{"id":14690,"date":"2015-04-30T02:20:09","date_gmt":"2015-04-29T16:20:09","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/content.easyweddings.com\/uk\/articles\/mens-wedding-rings-its-about-being-modern-and-practical\/"},"modified":"2021-11-11T14:40:39","modified_gmt":"2021-11-11T03:40:39","slug":"mens-wedding-rings-its-about-being-modern-and-practical","status":"publish","type":"uk-article","link":"https:\/\/www.easyweddings.co.uk\/articles\/mens-wedding-rings-its-about-being-modern-and-practical\/","title":{"rendered":"Men’s wedding rings: It’s about being modern – and practical"},"content":{"rendered":"
<\/a> The Brisbane resident is the founder of Australian retailer Mens Rings Online<\/a>, which specialises in designing and selling men\u2019s dress and wedding rings.<\/p>\n It\u2019s a job that allows him to be part of thousands of special days a year. But it has also presented some unusual quality control measures, namely making sure every design has been tested in medical rooms.<\/p>\n \u201cIt\u2019s always a concern for people \u2013 especially if their job involves physical labour \u2013 about what will happen if they buy a ring featuring a tough material like tungsten and then end up in an emergency situation,\u201d says Nathan, who launched the business in 2005. \u201cIt\u2019s a fair question, so we decided to test it out. And fortunately, I know a paramedic, so he was able to take the rings into a couple of hospital emergency rooms for us.<\/p>\n \u201cWhat we discovered was that most hospital ERs have cutting tools made from tungsten, so they were able to cut off our tungsten rings, our titanium rings, our ceramic rings and our other designs.\u201d<\/p>\n It\u2019s just another piece of mind for people who have to prioritise practicality as much as style. And it shows how far the world of men\u2019s wedding rings has come in the past decade or so.<\/p>\n <\/a><\/p>\n Nathan, who of course chose a band from his own site when marrying, says grooms are increasingly looking for a bespoke approach when it comes to choosing the jewellery with which they will promise to love, honour and cherish.<\/p>\n \u201cIt\u2019s just as big a deal for them as the bride and, in their own way, men can be just as picky as women,\u201d he says. \u201cThey want style and personality and they definitely want designs that are not boring.<\/p>\n \u201cSo it\u2019s all about choosing something they will be happy to wear for a lifetime.\u201d<\/p>\n As an example, he points to the popularity of black rings, which are far from traditional and which run the gamut from stripes, brushed finishes and chequered patterns to inlays of single stones or a red carbon fibre.<\/p>\n \u201cI think what men love about black rings is that they are so different,\u201d says Nathan, who also sells ring boxes on Mens Rings Online<\/a>. \u201cThey make a powerful statement and you can really tell when someone\u2019s wearing one because it stands out so much against their skin.\u201d<\/p>\n It\u2019s very much a ring for someone who wants the world to know he\u2019s married, and adds weight to the classic argument that black is always the new black.<\/p>\n <\/a><\/p>\n But that\u2019s far from the only unique choice.<\/p>\n \u201cMore and more, people are looking to newer, edgier and, dare I say it, weird things,\u201d says Nathan. It\u2019s all about the rise of the niche \u2013 where one size doesn\u2019t fit all, and nor does one style.<\/p>\n Examples of more modern offerings at Mens Rings Online<\/a> include camouflage designs and also skull rings, which have started to trend well in the last six months or so. These range from actual skull designs to simple bands featuring a skull pattern.<\/p>\n Freemason Masonic rings and Irish claddagh rings are also finding favour, building on the fact \u201cthey all have great stories behind them\u201d. So you\u2019re not just buying a ring, you\u2019re also tapping into a well of great history, heritage and character.<\/p>\n Other accents capturing the imagination of husbands to be (and their wives) include koa wood centrepieces, carbon fibre centrelines and matte or hammered finishes.<\/p>\n It\u2019s part of an ongoing process of informing and educating people about what\u2019s possible \u2013 and what\u2019s out there.<\/p>\n <\/a><\/p>\n Ceramic rings \u2013 which Mens Rings Online does pretty exclusively among Australian jewelers – are another perfect example.<\/p>\n \u201cThese kind of rings have been around for a little while now internationally \u2013 mainly in Europe and the United States,\u201d Nathan says. \u201cBut they haven\u2019t been a big thing in Australia.<\/p>\n \u201cPart of the issue is that when someone thinks of ceramic objects, they traditionally think of them as being quite fragile. Whereas the kind of ceramic we use is zirconium ceramic, which is actually very tough, scratch proof and light. So it really is incredibly durable.\u201d<\/p>\n He also points out ceramic lends itself to colours such as white \u2013 on top of more traditionally masculine shades \u2013 which is all part of complementing classic selections such as plain bands in yellow or white gold.<\/p>\n <\/a><\/p>\n \u201cOnce upon a time it was all just about the women\u2019s ring, but things have evolved and now grooms want an equally considered sign of their love and commitment,\u201d explains Nathan, whose visions are brought to life by a Sydney jeweller and include hypo-allergenic options.<\/p>\n He says the most common size for a band is the 6-7mm mark, with 7mm being most popular. \u201cPeople aren\u2019t looking for super wide or super thin,\u201d he says.<\/p>\n Again, it\u2019s all about balancing practical matters and personal choice, which is something Mens Rings Online stresses as a key consideration.<\/p>\n \u201cWhen looking at rings, the first question to ask is: \u2018What does the groom actually like?\u2019\u201d says Nathan, who ships everywhere from Germany and Ireland to Israel and Spain. \u201cDoes he like the feel of a heavy ring or not? What materials does he like? Does he like the feel of a ring on his finger or not?<\/p>\n \u201cAfter all, it has to work for the rest of his life.\u201d<\/p>\n
\nNathan Hartnett has made an art out of getting wedding rings off men\u2019s fingers. But it\u2019s all for a good cause.<\/p>\n