you wear everyday, this should be considered.

Unique and Artisanal Wedding Band Finishes

There are many finishes that can applied to the surface of a wedding band. You can check some of them out here. Some surface treatments last longer than others depending on how much they are carved/engraved into the surface. A high polish finish requires the least amount of maintenance over the years. It may get a little dull overtime with some scratches but it is easily polished if needed. When it comes to giving metal a surface treatment (matte, satin, oxidised, grit) the one with the best longevity is a true grit finish. In this style, a steel bur is used to engrave the surface of the metal. The metal is burred away leaving permanent carvings into the wedding band. One may find that the other finishes like a matte, satin or oxidised finish my need maintenance over the years.

The art of hand engraving wedding bands is as old as the trade of jewellery making itself. It requires a specialised skill set and is usually performed by a highly trained individual with years of experience. Each metal performs a bit differently when being engraved and thus, creates a slightly different result. For example, Platinum produces a stunning result due to it’s malleability. It allows the crafts person a unique working canvas to carve and move the metal exactly as the design dictates. Lower karats of gold are harder to engrave due to the alloy content making the materials springy or hard. A similar result can be achieved, the engraver just needs to work a bit harder.

Steel and Titanium Men's Wedding Bands

Tungsten and Titanium wedding rings have been in fashion for a number of years. They are less expensive then gold and platinum and offer some interesting finishes that can’t be achieved with traditional materials. There are however some drawbacks to consider.

Wedding bands made from Titanium and Tungsten cannot be re-sized. They are also hard to remove in an emergency as they cannot be as easily removed or cut off as precious metals.

All in the Fine Print

Engraving on the inside of a wedding band is a beautiful way to commemorate your wedding date but you can engrave almost anything! There are a few different ways to engrave wedding bands: hand engraving, laser engraving and machine engraving.

Hand engraving produces a result that will last decades. This is because the crafts person can deeply carve into the metal. Often, hand engraving can take more time to complete as there aren’t many people with this skill set. It’s not the best choice for all you last minute planners! It is also the most costly option but when thinking about something you will have forever, I would argue the cost is worth it.

Engraving wedding bands can be completed by laser as well. This is a quick and inexpensive option. There are hundreds of fonts to choose from and symbols can also be engraved. Laser engraving does not carve very deeply into the surface of the metal so it will wear away faster over time.

Lastly, machine engraving is a middle of the road alternative in terms of cost and result. It is quite limited in terms of the fonts and sizes available but it carves into the metal well producing a result similar to hand engraving.

Textured Wedding Bands

Another very popular style is the textured men’s wedding band. A texture is anything that is applied to the surface of the ring. This can include a hammered texture, a grit texture, a patterned texture etc.

We find the most popular is the hammered texture or the rock finished texture. The rock finish is a version of the hammered texture but with larger facets. An example is shown in the picture here.

Men's Wedding Bands with Diamonds and Gemstones

We find the most popular is the hammered texture or the rock finished texture. The rock finish is a version of the hammered texture but with larger facets. An example is shown in the picture here.

Men's Wedding Bands with Unique Profiles

A unique profile refers to a plain band but with a shape other than flat or half round. Typically a classic men’s wedding band will be either half round in profile or flat in profile.

Other interesting profiles you could select are knife edge, squared off, a drop edge, grooved, etc. Check out our inspiration gallery below for different profile options as well as examples of other types of bands that we’ve discussed above.

Find Your Inspiration

Hopefully this helped you narrow down some options. We’d love to hear if you have any questions or already have an idea in mind!

The post Men’s Wedding Bands first appeared on Suzanne Crudden Custom Jewellery.