Almost all jewellery is subject to the whims of fashion, and the changing tastes and fads that take the trends of today and turn them into the tastes of tomorrow. However, it is interesting to note that some of the most established forces in the jewellery world have actually tried to fight against these tides of change, by making pieces that are forever in style. Examples of these include such timeless classics as gold rings, which have been around forever and probably will continue to be around forever, due to their universal beauty and aesthetic appeal.
Part of the reason for the popularity of the gold ring rests in its appeal to both sexes. Although jewellery is usually very keen to differentiate genders, there are some things that bridge the gap, and gold rings are one of these rare examples that are equally popular with both sexes. This is not to say, of course, that there is no difference between the rings that men wear and the rings that women wear. On the contrary, women’s rings will typically be more slender and perhaps feature some delicate engraved goldwork filigree, while rings intended for male use will share those typical male characteristics of being thicker, more plain, more rugged and more durable.There are very few men, for example, who do not own a 14k yellow gold ring or a 14k white gold ring (since 14k gold rings are the accepted standard for gold rings).
The most popular use for rings, of course, is as engagement and wedding bands. In this capacity, the gifting of rings between a couple is meant to symbolize the sacred bond of marital union. Usually, this is seen as one of the main causes for the popularity of diamond rings, which are traditionally meant to be associated with weddings, love, and eternity. Who among us has not heard the famous quote telling us that diamonds are forever? Even though most people know that this platitude is actually a marketing jingle for the DeBeers diamond corporation, diamonds still have a special place in our heart – we use them for our engagement rings, our wedding rings, and many other things besides these.
It seems logical, then, to assume that diamond rings will not go away anytime soon. And even more interestingly, diamond rings are frequently made of gold, representing a merging of two classic forms of jewellery, the gold ring and the diamond ring. The 14k gold diamond ring is one of the most popular kinds of wedding ring today, and will probably remain so for quite some time.
Of course, the traditional rings made of gold have been supplanted (to some degree at least) by other more exotic metals, such as, for example, platinum and rhodium. In some cases, different forms of gold are becoming more popular than yellow gold. Indeed, white gold is one of the fastest things overtaking the traditional yellow gold ring, with sales figures for 14k white gold rings shooting higher and higher every year.
In spite of this, all industry indicators seem to show that the 14k gold ring still maintains a healthy lead over all the other kinds of rings (excepting those made out of cheaper materials such as silver or even stainless steal). One reason for this popularity is that 14k gold jewellery is not overly expensive compared to 18 or 22k, and it still retains the rich yellow color of higher end karats, something that 9 or 10 karat gold can not do. Another factor is that it can be traced to the place of its symbolic role in upholding wedding/engagement traditions. This, it seems, will not change anytime soon.