14K Gold Rings

Width is given in millimetres and it changes how a ring reads more than anything else. Two to three millimetres is fine and discreet; four to five is a middle ground; six and above is a deliberate statement.

Hold a ruler against the stated figure before deciding - millimetres are smaller than most people picture from a photograph.

Width also decides how much of the metal is on show. A wide band presents a broad face, so a pattern, a hammered texture or a two-tone inlay has somewhere to sit; a fine band reads as a line of metal rather than a surface.

A comfort-fit ring has a rounded, domed inner surface instead of a flat one, so the band rides on a smooth curve rather than on two edges.

It passes over a knuckle more easily and feels less like a band clamped to the finger, which matters most in wider widths where a flat interior can dig in.

Because the rounded inside takes up a little space, a comfort-fit band feels closer on the finger than a flat one of the same nominal marking. The difference comes from the shape of the interior.

Profile is the cross-section of the band. A half-round band is flat on the inside and domed on the outside, which is the usual shape for a plain ring and reads soft on the hand.

A knife-edge band rises to a ridge along its centre line, so light gathers in a narrow band down the ring and the design reads slimmer than its stated width.

Flat and D-shaped profiles sit between the two - square-edged in the first case, gently rounded in the second. Listings give the profile alongside the width.

There is no rule, but proportion is real. A wide band occupies more of a short finger and shortens it visually, while a narrow one leaves length showing on either side.

Profile changes that as well. A domed or comfort-fit band of a given width reads softer than a flat, square-edged one of the same measurement, because the eye follows a curve rather than an edge.

Where a wide band is wanted regardless, a rounded profile and a high polish both make the width read lighter than a flat matte face of the same dimension.

Almost always because the knuckle is wider than the base of the finger, so a ring that passes over the knuckle is loose once it is on. It is extremely common and not a sign the size was wrong.

A jeweller can fit sizing beads, a spring insert or a small bar to the inside of the band, which holds it upright without stopping it passing the knuckle.

A wider band spins less than a narrow one, simply because it has more surface against the finger.

Gold is a relatively soft metal at every karat, so a ring worn daily will collect fine surface marks and its edges will soften over the years.

Most owners come to prefer that lived-in surface. If you would rather have the original shine back, a jeweller can repolish the band, which removes a very small amount of metal each time.

Rings worn beside each other rub constantly, and the harder of the two wins - a stack of similar metals ages more evenly than a mixed one.

It helps, mostly because a piece that matches what the wearer already owns gets worn far more often than one that does not.

That said, mixing gold colours is entirely conventional now and often looks more considered than matching everything exactly.

A two-tone or tricolor ring solves the question outright, since it already contains more than one colour.

All three are the same karat and therefore the same hardness - the colour comes from the alloy, not from a difference in gold content.

The one practical difference is white gold, which is usually rhodium-plated for brightness. That plating wears soonest on a ring, because a ring is handled constantly, and it is reapplied by a jeweller when you want it back.

Yellow and rose gold have no plating and so need no equivalent upkeep.

Setting height is how far the stone and its mount stand off the finger. A low-profile setting holds the stone close to the band; a raised or cathedral setting lifts it clear of the hand.

Height decides how a ring sits next to another. A tall setting stands proud and will not close flush against a band worn beside it, where a low one usually will.

It changes the look as well. A raised stone takes light from the side and reads larger; a low one reads compact and sits more quietly on the hand.

It is a practical question rather than a rule. The dominant hand grips, carries and meets surfaces constantly, so a ring worn on it gathers surface marks sooner than the same ring on the other hand.

That matters most for a raised setting, which meets things the band alone does not, and least for a plain low band with little standing clear to catch.

People who wear two similar rings often put the plainer one on the dominant hand for that reason. It is a preference rather than a requirement.