If you need to get a certain amount of money urgently, you can always go to a pawnshop. If you have any jewelry, this is a great opportunity to exchange it for the money you need at the moment. Plus, over time, you can buy back the item if it is valuable to you.
People quite often wonder how much an engagement ring weighs. After all, not every person has jewelry. Not everyone likes them or can afford them. Therefore, if it is necessary to receive money in exchange for jewelry, the symbol of marriage is often chosen.
What determines the weight of a gold wedding ring?
- From the size. It's simple: two rings of the same width, but different sizes will have different weights. The same applies to the thickness of the jewelry: the thinner the strip of metal, the less weight.
- From the metal sample. The weight of 585-carat jewelry usually ranges from 2-4 grams, which is how much a medium-sized piece with a classic design weighs. A 750-carat piece of jewelry that is identical in appearance will weigh 30% more, this is due to the different densities of the metals included in the precious alloy. The density of pure gold is 19.32 g/cm³, while the 585 alloy has a density of 12.85-14.76 g/cm³ depending on the ligature (in the 585 alloy there is 58.5% gold, the rest is ligature). In the 750 alloy, the gold content is correspondingly 75%, and the density of such an alloy is higher. An identical white gold ring will weigh less because the alloy mixes yellow gold with more silver.
- From design. The width and thickness of the metal strip, non-standard shape, decorative elements (patterns, recesses) - all this affects the final weight of the product.
- From the presence of voids inside. A wedding ring can be solid or hollow. Externally identical jewelry can differ significantly in weight precisely because one of them is hollow: solid models are heavier and therefore more expensive.
Timeless classic
Do you prefer gold jewelry ? In this case, it is recommended to choose 585 grade products, which have a number of advantages:
- The best option in terms of price-quality ratio.
- A classic 585 sterling engagement ring weighs on average 2-5 grams.
- The products are durable because they contain additional metals (copper, silver).
In addition, you can buy an engagement ring in any color and shade. The alloy, consisting of 58.5% gold, 33.5% copper and 8% silver, has yellow or red tones. To obtain a white shade of gold, palladium and nickel are added to the alloy.
Gold ring with diamonds, SL (price on the link)
Wide and thin rings
The weight of the decoration, of course, depends on its width. A narrow ring weighs 1.5-2 grams, a wide one - 5-7 grams and even more. But if you have a choice - a wide or narrow ring, we recommend starting not from the weight of the product, but from the parameters of the finger.
- Short fingers. Narrow strips of metal (2-4 mm) will look beautiful.
- Fingers of medium length will decorate products with a width of 4-6 mm.
- Long narrow fingers. On such fingers, very wide rings (more than 8 mm) and narrow jewelry (2-3 mm) look aesthetically pleasing.
- Long dense fingers. Jewelry with a width of 6-8 mm is suitable for such fingers.
Useful video
What types of wedding rings are there?
Gold wedding rings.
The weight of a wedding ring depends on many parameters. It is most influenced by the width, profile and design idea of the decoration. It is also important what material the model is made of. Of course, the weight of the wedding symbol is influenced by the size of the finger on which it will be worn.
Each couple has their own preferences in choosing models of the main wedding attribute, but it is desirable that it does not exceed 7 grams. Heavy jewelry is not intended for everyday wear and is felt on the hand.
But any recommendations only help you decide on the assortment, and the choice depends on your taste and capabilities. We wish you to find the ring of your dreams!
Solid and hollow rings
A hollow (blown) decoration weighs less than a solid (full-weight) one. This is its main advantage: the less gold it took to make the ring, the cheaper it is. The creation of hollow products has made them more accessible to buyers on a smaller budget. Newlyweds can choose rings that seem massive in appearance, but pay for them as if they were light.
Another advantage of blown gold rings is that they are comfortable to wear and almost imperceptible on the finger. But there are also disadvantages:
- tendency to deformation. Hollow jewelry breaks easily if handled carelessly and can become deformed if worn carelessly;
- difficulties with repairs. Jewelers do not like to repair blown jewelry, and if they take on the job, the cost of such repairs can be commensurate with the cost of a new ring.
If you want to buy hollow rings, then carefully inspect them at the time of purchase. They must be of the correct shape, without visible damage. If the ring is of high quality and treated with care, it will last for decades.
Which authorities regulate the marking of gold samples?
In 1999, the act “On the hallmarking of products made from precious metals” was issued, which regulates the testing of alloys for gold content and their certification at the legislative level. This work is performed by the Ministry of Finance of Russia, or more precisely, its division - the Assay Inspectorate. If the properties of the product declared by the manufacturer are confirmed, then it puts its own mark (see above), and also, if necessary, issues a certificate of quality.
Why do you need to standardize the composition?
Standardization is necessary to document the quality declared by the manufacturer. The stability of the house or tower during construction will depend on this. That is, a standard is something to be compared to in production.
In the jewelry industry, the price category is also added to this value. Thus, gold jewelry made from different gold samples have different prices and differ in mechanical properties.
Ring weight recommendations
Most rings are made in a weight of 2-8 grams; this range includes jewelry that feels comfortable on the finger and is not prone to rapid deformation. If the ring is smaller and thinner, it will be easy to bend or break, but if it is heavier and thicker, it will be felt on the finger and may cause discomfort.
The golden weight mean is 3-6 grams of precious alloy in one wedding ring. But these are general recommendations; when choosing jewelry, you should focus only on your own feelings: for some, 5 grams of gold on a finger seems like an unbearable burden, while others feel comfortable with a ring weighing 8-10 grams.
If you want a product weighing more than 8 grams, but the jewelry store does not have such models, you can make them to order. But before that, we advise you to make sure that you will be comfortable with such a ring. Try on a piece of jewelry with a suitable weight on your ring finger. Look for them in the department not with engagement rings, but with regular or exclusive rings. Products weighing more than 8 grams are difficult to find, because such rings are designed for daily wear. For spectacular decorative rings, the rule of optimal weight does not always apply - designers can develop a massive piece of jewelry specifically for an evening out, which is not worn every day.
What standard is gold in jewelry?
The cheapest and lowest stamp on Russian jewelry is 375. According to standards, it should be placed on a product that contains at least 30% gold. Accordingly, the rest (70%) falls on other metals.
The most valuable is the 958 sample, which is very rare due to its high cost. In addition, products made from it are short-lived, they are soft, and are easy to damage. Therefore, jewelers prefer to use the reliable 585 grade, which has satisfactory appearance and mechanical characteristics.
Below is a video about gold samples:
How to see the sample on jewelry?
To see the treasured three numbers, you need to try hard, because they are placed in those places that are hidden to the maximum from the human eye. For example, on rings this is the back side adjacent to the finger, on earrings and chains it is a lock. The font is so small that a clear picture can only be obtained by magnifying it, so arm yourself with a magnifying glass.
Marking and hallmarking of gold jewelry
A product is considered genuine if it has passed the assay inspection. This is a special inspection that studies the composition of the alloy and, if it corresponds to the brand declared by the manufacturer, puts a stamp on it. It should have 3 elements:
- The inspection symbol is a woman's head.
- The inspection code is most often a letter.
- Sample - 3 digits.
This is how products are branded in the Russian Federation. In addition to the main one, they also put an additional brand consisting of 4 letters:
- 1 letter - code of the year of manufacture.
- 2nd letter - inspection code (letter).
- The 3rd and 4th letters are the personal mark of the manufacturer.
Thus, if a piece of jewelry contains 2 such marks, then it is real and has passed state control.
What symbols are on bars and coins?
Ingots made of precious metal are marked differently. The main symbols are weight in grams, gold content, and pig number. It is worth noting that such blanks are designed to store only 999.99 samples, so it is placed in special boxes and packaging, protecting it from damage.
The coins are already made from an alloy with the mark 900–990. Here the value of gold is neglected, since the main value lies in significance - an antique or a rare award.
Disadvantages of Cheap Jewelry
Low-cost jewelry is made mainly from 375–500 marks. Such gold is called low-grade and is not in demand among jewelers. Its main drawback is the foreign color, because an alloy containing more than 50% alloy cannot have a rich yellow tint. It is often reddish due to copper or greenish due to silver, and also quickly loses its luster. For this reason, it is impractical to create things from it that require a lot of time and labor.
What is a sample?
Assay is a way of determining how much precious metal (for example gold) is contained in a piece of jewelry. That is, if a gold ring has a 500 standard, this means that the alloy contains 50% pure gold. The rest is a ligature, i.e. admixture of base metals. Pure gold is mixed with other metals to give greater strength to the final product, as gold itself is a very soft metal. To standardize the amount of gold and impurities in the alloy from which the product is made, the concept of fineness was introduced. Other precious metals are also tested: silver, platinum, palladium, etc.
In Russia and the countries of the former Soviet Union, the metric system is used. It indicates the number of parts by weight of the precious metal (for example, milligrams in a gram or gram in a kilogram) per thousand parts of the entire alloy as a whole. Standard sample values accepted in the metric calculation system
- for gold: 375, 500, 585 ,750, 958, 999.
- For silver: 800, 830, 875, 925, 960, 999
- Platinums: 850, 900, 950.
- Palladia: 500, 850.
In America and the European Union, the carat system is predominantly used. In this case, the entire alloy is divided into 24 carats, that is, into 24 equal weight parts, and the content of the precious metal in carats is indicated.
- 24 carats is equal to 999 metric standards, that is, pure metal
- 23 carats – corresponds to 958 standard
- 22 carats – 916
- 18 carats – 750
- 14 carat – 585
- 12 carats – 500
- 10 carats – 417
- 9 carats – 375
- 8 carats – 333
Traditions of choosing wedding jewelry
According to church canons, to carry out the wedding ceremony, the newlyweds must exchange special rings, different from those that they gave to each other at the registry office. According to ancient tradition, a man wears a gold ring on his finger, and a woman a silver one. There are two explanations for this unusual choice. First: gold has long been considered a symbol of the sun, the personification of which in the family is the man as the head of the house. Silver was usually associated with the moon, which reflected sunlight. Translated from the language of symbols, this means the wife’s fidelity and submission to her husband.
To understand the second interpretation, let us turn to the writings of the Apostle Paul, who compared the marital bond with the relationship between Jesus Christ and the church. In this case, the husband is a type of Christ, and the wife is a type of the church. Gold precious metal is considered a symbol of the Savior, and silver is a sign of spiritual light and purity. Some people follow this canon completely. Others prefer the option of combined gold (white and yellow), thereby emphasizing the equality of spouses in marriage.
Before the wedding, tell the priest about the rings. Many clergy do not require young people to strictly follow the rules regarding silver and gold. You can even use your wedding rings during the wedding, if they are not obnoxiously luxurious. Laconic models with a minimum of decor and precious stones are quite suitable for a church ritual. Among the patterns on wedding rings, crosses, words of prayer and simple ornaments are preferred.
Choosing wedding rings is a pleasant and educational experience, because this is another opportunity to get to know each other’s tastes and interests better. It is recommended to select wedding and wedding jewelry together, but buying an engagement ring will be a real test for a man. After all, you need to guess not only with its size, but also with its design.
What gold items will the new jewelry be made from?
Many private craftsmen or small jewelry companies work exclusively with the customer’s gold, since it is expensive for them to hold their own reserves of metal. But what kind of gold needs to be brought there for the jeweler to accept it 100%? A list of products accepted for work can be found on the websites of private companies or you can inquire about this directly from the master.
As a rule, the following gold items are accepted for melting down and subsequent production of new jewelry:
- old pendants, rings, rings;
- torn chains and mismatched earrings;
- items with missing inserts;
- dental crowns and denture discs;
- gold bullion;
- commemorative coins and their scrap;
- gold plates.
An important note regarding dental crowns. Jewelers prefer to deal with these items of at least 750 standard. And dental prosthetic discs made of gold must be stamped with the trademark of the factory that manufactured them. A similar requirement applies to gold plates - their surface must also have a clearly visible imprint with information about the manufacturer.
Otherwise, jewelers do not have strict conditions. They are ready to accept products of different standards for work, but not lower than 500, since lower-quality gold contains more copper than the precious metal itself. The color of scrap submitted for remelting can be any color - yellow, white, red or pink.
At the same time, there is a clear list of gold items that no workshop will accept for making new jewelry from. The list of prohibited items includes the following:
- gold in nuggets;
- plates without names (imprints) of manufacturers;
- items for laboratory or industrial purposes;
- gold filings and shavings;
- medals and orders.
When contacting a jeweler for services, be sure to check with him how much jewelry you need to hand over to create a particular product. The fact is that when making a new piece of jewelry you will definitely need a little more gold than it will ultimately contain in its finished form. The reason for this is the waste of the metal during its melting. Another small amount of gold becomes fine dust during the grinding and polishing of the cast jewelry.
On average, losses are about 10%. Moreover, the percentage increases when the item the client chooses to order is light in weight - the larger the item, the less gold will be lost during its manufacture.
Original form
Notched rings are rapidly gaining popularity, especially among young people. The patterns that are applied to different types of gold wedding rings amaze with their amazing beauty. They are usually sold only in expensive jewelry stores. Such patterns can be applied not only to gold jewelry, but also to silver jewelry made of two types of gold, as well as to wedding rings made of silver with gold plating.
Some rings have their own unique history. For example, the “Habsburg” wedding ring in the form of a woman’s crown with small teeth, the first copies of which were made by Viennese jewelers who lived in the Middle Ages. It means that the bride who wears it will forever become the queen of the groom's heart.
The price of openwork rings depends not only on their size (carat), but also on the fineness of the jewelry work. The more effort the craftsman puts into creating a unique piece of incised jewelry, the higher the cost.
Brand numbers
All factory products made of precious metals must have metric standards. The proportion of pure gold in them varies greatly. This depends on the content of other elements present in the alloy. The sample shows the content of pure Aurum in 1 kg.
Let's take sample 585, it contains 59% gold, the rest is alloy. Alloy 585 is hard, durable; does not fade in air and does not fade; is in great demand in the gold industry.
999 standard is, one might say, pure gold, almost one hundred percent. The pure element is very soft and not at all suitable in its natural form for jewelry. The cost is significant - it has the highest price bar.
