Here at Pruden and Smith, we work exclusively with precious metals, handcrafting every wedding ring in our village workshop in England. A wedding ring is worn every day, for a lifetime, so the metal it’s made from matters, not just in how it looks, but in how it wears, ages, and feels on your hand.

We spend our days working with these metals, shaping them by hand, understanding how they behave, how they age, and how they suit real life. In this guide, we’ll break down the precious metals we use for wedding rings, starting with carats, then exploring platinum and gold, and sharing what we tend to recommend for a ring you’ll wear every day.

Understanding Carats for Wedding Rings

The term “carat” refers to how much pure gold is present in a piece of metal. Pure gold is 24 carat, which is 100% gold. While beautiful, 24ct gold is very soft, making it unsuitable for a wedding ring that needs to withstand everyday life. For this reason, we do not work in 24ct.

Instead, we work primarily in 9ct and 18ct gold, blending pure gold with other precious metals to create alloys that are both beautiful and durable for everyday wear.

9ct Gold contains 37.5% pure gold. It is the most affordable gold option for a wedding ring and is highly durable, making it a practical choice for hands-on lives. Its colour is slightly lighter than higher carats, offering a wonderful balance between longevity and price.

18ct Gold contains 75% pure gold. It has a richer, deeper colour and a slightly softer feel. Many couples choose 18ct for their wedding rings for its warmth and sense of occasion.

Because every Pruden and Smith wedding ring is made entirely in-house, you can work one-to-one with one of our designers to create your ring in any metal you wish, or even a combination of metals. That personal, considered design experience is what we are known for, allowing your wedding ring to be truly your own.

Platinum

Platinum is the only naturally white precious metal we work with for wedding rings. It has a soft, silvery tone that never needs plating, meaning the colour you choose on day one is the colour it will keep for life.

Renowned for its strength and durability, platinum is exceptionally well suited to a wedding ring that will be worn every day, for decades to come. Rather than wearing away, platinum gently displaces with time, developing a soft patina that many people love. It is also naturally hypoallergenic.

If you are looking for a white metal for your wedding ring, we almost always recommend platinum. It is honest, enduring, and beautifully understated.

Yellow Gold

Yellow gold is gold in its truest, most natural form. Warm, rich, and timeless, it has been used in wedding rings for thousands of years.

We work most commonly in 9ct and 18ct yellow gold. Higher carats offer a deeper, warmer tone, while lower carats provide increased durability and a more accessible price point for everyday wear.

Yellow gold wedding rings suit those who love warmth, tradition, and a classic look that never feels dated.

White Gold

White gold is created by blending pure gold with naturally white metals. At Pruden and Smith, we do not rhodium plate our white gold wedding rings.

Many jewellers coat white gold with a bright white plating to make it appear almost chrome-like. Over time, that plating wears away and requires regular reapplication. We choose instead to leave white gold in its natural state, which has a soft, warm, slightly ivory tone.

This means your wedding ring will age honestly, without sudden colour changes or the need for routine re-plating. However, if you are seeking a crisp, cool white metal, platinum remains the truest and most enduring choice.

Rose Gold

Rose gold is created by blending gold with copper, giving it its distinctive blush tone. It feels warm, romantic, and slightly vintage in character.

It is also one of the more durable gold alloys, making it a lovely option for an everyday wedding ring. Rose gold suits those drawn to softer hues and a sense of individuality.

Mixed Metal Wedding Rings

Mixed metal wedding rings create a look that is quietly distinctive. Rather than choosing between tones, they allow two precious metals to sit together in a single piece, giving your ring depth, contrast, and a sense of individuality.

Our most loved mixed metal designs are our side-hammered wedding rings, where two metals meet through a hand-hammered edge. The join is organic, tactile, and completely unique to each ring, a direct result of being made by hand rather than cast from a mould.

These rings have become some of our most popular wedding bands, loved for the way they feel considered without ever feeling showy. They are ideal if you’re drawn to more than one tone, or if you’d like your ring to quietly reflect both your own style and your partner’s.

Choosing the Right Metal for Your Wedding Ring

Choosing the metal for your wedding ring is both a practical and emotional decision. Think about how you use your hands, the tones you naturally gravitate toward, and how you would like your ring to age over time.

If you love a cool, white finish that will remain unchanged for life, platinum is our strongest recommendation. If you are drawn to warmth and tradition, yellow gold offers timeless beauty. If you prefer softer, more unusual tones, white gold in its natural form or rose gold may feel just right. And if you love contrast, a mixed metal ring can bring everything together beautifully.

Whichever metal you choose, every Pruden and Smith wedding ring is made by hand, in precious metal, to be worn for a lifetime.