The starting price for a wedding ring made from precious metal would be one made from silver. Silver comes in four different standards of purity in the UK – 800, 925, 958, 999. Silver is a soft metal and it is alloyed so it is harder wearing. 925 or sterling silver is the most common metal as it has a high content of precious metal but is also hard wearing. 958 which is also known as Britannia silver is whiter than sterling silver and is softer as it contains more silver, so it will mark easier when it is worn. 800 was introduced more recently and allows manufacturers to provide silver jewellery for lower price points. It’s not something I’ve worked with before. 999 is pure silver and isn’t normally used in jewellery as it would be too soft. Handmade silver rings could start from as little as £50. Adding hand engraving to the inside of a handmade silver ring makes it really special and personal.
Sometimes an additional silver band is purchased for the groom or bride to wear at work so their gold or platinum band doesn’t get as damaged through wear. Many nurses are asked to ensure their wedding rings don’t have stones or grooves in them for reasons of hygiene so sometimes we make an identical version of their wedding ring in silver but without diamonds so it can be worn to work.
This is a ring we made for a nurse in silver that she wears to work and below is the image of the ring she got married with that is made from 18ct white gold and set with diamonds.
Some people can have skin allergies to metals and silver will tarnish and turn black if it comes in contact with ozone or hydrogen sulphide. The black tarnish can be cleaned off with a silver cloth or silver dip. Avoid wearing silver jewellery in swimming pools or hot tubs as the chemicals can turn the silver very black and it can be difficult, though not impossible to clean off. If you do this by accident, a professional jeweller should be able to restore your ring so it looks like new by polishing it.
Silver is alloyed with copper and some people find their finger turns green if they wear silver which while harmless, looks unpleasant. If you suffer from allergies to silver or want to avoid having to clean it, you can have it plated with rhodium, as most white gold is, which makes the ring hypoallergenic and stops it from tarnishing. Here is a picture of two silver rings. The warm white coloured ring on the left is silver and the cooler white colour on the right is silver rhodium plated.
Silver allows you to darken the metal deliberately if you want it to look that way. Have a look at the pieces in my collection called "Hero" or in the AK collection of jewellery for designs that show what silver looks like when it is blackened.
This is one of the rings from my AK collection made from silver with oxidised details.
These are two wedding rings from my Hero collection. The silver is heated with a flame until the surface is molten and then it cools in a unique pattern and colour. These rings are set with a white diamond in one and a black diamond in the other.
You can also add touches of gold to silver to create a bit of warmth to the design. Here's a set of rings that were hand engraved with the phrase that the couple wanted and then the lettering was plated with gold.
It's also possible to combine silver with other precious metals. This is a great way to make a very substantial and affordable wedding ring design that will last forever. 
This is a set of wedding rings in silver and the ring on the right has a solid round profile section of rose gold.
Another idea that could be made in any metal is this special set of wedding rings. These are in silver and they have a map of Iona that is formed when the rings are joined together. This design can come with any hand engraved shaped or symbol that is special to the couple.
One ring is 3mm wide and the other 6mm because that is what the couple wanted but they could be any width.
This design also has the reverse of each part of the map inside it. It symbolises that they are part of a union and that they carry a part of each other inside them even when they are apart.
Below is a one off version of this idea designed for a couple who wanted new rings for their silver wedding anniversary. They have two daughters whose names are Rose and Ffion. Ffion means foxglove so a design was created that intertwined these two flowers with a part of the design on each ring.
This is another ring that comes in two parts but this is an engagement ring and wedding ring. The customer wanted to set of rings that didn't have any stones in them and she wanted them to have two different shades of white metal. I took two rings and twisted them together, soldered them and then filed them into a single form. Then a mould was made of this ring and then two rings that separate were made, one in silver and one in palladium. The two rings have the same form but move to create different shapes when they are worn together.
If you want a wedding ring that is special and different and that you can keep forever, silver can be an excellent choice. All of our designs can come in any metal. Get in touch to discuss how we can help you with rings for your special day or big anniversary.