Learn about Metal Finishes
After you have chosen your metal, you need to consider its finish. Here are some of the choices available:
There are a number of choices when considering the finish for your engagement ring. The most usual choices are polished closely followed by satin brushed. Both of these finishes will wear over time back to the dull shine of the natural unfinished precious metal you have chosen. The rate that these finishes wear will depend upon your everyday life and some thought needs to be given to this before choosing some of the less durable finishes. But don't worry - we can reapply any finish at any stage throughout the lifetime of your engagement ring - your designer can advise.
Some of the more unusual finishes are pretty hardwearing because these involve the goldsmith actually working the shape of the shank into these finishes, rather than applying a more straightforward polish to the ring after it has been made. If you are considering a finish such as our bark finish, you need to consider that the design of the engagement ring must be such that there will be suficient metal with which to apply the finish.
Rhodium plating is a thin application of rhodium generally applied to white gold rings to give them a brighter white colour that is more like platinum. This is a much cheaper way of creating the platinum whiteness however the plating will wear off over time to reveal the natural yellow/whiteness of pure white gold. The plating can be re-applied by us at any time and is not an expensive process.
Many of our engagement ring designs include a combination of finishes and we would really recommend this for an interesting design feature.
All of these choices can be discussed during your engagement ring design appointment. Please contact us if you would like to arrange a consultation or have any other questions.