Material Options
We specialise in working with precious metals at the workshop and we can help you make your rings in the following materials
Sterling Silver
Silver is a likeable material to work with and by far the easiest to shape, form, texture or polish. It is a great option for experimental designs or for creating a classic polished band as it buffs to a beautiful reflective finish.
It is one of the softer metals so will show signs of wear over time.
The Golds
Click on the images below to see the colours side by side
Please note the colours will appear different on screens and can vary depending on the lighting, photography and surface finish.
18ct Yellow Gold
18 ct yellow gold is a lovely rich golden colour and the most yellow of the golds. It can be given a soft brushed finish or polished to beautiful shine.
Made from 750 parts pure yellow gold mixed with other metals.
9ct Yellow gold
9ct yellow is made of a mixture of pure yellow gold mixed with silver and other metals. It gives a more subtle yellow tone compared to 18ct yellow gold and again can be polished, brushed or textured.
9ct White gold
Made from a mixture of pure yellow gold and silver 9ct white gold is a light silver colour with a slight warm tone to it.
18ct White Gold
18ct white gold is made from a mixture or alloy of pure yellow gold, palladium and other metals.
It is the palladium content which gives it a lovely dark grey warm tone. It also makes it a strong and hard wearing option.
9ct Red Gold
Made from an alloy of pure yellow gold, copper and other metals red or rose gold has a rich red colour which comes from the copper content.
9 ct is more red in tone compared to 18ct red.
18ct Red Gold
Lighter in colour compared to 9ct red with a slightly more golden red tone due to its higher pure gold content.
It looks stunning polished to a high shine finish or beautiful with a soft brushed satin. 18ct red can be a little tricky to work with so if you want to make a textured or hammered band we suggest working in 9ct red or talking to us first
Platinum & Palladium Rings
Platinum and palladium both behave differently as materials to work with compared to silver and gold, they can be very difficult materials to work by hand even for an experienced jeweller and require different tools and processes, so at the workshop, we use a slightly different method to help you make platinum or palladium bands of hand fabrication and then casting.
This means we will help you to make your rings in silver during your workshop, working through the whole process of shaping forming and finishing and then after the workshop we will get the silver rings cast into platinum or palladium for you. The images below show examples of silver rings made during the workshop next to the cast platinum bands ( darker in colour). Please note If you apply a textured finish to your silver rings this will be slightly more subtle in the platinum or palladium version due to the casting process.
There is an additional charge for the casting and finishing process on top of the materials required to make your rings and we can advise you about this once we know a little bit more about the rings you want to make. The casting process takes additional time too so you need to leave at least 12 weeks between your workshop and wedding day and longer if you also would like the rings engraved.
FAQ about materials
Do you need to choose the same material as your engagement ring?
It is generally considered a good idea to choose the same material as all metals have a different hardness so if you wear a ring made from a harder metal next to a softer metal the harder metal might wear the softer ring down over time. However this is also personal preference some people would like to have a contrast of metals and are not so worried about their rings wearing over time.
Can we make a steel, tungsten or titanium ring?
We are not able to work in steel, tungsten or titanium and can only work in the materials listed above
Why does my white gold engagement ring look a lighter white colour?
Most high street Jewellers and manufacturers will Rhodium plate all of their white gold jewellery, this means it is given a coating of a bright white metal called Rhodium. It is the Rhodium colour that you can see and not the natural colours of the white gold.
Do you provide Rhodium plating?
We do not have Rhodium plating facilities at the workshop however if you do want to have your wedding band rhodium plated ( perhaps to match an engagement ring) we recommend taking your finished rings to a local high street jewellers as most will provide a Rhodium plating service. Rhodium plating will wear off over time and will need to be redone occassionaly.
Will a silver ring tarnish?
Tarnish is a build up on the surface of an oxide which is caused by a natural reaction to the air, if worn a silver ring will not tarnish as you will be constantly be cleaning and polishing the surface against yourself. If left unworn the a silver ring will tarnish over time but can be easily cleaned. Due to the high silver content 9ct white gold behaves in a similar way.