For too long have men avoided rings for fear of public judgment. For too long have men denied the enjoyment of bedazzling their fingers with precious metals, gems, and more. For too long have men suppressed their true style for the sake of blending in.
But it doesn’t have to be this way. We want men to feel comfortable adorning their digits with the rings that best express their personality and style. Accentuate a suave suit, bolster a streetwear look, or channel your inner Viking — the choice is yours. Do you know which ring is right for you?
In this guide, we’ll take you through everything there is to know about men’s rings. From the types of rings available and what they mean, to finger symbolism and tips for rocking your ring, we’ve got you covered below.
What Are the Different Kinds of Rings for Men?
From a class ring to remember the glory days of college to a family ring to commemorate cherished heritage, men have many ring styles to choose from beyond just wedding rings. Each style is associated with its own symbolism, so it’s important to know what your ring says about your fashion sense, religious beliefs, social status, or romantic availability.
Men’s Signet Rings
Dating back to 3500 B.C., signet rings were used by nobility and aristocrats as actual signatures to prove the authenticity of important documents by pressing the ring’s embossed symbol into hot wax. This technique left a permanent marking that was unique to the wearer. Typically, men’s signet rings were emblazoned with a signet, or symbol, such as a coat of arms or family crest. However, throughout the signet ring’s 4,500 years of existence, men have experimented with a wide variety of imagery ranging from monograms and icons to expressions of individuality and aesthetic refinement.
Men’s Affiliation Rings
Affiliation rings are meant to denote affiliation with a specific entity or society. They’ve been used throughout history and continue to be in use today. Rather than proving one’s actual identity, as with a signet ring, modern affiliation rings bear the mark of a man’s college, fraternity, military rank, or even attendance at a specific Super Bowl game.
Men’s Wedding Rings
As the name suggests, men’s wedding rings are exchanged alongside vows of marriage and are worn to symbolize love and commitment to their spouses. While evidence of wedding rings goes back nearly 5,000 years, men didn’t always wear them. In fact, it only became commonplace in the mid-twentieth century, when overseas soldiers donned them to feel comforted by thoughts of their spouses back home.
Typically, men’s wedding rings are simple and undressed, without loud gemstones or intricate patterns. Yellow gold is a traditional and timeless choice of material, but the modern man has a wide variety of metals, wood types, and other materials like carbon fiber to choose from.
Men’s Fashion Rings
Anything that doesn’t fall into the above categories is generally deemed a fashion ring. Otherwise known as personal statement rings, these rings are the ultimate form of self-expression. Go for a sterling silver skull with diamonds for eyes, your favorite designer’s logo bedecked in platinum, a customized brand image for your business (create your design by using a logo maker or using templates for a Jewelry shop logo), or something with a variety of vibrant gemstones — the world of men’s fashion rings is your oyster.
What Are the Common Materials for Men’s Rings?
Choosing a material for your ring can be harder than you might think. With so many options at your fingertips, you are no longer bound to choosing between yellow- or white-hued rings for men. Options abound, from tungsten to wood to carbon fiber.
Precious Metals
Still, the safest and most traditional men’s wedding ring material is precious metal. Men who want to sport a classic look and own jewelry that will hold its value should consider these materials. The three top dogs in this category are gold, silver, and platinum.
Gold
Gold is the metal that moves armies and makes empires. It has been used in jewelry since the time of ancient Egypt and has not lost an ounce of allure in the thousands of years since. Despite the wide variety of modern materials for men’s rings, gold always has been and always will be a cultural mainstay.
The thing is, pure gold is heavy and extremely soft, making it a pretty poor choice for jewelry. To make gold lighter, stronger, and more suited for your finger, it is alloyed — or combined — with base metals. The tradeoff is that the more base metals are included, the less pure a gold ring is.
Each ring’s purity is denoted by its karat value, measured in 24 parts with 24k being pure gold. Therefore, 18k gold is about 75 percent pure gold mixed with 25 percent base metals since 18/24 = 0.75.
In terms of rings for men, gold is typically sold in three colors: yellow gold, white gold, and rose gold. Each one is created with a unique alloy of metals. White gold is pure gold married with a white metal like nickel or manganese, and rose gold relies on copper for its reddish hue.
Silver
Silver often plays second fiddle to gold but is actually a respectable choice for any man who wants a white-toned ring with humble beauty at an affordable price. It isn’t often used as a men’s wedding ring material, but it is commonly found in men’s fashion rings, affiliation rings, and other rings for men.
Like gold, pure silver doesn’t make for very durable jewelry as it scratches and tarnishes easily during daily use. This is remedied by alloying silver with copper and occasionally other base metals. Unlike gold, the purity of a silver alloy is measured on a separate 1,000-point scale of fineness. At 950 fineness, or 95 percent purity, sterling silver is the most common silver carried by jewelers.
Platinum
If silver is too humble for your tastes, platinum is a gorgeous white metal that is also one of the rarest used in jewelry. It’s far from unattainable, but men who gravitate toward the exclusivity of platinum should be ready to stomach its higher price.
Price and status are actually the main drivers of men who wear platinum rings. The luxurious metal bears a striking resemblance to silver, so much so that it can be indistinguishable at a distance. Platinum jewelry is undoubtedly a status symbol, made known by its slightly less lustrous appearance when compared to silver up close.
However, platinum is also available in lower karat options, following the same karat system as gold. This makes it more accessible to men who want a taste of the finer things in life at a price more fit for the masses.
Titanium
Titanium is a white metal known for its light weight and unwavering durability. Titanium rings for men are the perfect choice for everyday use when you don’t want your ring to crack or bend under strenuous activity.
For laborers, gym rats, and macho men, titanium both symbolizes strength and backs up that connotation with real durability. Its featherweight composition also makes it less bulky than other metal rings. Another bonus for titanium is that it is a highly common metal and therefore highly affordable.
Tungsten
For the sciencey guys out there, tungsten carbide rings are exceptionally cool. They’re made from chemically binding tungsten with carbon atoms, resulting in the hardest and strongest metal on Earth. It features material with a masculine graphite hue and is far denser than steel or titanium, giving it a visceral, weighty feel.
It goes without saying that tungsten carbide is extremely scratch-resistant and strong. Tungsten rings won’t tarnish either, making them another affordable alternative to silver for men who don’t shy away from manual work that needs to be done.
Note: Tungsten carbide bands are made through a binding process that can include allergenic metals like nickel and cobalt. Men who experience allergic reactions to these metals should use caution when shopping for tungsten carbide rings.
Silicone
Silicone is one of the more unusual materials available for men’s rings, due to its unusual flexibility. These rings are made from synthetic plastic polymers and rubber, which provides their durable, slightly bendy, low-profile, and hypoallergenic properties.
While some feel the inexpensive and pedestrian rubber is not suited for traditionally fanciful jewelry like men’s wedding rings, it does have its high points. Silicone is one of the cheapest ring materials and can be molded into any shape and injected with a wide variety of inks, allowing for nearly endless color and design options. The material is highly resilient, too, withstanding temperatures between -58 and 932 degrees Fahrenheit.
Even if you do prefer the elegant and timeless look of a metal ring, silicone can still have its place as a backup. Many men like the versatility of slipping on their silicone replacement ring while lifting iron in the gym or performing other activities that could damage their metal showpiece.
Wood
If you’re more of a woodsman or a silent lumberjack type, you might be interested in wood rings for men. It might sound counterintuitive, but wood rings are actually environmentally friendly as no mining is required for their construction.
Like some other alternative options we’ve discussed above, wood rings are hypoallergenic, lightweight, and inexpensive. They require regular care and upkeep to stay in good condition, however, so they aren’t the best choice for men who are taking their first foray into jewelry.
Ring Symbolism for Each Finger
So you have a ring style and preferred material in mind, but now you’re wondering which finger you should wear your ring on. Of course, you do you — but if you don’t want to send the wrong message, the decision isn’t as easy as picking the finger that looks best to you. Old traditions and cultural associations abound when it comes to wearing rings on certain fingers.
Thumb Rings
Unless you’re T-Pain or Johnny Depp, you’ll need a lot of confidence to pull off a thumb ring in the U.S. These rings are often bulky, loud, and make a bold statement — often of wealth and influence. However, if you’re a go-big-or-go-home sort of guy and don’t mind answering the inevitable horde of questions, the thumb is a grand digit to choose. It’s especially useful if you’re already wearing rings on other fingers and don’t want your hand to feel claustrophobic or uncomfortable.
Pointer Finger Rings
For centuries, the pointer finger was the most common destination for men to wear rings — especially rings with a signet or crest that denoted family status or rank and privilege in an association. The pointer symbolizes power, authority, and leadership, which makes sense as one does a lot of pointing when barking orders.
Even if you’re not the bossy type, the pointer is actually a great choice for a ring. You can even keep with tradition and don your favorite class ring, fraternal ring, or family ring with your ancestral coat of arms.
Middle Finger Rings
The middle finger is typically avoided when donning rings because it can interfere with everyday tasks and cause discomfort. On the other hand, it is the largest finger and can look quite masculine dressed in a ring, which may appeal to some men. Consider this option for a sleek, understated ring if comfort is less of an issue for you, personally.
Ring Finger Rings
The ring finger is culturally associated with love, romance, and marriage. It was once thought that the ring finger was the only finger to house an artery that leads to the heart, making it a natural selection for men’s wedding rings in particular. For these reasons, adorning your ring finger (especially on your left hand) with rings for any other purpose is likely to cause others to misjudge your marital status.
Pinky Finger Rings
Like the thumb, the pinky finger is a top choice for men’s fashion rings. It isn’t shackled by any cultural, religious, or symbolic associations to abide by, so you’re free to wear anything you want here without judgment. Another pro is that pinky-worn rings are isolated from the pointer finger and stay relatively out of the way and don’t interfere with most tasks. Consider wearing large, colorful, or bulky rings like signet or affiliation rings on your pinky finger. It’s a finger for rings that want to be noticed.
How to Wear Men’s Rings
You have a ring or several rings picked out. You’re jazzed about the prospect of donning a bit of bling. But how exactly do you go about it in practice? What size should you get? Does this ring go well with that watch?
How to Size Rings for Men
Each man has uniquely sized fingers requiring uniquely sized rings. Furthermore, the ring size you need depends on the finger you plan to wear it on. Luckily, sizing a ring is easy. Simply visit a jeweler like Shane Co. and have your finger professionally sized. Or, if you’re shopping online, print off a sizing guide to do it at home. For more information on ring sizing, visit our detailed ring sizing page.
How Many Rings Should a Man Wear?
The easy answer is the number that you are comfortable wearing. This depends on the man, his sense of style, and his level of confidence when it comes to wearing rings. Some men are only comfortable with a simple wedding band on their ring finger, while others want to max out their hands with as much bling as they can fit over their knuckles.
If you lean toward the latter, we would still suggest a maximum of around three rings per hand. This allows each piece to stand for itself in an uncluttered environment and prevents rings from grinding together and suffering damage.
Should a Man Match Metals?
Yes. You’ve likely heard fashion rules like matching a brown belt with brown shoes and a brown watch strap, and the same advice applies to matching the metals of rings you wear. Of course this “rule” is not do or die, but if possible, match the metal tone of your rings and accessories. For example, if you’re wearing yellow gold rings, a gold watch and belt buckle would follow suit.
But how do you know which metal tone you should wear in the first place? If you’re unsure, examine your skin tone. If it’s cool, consider white metals like silver, platinum, or white gold. If your skin tone is on the warmer spectrum, think about wearing yellow gold instead.
Own It!
Confidence is a must when it comes to men wearing rings. While men’s wedding rings are now commonplace, sporting rings on other fingers is still gaining popularity. You might have to field some questions about what your ring means, where you got it, or why you’re wearing it. But one thing you can count on for sure is that you — or your rings, rather — will be noticed by friends, family, and passers-by alike.
At first, your ring might feel foreign or even awkward, and that’s okay. If you’re struggling with confidence in public, try wearing it around the house until it feels second nature. Then go flaunt it like a man!
Conclusion
Rings are underrated as accessories for men. The right ring can work synergistically with a watch or belt to bring your personal style to the next level. Wearing rings is also an excellent way to communicate a powerful message with your outfit, be it commitment, religion, wealth, or identity. When you’re ready to add another dimension to your look or you’re getting engaged to your better half, Shane Co. has a wide selection of men’s rings to suit your needs.
Editor’s Note: This post was originally published in February 2022 and has been updated for accuracy and comprehensiveness.
