Gold Ring Buying Guide
Most rings under $30 you’ll find online, including most of what’s listed here, are gold-plated: a base metal or sterling silver core with a thin layer of real gold bonded to the outside. It looks like solid gold at first, but that layer can wear thin over years of daily wear, especially with lotion, chlorine, or constant friction. Gold-filled rings use a much thicker layer of gold mechanically bonded to the base metal, so they hold their color far longer than plated pieces, though they still aren’t solid gold. Gold vermeil specifically means a sterling silver base with a legally required minimum thickness of gold plating, which puts it a notch above ordinary gold plating for durability. Solid karat gold, marked 10K, 14K, or 18K all the way through, is a different category entirely and priced accordingly. We describe each ring on this page by what it actually is rather than what sounds best, so you know what you’re buying before you click through to Amazon.
Finding Your Ring Size at Home
If you don’t already know your size, wrap a strip of paper or string snugly around the base of your finger, mark where it overlaps, and measure that length in millimeters. That measurement is your finger’s circumference, which you can match against any standard ring size chart online. Measure at the end of the day when your fingers are at their largest, and try to avoid measuring right after exercise or in cold weather, since fingers naturally shrink and swell. A number of the stackable and adjustable sets on this page are designed to fit a range of sizes, which is worth checking on the product listing itself before you buy if you’re unsure.