Looking for Portuguese/India gold wedding bands (in USA)

September 4, 2011 2:20 PM

It's time to look for wedding bands, but I can't stand the bland cold-looking yellow gold that is sold here in USA. I like the coppery, reddish, warm look that seems common in Portugal/India. I already own such jewelry and would like the wedding band to match.

I can't afford to travel to local communities which may sell these rings, are there any other options? I haven't found online sources, I thought I might at Etsy. I want a simple 2mm band, and the boyfriend about 4mm, no jewel or designs, so nothing too complicated.

Are we out of luck? :o

As a last resort, does anyone have any experience with actual Copper rings? Might not be gold but at least it would at least be warm and reddish!

posted by midnightmoonlight to Clothing, Beauty, & Fashion (14 answers total)

Have you tried searching for rose gold? I think that's what I've heard it called here.
posted by miratime at 2:21 PM on September 4, 2011 [3 favorites]

Copper turns your skin green. What about an online Indian wedding jewelery store that's in your country? Credit cards generally have buyer protection of some kind and you could paypal payment as an added protection.
posted by taff at 2:23 PM on September 4, 2011

Rose gold is quite different to Indian gold. Indian is very yellow. Rose gold is quite pink.
posted by taff at 2:27 PM on September 4, 2011 [2 favorites]

Are you in fact looking for rose gold?
posted by Kololo at 2:29 PM on September 4, 2011

...22 karat?
posted by kmennie at 2:31 PM on September 4, 2011 [1 favorite]

Indian gold is typically 22kt, vs the 14 or 18 kt one commonly finds in the US. Try searching for 22kt wedding bands but keep in mind that 22kt is really soft, it's going to take a beating as a ring worn daily.

This is really what the difference is in my experience -- it's hard to even find 14 or 18k in India, unless a stone is set in it. FWIW, though, I have a 22k ring I wear daily that's held up OK for 13 years, and my parents also have 22-24k bands, I believe. It's true that being softer they will take more of a beating, but I wouldn't count them out.
posted by sweetkid at 2:46 PM on September 4, 2011 [2 favorites]

I would look at higher karat gold. 22-24k is the standard in most Asian places. Your geographic region is not mentioned but any place with an Asian community will have merchants that cater to those tastes so, if you are in Los Angeles, as an example, then you are near large Vietnamese and Chinese communities (the ones that I am most familiar with). If you are in a region with no Asian communities then the other option is going to a personal jeweler who will provide you what you want. Places like Nordstrom will also be helpful in this regard as well.

You do not necessarily need to go to great lengths to get what you want just be sure to ask for it, and be specific.
posted by jadepearl at 3:16 PM on September 4, 2011

Response by poster: The rose is not what I'm looking form, but the 22k looks similar. It's orangy like copper, not really yellow. I didn't know that carat influenced color, only where it was mined from.
Oh dear, so if I do find these rings, they would naturally cost a lot more? Linkie

So if I ask random jewelers, they could procure this kind of gold?

Portuguese I do know have rings that lasted more than half a century, and their jobs were harsh. Their hands are beat up but not their rings. The ring I do own has lasted more than 12 years in my possession, and another couple decades in another woman's hand who did really though manual labor. These people say they never ever take them off, in fact no one else does. They thought it was silly that people here take it off when taking showers or doing dishes, etc.

I mention this in case it helps narrow down what kind of gold it is. It doesn't seem prone to damage which is what one would think "soft" means.

Appreciate the help!
posted by midnightmoonlight at 3:17 PM on September 4, 2011

It's hard to tell colour when it's on your hand. Put it on white paper, use a good, white light and resubmit your photo. I have an Indian gold wedding ring, as does MrTaff and after 14 years, they're fine. Mine is not really, really yellow. I think they put in some extra copper. Mine was made almost by the side of the road in front of us. It's not a particularly complicated process, mixing the gold...but it does take great skill.
posted by taff at 3:26 PM on September 4, 2011

My husband and I had our wedding rings made by a goldsmith. If you have one nearby, that's a good option, because you can talk over what you're looking for and what's possible and get something you're really happy with. Our rings have gold, red/rose gold, and white gold, and it's really pretty having them all.
posted by Margalo Epps at 3:32 PM on September 4, 2011

I can help you do that if you bring a piece of the jewelry to me (if you are in the NY area) or send me a picture of the items you would like to match. I can mix the gold to the exact color you want and cast the rings in the design you like.
posted by Yellow at 3:39 PM on September 4, 2011 [2 favorites]

You might have luck looking for antique/vintage jewelry. We got my engagement ring at an antique store - I think it's from the 30's or 40's. The gold is much warmer than gold that I normally see.
posted by radioamy at 9:10 PM on September 4, 2011

They are quite expensive, but Reinstein / Ross in NYC works almost exclusively in 22kt "peach gold." It is as gorgeous as the pictures show. They're 100% custom, so you'll have to call but they have very personable customer service and ship all over the U.S.
posted by wnissen at 8:01 AM on September 5, 2011

Here's a chart of the colors that different gold alloys take on.
posted by XMLicious at 12:49 PM on September 13, 2011