Jewelry shopping can be intimidating. That’s why we started Ask Holden, our blog where we answer your FAQs, break down scary industry lingo, and guide you in finding the perfect piece of jewelry.
For today’s blog post, we’re talking FAQs. Who better to answer the questions we get asked the most than our very own customer experience expert Meghan? Meghan hails from Virginia, loves hashbrowns, and her favorite Holden ring is the Flush Diamond Profile. She was kind enough to answer our 15 most frequently asked questions.
1. What’s the difference between 10 karat, 14 karat, and 18 karat - and how do I choose?
Karat is a measure of the purity of gold. The number before karat, or k, refers to how many parts out of 24 total parts are pure gold (e.g. 24k gold means 24 out of 24 parts are gold, so 24k is 100% pure gold). The most noticeable difference between each karat option is the gold color. Because pure gold is naturally yellow in color, the higher the karat, the more yellow the metal will appear. If you want to learn more, we wrote a full blog post on karat - and one on how to choose the best metal for your wedding band.
2. What does it mean for a ring to be comfort fit? Does this affect my ring size?
All of our rings are made with a comfort fit interior. This means the inner edges are slightly rounded, which makes it easier to slide on and off - and more comfortable when you wear it! We take this into account when sizing our rings, so all of our rings still run true to size! It’s a little hard to describe, so since a picture is worth a thousand words, I drew an illustration to help visualize it. For more info, check out our post on comfort fit vs standard fit rings.
3. My ring is scratched/scuffed! Is this to be expected?
Yes, scratches and blemishes are actually inevitable on all precious metal rings from any jeweler because precious metals (like gold and platinum) are actually softer than many of the surfaces you’ll come in contact with! Don’t worry though - over time, the scratches and scuffs will start to blend together, which will give your ring an overall soft sheen. If you think your ring is dirty and want to give it an at-home clean, check out our post on how to clean your wedding ring.
4. What are lab grown diamonds and why do you use them?
Lab grown diamonds are 100% real diamonds, chemically and physically identical to natural (aka mined) diamonds. Why do we use them, you ask? Lab grown diamonds are the ethical, eco-conscious, and more affordable choice (which allows us to give you the best deal!). If you want to know more, check out our full blog post on lab grown diamonds.
5. What is the difference in appearance between a mirror finish and a matte finish?
Our mirror finish is a shiny and reflective high polish finish (and typically a more classic finish for wedding rings), and our matte finish is similar to a brushed satin finish (a bit more modern).
6. What font do you use for engraving, and is it possible to use a different font? What about a symbol?
Our standard engraving font is TO Record Black in all caps (top left). If you're looking for a different font, we can also do a cursive engraving in Petit Formal Script (bottom right). If there's something specific you have in mind, reach out to us at help@hiholden.com to see if we can make it happen ;). We can do some symbols as well - check out our engraving post for more engraving FAQs and ideas!
7. I don’t know my ring size! What should I do?
Order our free ring size kit! Our ring sizer will give you an accurate read so you can ensure that your ring fits just right.
8. How do I pick a width? What do different widths look like on my finger?
When you order our free ring size kit, we include a width guide to give you a better idea of how different widths will look on your finger! Here’s a picture of our standard widths to help you choose the best one for you.
9. I want to design a custom ring! Is this possible?
Definitely possible! Reach out to us at help@hiholden.com with your idea, and we’ll run it by our design team! If you’re looking for some inspo, check out our blog post on some of our favorite custom designs.
10. My ring doesn’t fit! What now?
We typically recommend wearing the ring consistently for a few weeks as changes in weather, temperature, and physical activity can cause your finger to change size slightly - wild, huh? If you feel like your ring still doesn’t fit just right, shoot us an email at help@hiholden.com and we’ll resize it for free. We offer free lifetime resizing on most of our rings, so if you ever need your ring resized, don’t hesitate to reach out.
11. Is it possible to try on rings in person?
Of course! We’d love to have you come in and try on our rings in person at our showroom in SoHo. Book Appointment
12. What is Holden doing to minimize its environmental impact?
We use exclusively recycled precious metals and lab-grown diamonds for our rings. Since we make every ring to order, we’re also only making rings that already have a home - we have no excess sitting around in inventory. We make everything locally in NYC, just a block from our office. We’re working to make our packaging more sustainable as well and documenting that process transparently through our work with Slash Packaging. You can read more about our efforts on our sustainability page!
13. How long can I expect it to take between the day I order and the day my ring arrives on my doorstep?
We custom make each ring to order, so they are all truly personalized! Our current turnaround time is 2-3 weeks, but if there’s a specific date you need it by (like maybe your... wedding!), feel free to reach out to us at help@hiholden.com and we can definitely try to accommodate.
14. How durable is my ring? Can I work out in it, lift heavy things, do a triathlon in it?
All precious metals are subject to scratching, so we don’t recommend wearing it during strenuous activities (aka don’t wear it while surfing, but surfing the internet is okay!).
15. I love your rings, but I’m not necessarily getting married anytime soon. Can I still wear a Holden ring?
Of course! We’ve had customers (and members of the Holden team!) wear our rings just because they love them! I’m wearing one on my pinky right now ;).
Questions? Give us a shout at help@hiholden.com or a ring (pun intended) at 646.722.6817.
