Classy guy ring
December 5, 2019 4:30 PM Subscribe
I want a ring. I never got a high school or college class ring, not married, so have no rings at all. What should I get? Simple band is fine but I would like some kind of stone I think.
There are amazing rings you can get that are made out of meteorite iron or fossilized dinosaurs or titanium or wood or that work as sundials or just about anything.
I recommend googling a lot of these and looking at the near-infinite variety out there and using that to get some more targeted ideas.
posted by It's Never Lurgi at 5:01 PM on December 5, 2019 [4 favorites]
I recommend googling a lot of these and looking at the near-infinite variety out there and using that to get some more targeted ideas.
posted by It's Never Lurgi at 5:01 PM on December 5, 2019 [4 favorites]
Overstock has some good choices for men. How about this one
Or on Etsy, something simpler
posted by cartoonella at 5:20 PM on December 5, 2019
Or on Etsy, something simpler
posted by cartoonella at 5:20 PM on December 5, 2019
Oh, you mentioned stones. Check this out...for more like this, search on the term cabochon.
posted by cartoonella at 5:26 PM on December 5, 2019 [1 favorite]
posted by cartoonella at 5:26 PM on December 5, 2019 [1 favorite]
Titanium Rings has been really neat for me, I like their Black Titanium line.
posted by CrystalDave at 5:37 PM on December 5, 2019
posted by CrystalDave at 5:37 PM on December 5, 2019
I got a replacement wedding ring for our 25th anniversary. It is a plain polished tungsten carbide band. That was more than 13 years ago and it is still bright and shiny and unscratched--in fact, it looks brand-new. I enjoy the simplicity, and I see the prices are pretty decent.
posted by Gilgamesh's Chauffeur at 5:49 PM on December 5, 2019
posted by Gilgamesh's Chauffeur at 5:49 PM on December 5, 2019
I have a silver triple rolling ring (a.k.a. "Russian wedding ring") that I bought on impulse most of thirty years ago while on vacation, and I wear it all the time. No idea why I love it so much, but I do. *shrug*
Sometimes I swap it out for my college ring, and I made a cool ring out of wood that I have worn a few times, but most of the time it's this silver ring. I know it doesn't match my gold wedding ring, but I don't much care. :7)
posted by wenestvedt at 7:11 PM on December 5, 2019
Sometimes I swap it out for my college ring, and I made a cool ring out of wood that I have worn a few times, but most of the time it's this silver ring. I know it doesn't match my gold wedding ring, but I don't much care. :7)
posted by wenestvedt at 7:11 PM on December 5, 2019
I like a great ring on a guy. I even like rings with stones including diamonds or other precious or semiprecious gems even though a lot of other people don't. I think the key for a single-guy ring is making sure that it doesn't look like a wedding ring (especially a wedding ring that you've slipped on the other hand to make you look available) and that you don't wear it on the pinky (which can project that gangster vibe).
I know people around here hate retail mall jewellery stores, but for your purpose they're great. Go to your local mall and go into every store and try on all the rings. Figure out what you like--are you a white metal guy, a yellow metal guy or something else. Then figure out what size and shape you like on your finger. While men's rings tend to be squarer and more angular than women's rings in general, not all of them are like that.
Try on rings with stones and rings without them (like signet rings). Look at all of the stones out there, even the ones in women's rings. Find one that speaks to you. Do you like a more translucent stone like a sapphire or an opaque stone (like onyx, which is very common in men's rings) or something like that tiger's eye (also very popular for men's rings) with a bit of chatoyancy. As mentioned, above, in addition to traditional gemstones, a lot of men's rings today make use of materials like meteorites or fossils or bones. I guess the thinking is they give off more of a masculine or macho vibe.
Get a sense of the materials. In addition to the colour of the metal, there are varying degrees of hardness or purity. If you're looking at gold, for example, most men's rings are 10K, with the argument being men are harder on their jewellery and a lower karat of gold is able to withstand more abuse because it's not as soft. Male relatives of mine, however, deliberate purchased 14K or 18K and wear them on a regular basis, and they haven't had issues with the rings being too soft.
Please note, I'm not telling you that you have to buy a ring from a retail jeweller (although there is nothing wrong with doing that if you find something you like). Once you get an idea of your style and preferences and ring size, then you can get online and look for other sources or at least comparison shop to ensure you're not overpaying.
posted by sardonyx at 7:45 PM on December 5, 2019 [1 favorite]
I know people around here hate retail mall jewellery stores, but for your purpose they're great. Go to your local mall and go into every store and try on all the rings. Figure out what you like--are you a white metal guy, a yellow metal guy or something else. Then figure out what size and shape you like on your finger. While men's rings tend to be squarer and more angular than women's rings in general, not all of them are like that.
Try on rings with stones and rings without them (like signet rings). Look at all of the stones out there, even the ones in women's rings. Find one that speaks to you. Do you like a more translucent stone like a sapphire or an opaque stone (like onyx, which is very common in men's rings) or something like that tiger's eye (also very popular for men's rings) with a bit of chatoyancy. As mentioned, above, in addition to traditional gemstones, a lot of men's rings today make use of materials like meteorites or fossils or bones. I guess the thinking is they give off more of a masculine or macho vibe.
Get a sense of the materials. In addition to the colour of the metal, there are varying degrees of hardness or purity. If you're looking at gold, for example, most men's rings are 10K, with the argument being men are harder on their jewellery and a lower karat of gold is able to withstand more abuse because it's not as soft. Male relatives of mine, however, deliberate purchased 14K or 18K and wear them on a regular basis, and they haven't had issues with the rings being too soft.
Please note, I'm not telling you that you have to buy a ring from a retail jeweller (although there is nothing wrong with doing that if you find something you like). Once you get an idea of your style and preferences and ring size, then you can get online and look for other sources or at least comparison shop to ensure you're not overpaying.
posted by sardonyx at 7:45 PM on December 5, 2019 [1 favorite]
A few comments on materials:
1. If you injure your finger, EMS may want to cut your ring off. Some materials, most famously tungsten carbide but possibly also titanium, need specialized equipment to cut because they are so hard.
2. Some jobs and hobbies restrict what rings you can wear. E.g., gold is an excellent conductor of electricity, and one of my in laws has a "wedding brand" from the time he closed a circuit with his ring. Look around your office to see what other people do.
3. I really like the look of a hematite cabochon in a sterling silver band.
posted by meaty shoe puppet at 8:54 PM on December 5, 2019 [4 favorites]
1. If you injure your finger, EMS may want to cut your ring off. Some materials, most famously tungsten carbide but possibly also titanium, need specialized equipment to cut because they are so hard.
2. Some jobs and hobbies restrict what rings you can wear. E.g., gold is an excellent conductor of electricity, and one of my in laws has a "wedding brand" from the time he closed a circuit with his ring. Look around your office to see what other people do.
3. I really like the look of a hematite cabochon in a sterling silver band.
posted by meaty shoe puppet at 8:54 PM on December 5, 2019 [4 favorites]
I follow Dari Chernikova on Instagram, and their collection of unisex jewelry has a lot of stuff I like. The "big facets", and asteroid stuff especially.
I've never done business with them, but at minimum it gives you an idea of some possibly styles.
posted by serathen at 8:16 AM on December 6, 2019
I've never done business with them, but at minimum it gives you an idea of some possibly styles.
posted by serathen at 8:16 AM on December 6, 2019
Coin rings are unisex, but uncommon to see with stones. Find a coin you like that's a reasonable size (larger than your own ring size is a good, um, rule of thumb) that has something interesting around the edge of one side. If it's a common coin, someone out there on Etsy or other parts of the internet is making it in to rings, sized to order.
posted by Sunburnt at 11:43 AM on December 6, 2019
posted by Sunburnt at 11:43 AM on December 6, 2019
Maybe make your own? Take a class in metalworking, or CNC, or 3D printing, or jewelry-making at a makerspace, community college, etc. Maybe a puzzle ring?
posted by at at 12:15 PM on December 6, 2019
posted by at at 12:15 PM on December 6, 2019
I really like the garnet stone on my class ring. (That’s not my ring, just an example). Here’s a men’s garnet pinkie ring on Etsy.
posted by dianeF at 1:00 PM on December 6, 2019
posted by dianeF at 1:00 PM on December 6, 2019
This thread is closed to new comments.
posted by rhizome at 4:55 PM on December 5, 2019 [5 favorites]