wedding rings - Suzanne Crudden Custom Jewellery https://suzannecrudden.com Specialists in Custom Jewellery Wed, 08 Oct 2025 20:30:26 +0000 en-US hourly 1 https://wordpress.org/?v=6.9.4 https://suzannecrudden.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/03/favicon-2019a-grey-150x150.jpg wedding rings - Suzanne Crudden Custom Jewellery https://suzannecrudden.com 32 32 Men’s Wedding Bands https://suzannecrudden.com/mens-wedding-bands/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=mens-wedding-bands Sat, 22 Mar 2025 20:13:15 +0000 https://suzannecrudden.com/?p=10646

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

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 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!

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]]> Recycled Gold Wedding Rings https://suzannecrudden.com/recycled-gold-wedding-rings/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=recycled-gold-wedding-rings Thu, 20 Mar 2025 22:50:32 +0000 https://suzannecrudden.com/?p=10643

There are different ways to create recycled gold wedding rings. One way is to use certified recycled metal. Another, which I employ most often, is to reuse heirloom jewellery.

Recycled Gold Wedding Rings

Goldsmiths have always recycled gold since the beginning of the trade. What is left over after a project, the “scrap”, is collected for refinement or use in another project. We even collect the gold dust!

When creating a new piece, not from existing heirloom or scrap gold, I use SCS-Certified 100% recycled metal.

Other recycled precious metals such as platinum and sterling silver are also available.

Reusing Jewellery in your Wedding Rings

Why take anything else from the earth if you don’t have to? Reusing your heirloom jewellery is not just a great ethical choice, it’s also a deeply meaningful choice.

Wedding rings and heirloom jewellery are often passed down but sometimes they are not wearable. Perhaps the style is not to your liking, perhaps it doesn’t fit, perhaps there are some stones missing. Whatever the reason you are not wearing your heirloom pieces, it’s a shame to keep them tucked away. They are meant to be worn and enjoyed, to celebrate memories as you create your own.

How to Create Recycled Gold Wedding Rings Using Your Heirloom Jewellery

What Kinds of Gold Work to Reuse?

The best kind of gold to reuse is yellow. The alloy of yellow gold is the most conducive to re-melting without issues. I’ve reused 10k, 14k, 18k and pure gold with fantastic results.

I’ve also had success with re-melting white and rose gold although those alloys tend to be more problematic.

White gold is a brittle alloy and when it is re-melted there is a greater chance of porosity (small air bubbles) in the casting. It is best re-used in an organic ring such as a hammered or textured wedding band.

Rose gold tends to be brittle when re-cast as well and have the same potential issues as white gold.

What if my Heirloom Jewellery isn't the Same Colour of Gold that I Want in my Wedding Ring?

In this case then we can use your pieces as credit toward the project. Unfortunately we can’t change gold from one colour to another. Unless you have 24k pure gold in which case we would be able to alloy it to the colour of your choice.

What if I Want to Add Other Metal or Gemstones to my Wedding Ring in Addition to my Heirloom Material?

If you would like to add additional materials to your wedding band, that’s no problem! For example in this picture we reused the 10k yellow gold to create the “stripes” and added palladium white gold for the base.

Or if you have heirloom gemstones you’d like to reuse in your ring we can harvest them and reuse them in your wedding bands. Sometimes smaller stones are harder to remove from their original settings. Ideally it’s best to reuse gemstones that are 2mm or larger.

What does it Cost to Reuse My Heirloom Jewellery in My Wedding Ring?

Generally speaking you will receive a savings of 50% when compared to a new ring if you are reusing your jewellery. I’ve written more about what to expect here if you’re considering reusing your heirloom pieces in your wedding bands.

What are the Benefits of Using My Jewellery to Create My Recycled Gold Wedding Rings?

First and foremost you will be carrying your precious heirloom jewellery with you everyday in the form that you are comfortable with. Next, there is an obvious financial benefit. And finally it is an ethical and environmentally responsible choice. Sounds like a good idea to me!

If you have more questions be sure to check out my page about the reusing process here.

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