What characterises a 14 carat gold ring
A gold ring in this collection is made from solid 14 carat gold, both as gold and as white gold. Carat indicates how large a proportion of the piece is pure gold. 14 carat corresponds to 585 parts pure gold out of 1000, that is 58.5 percent, while the rest is other metals that make the ring harder and more resistant to wear and scratches. This is why you often see the number 585 stamped on the inside of a gold ring: it is not a product number, but a guarantee of the gold content.
Solid gold is something different from gold-plated silver. With gold plating there is only a thin layer of gold on the outside of another metal, and that layer gradually wears off. A solid gold ring has the same gold all the way through and does not change colour over the years. All the rings here belong under gold and white gold, depending on whether you prefer the warm golden tone or the cool, silvery white.
What do 585, 750 and 333 stamped in a ring mean
The numbers inside a gold ring indicate the carat grade in thousandths. 333 means 8 carat (33.3 percent gold), 585 means 14 carat (58.5 percent), and 750 means 18 carat (75 percent). The higher the number, the more pure gold and the softer the metal. 18 carat has a deeper, more saturated gold colour, but is easier to scratch, while 8 carat is hard and cheaper, but with a weaker gold tone.
14 carat is a deliberate middle choice. The gold content is high enough for a clear, genuine gold colour and good durability in daily use, while at the same time the metal is hard enough to hold a set diamond securely year after year. This is one of the reasons why the rings in this collection are made specifically in 14 carat rather than the softer high carats.
Solitaire rings, eternity rings or rings with an organic shape
The selection covers several different design directions. The solitaire rings have one centre stone that sits alone and carries the whole ring, like the Small Solitaire Bezel Diamond Ring in gold or the Shell Solitaire Diamond Ring. They belong under Solitaire Rings, if you want to see all of that type gathered together.
The eternity rings have diamonds set all the way around the ring, so the stones continue uninterrupted. They range from the Tiny Eternity Diamond Ring at 0.28 ct. up to the Large Eternity Diamond Ring at 1 ct., and as a half eternity ring, where the stones only cover the front. The whole range is found under eternity rings. In addition, there are rings with a more organic, sculptural shape, like the Wave Diamond Ring and the Spiral Diamond Ring, where the gold band itself twists or waves around the stone.
Natural or lab-grown diamonds
Several of the rings come in two versions: one with a natural diamond and one with a lab-grown diamond. A lab-grown diamond is grown in a laboratory and has the same chemical and optical properties as a natural diamond. The difference is the origin, not the material, and you cannot tell the difference between lab-grown and natural diamonds with the naked eye.
The Spiral Diamond Ring, for example, comes both as natural and as the Spiral Lab-grown Diamond Ring, both at 0.48 ct. If you only want to see the grown stones, they are gathered under Lab Grown Diamonds Rings. The choice typically affects the price, because a lab-grown diamond often costs less than a comparable natural stone of the same size.
How do you find the right ring size
Ring size in Denmark is most often stated as the ring's inner circumference in millimetres, so size 52 means an inner circumference of 52 mm. The most precise method is to measure a ring you already wear on the right finger: measure the inner diameter in millimetres and multiply by approximately 3.14 to get the circumference. Alternatively, you can wrap a string or strip of paper around the finger, mark where it meets and measure the length.
Preferably measure late in the day, when the fingers are slightly larger, and avoid measuring when you are cold, as the fingers are then thinner. If you are in doubt between two sizes, the larger one is usually the safe choice. Longve has a step-by-step walkthrough in the guide How To Measure Ring Size, and if you want to double-check which size a particular measurement corresponds to, you can read Which Ring Size Do I Use.
How tightly should a gold ring fit
A ring should be able to slide past the knuckle with a little resistance and sit securely enough not to fall off, but not so tight that it leaves a clear mark or is difficult to remove. A good test is whether the ring can be pulled off again with a little resistance at the knuckle. If it sits too loose, you risk losing it; if it sits too tight, it can be difficult to remove if the finger swells in heat or after salty food.
Because the fingers change slightly in size over the course of the day and the year, a ring that fits perfectly in the morning is not necessarily the right one. Longve elaborates on how much play there should be in How Tightly Should A Ring Fit.
Which finger and hand do you wear the ring on
There is no fixed rule for which finger a gold ring should sit on, when it is not an engagement or wedding ring. In Denmark the wedding ring is traditionally worn on the ring finger of the left hand, but many choose freely according to what looks right and fits the size of the individual finger. A wider ring with stones often works well on the index or middle finger, while a slim solitaire ring suits the ring finger.
If the ring is intended as an engagement or wedding ring, there are more established conventions about placement. Longve goes through these in Which Hand Should The Wedding Ring Sit On.
What can you have engraved in a gold ring
A gold ring can be engraved on the inside with, for example, a date, a name, initials or a short text. Inner engraving is the most common, because the text lies hidden and is not worn away by daily use against other surfaces. Solid 14 carat gold is well suited to engraving, because the metal is hard enough for the letters to keep their edge over time.
On rings with diamonds all the way around, like the eternity rings, there is limited space for engraving, while a wider signet ring or a smooth ring band gives more surface to work on. If you want to see rings with a larger surface for exactly this, Signet Rings is a place to start.
Gold ring as a gift
A gold ring has broad appeal as a gift, because the selection spans from a small, discreet ring to a bold ring with a larger stone. For someone who does not wear much jewellery, a fine ring like the Tiny Solitaire Bezel Diamond Ring at 0.02 ct. often suits better than something large, while a striking ring like the Pear Pavé Diamond Ring at 0.77 ct. or the Large Eternity Diamond Ring at 1 ct. works for a bigger occasion.
If you do not know the recipient's ring size, a gift card can be a safe choice, so the size can be sorted out afterwards; you will find it under giftcard. If you want to sort by budget rather than design, there are collections like Gifts Under 6000 Kr and Gifts Under 10 000kr.