What is Hardwood?

Exotic wood (or hardwood) rings and bands are uniquely attractive; they are made from hardwood and a custom formed metal or composite.

Hardwood is a type of highly-dense and most rigid form of wood obtained from dicot trees present in tropical and sub-tropical regions. Exotic hardwood is sustainably sourced from Ironwood, Oak, Teak, Sapele, Iroko, Meranti trees, to name a few. Moreover, hardwood is very durable, and using beeswax to finish rings helps with it's water-resistance, enhancing its durability.

Hardwood rings are usually formed with a combination of naturally sourced hardwood and custom-formed alternative metals.

The hardwood can be used in two ways: it can form an inlay on the exterior of the ring or as a sleeve on the interior. Customers can choose the colour, character, pattern, and quality of hardwood steel to customize their ring

Why you should get a Hardwood Ring

Durability

Hardwood combined with metal rings are highly durable as they are made from tough hardwood, accompanied with a durable metal or composite base. Its composition makes rings last for years with proper care.

Water-resistant

Exposed hardwood rings are made water resistant by stabilizing them and using beeswax or epoxy for their finish. Moreover, sealing the wood layer with a thin layer of enamel enhances the protection of wood from moisture and damage.

Hypoallergenic

Hardwood rings are usually unlikely to react with skin, and therefore are generally safe to use and hypoallergenic.

Rust, Scratch, and Corrosion Resistant

Corrosion is a deterioration that occurs in metals. Acids cause corrosion of metals resulting in the deterioration of the fine appearance of metal surfaces. Hardwood, however, is corrosion-resistant and durable. The chances of getting scratches on hardwood steel rings are much less. The metals combined with hardwood rings are specially treated to make them corrosion resistant.

Affordability

Hardwood rings are generally affordable when compared to traditional precious metals such as gold and silver rings.

Unique

Hardwood rings have a unique grain which means no two hardwood rings are the same. They are also easily paired with other metals to produce distinct designs and looks for all wearers.

We've put together some of our designs below to highlight the designs possible when combining hardwood and other metals.

Things to consider

Ring Sizing

While selecting a hardwood steel ring, it is best to measure the size of your wedding ring precisely, as resizing it will be very difficult. Therefore we recommend measuring your ring size accurately using our guide or see a jeweller for an accurate ring size.

However, we always offer a Resize Service for any ring that doesn’t quite fit first time.

Inlay Depths

Inlays for hardwood rings usually begin at 3mm depths as anything smaller than that would cause the wood to be too brittle. However, we often combine hardwood rings with other metals to strengthen the rings and make them last.

Exposure to Alcohol or Moisture

While we treat all exposed hardwood sleeves with water-resistant wax, we recommend keeping hardwood rings away from water or alcohol such as hand sanitiser as this can cause the wood to expand. Most of The Ring Shop's hardwood rings are protected by an epoxy resin, so this only applies to rings with an exposed wooden inner sleeve.