Why is a Hinged Ring so Expensive?

It can feel like a lot of money for a ring..

You've found a solution that is going to fit over your knuckle - rejoice! You can remodel some of your existing ring into it. Then you learn the price of it.. It's like buying a new ring all over again, but more. How so?

A hinged ring is a brilliant invention. It opens up so the ring can pass over the knuckle, and then snap securely around the finger to be worn comfortably.

A hinged ring is first and foremost, a work of engineering and this should be kept in mind.

Making a hinged ring is not a straightforward process

I know this because I've looked into it on a couple of occasions. There are various designs I've mulled over and experimented with - but here's the skinny if you want to have a go and make your own hinged ring;

1. You have to be good at at engineering, or work with a good engineer
2. You have to good with precious metals, and understand how different finesses of precious metals are going to perform, wear and endure
3. You have to be good with machinery and invest in all the componentry required to fabricate these items
4. You have to good at selling, as you are going to have to shift enough of them to recoup all of the above

There are always at least two joins in a hinged ring, the hinge(s) and the clasp. Each finished ring has been calibrated to work with a specific finger size, so in addition on the above points, you are will need to be able to engineer the solution to create different sizes.

Oh, and you have to produce a ring that will withstand a massive amount of punishment.

So with all of these variables, is ring is like a bespoke tailored suit, made specifically to the finger size. Unfortunately, not in massive quantities either. There are the economies of scale here - if they were being made in tens of thousands, production costs would drop. A few hundred each year puts more pressure on costs.

There's more..

Workmanship

In addition to the above - in some instances then we have a jewellery remodelling project where we are retrofitting an old setting, and making it work in a new one. Or we are building a new setting. This is additional workshop time and materials. So depending on how long something is going to take to be made, it will impact costs again because it is more time and labour. I'm sure there are workshops who will cut corners. However it is a false economy if the jewellery keeps failing.

Materials

The hinged rings we offer are all precious metal, either 14 karat (which is 57.5% pure gold), 18 karat or platinum. And metal prices can move as well. Our suppliers will quote against the prevailing rates. Pure gold needs to be fabricated it (i.e. alloyed with metals to make it harder & reduce purity, and then form it into wire, sheet, tube, grain for jewellery making). Fabrication is expensive work. You can't think in basic metal costs.

A New Ring

If you opt for a brand new ring, rather than remodelling an existing setting, you may find that some costs come down, as you are then factoring in gemstones and other materials. While having your own does save costs, buying from us at the same time will feel slightly less expensive, because you are only buying a new ring once, and the difference will be less noticable for a lot of gem set rings.

Final Thoughts

A hinged ring is a truly bespoke project. It is made to stand up to daily wear, on your hand. So it has higher costs associated with in, in the same way that any piece of niche engineering has increments associated with it. You have to treat it as a brand new piece of jewellery purchase, whether it is, or it is remodelled. This doesn't mean you are going to have to rob a bank to own one, but it is worth preparing yourself that you aren't buying a simple band. We're actually very competitive with our work, a recent client commission cost £2,350 to remodel a ring on to a hinged setting. The client had been quoted £5,000 by a retailer in central London!

We do offer alternatives to hinging, if your knuckle size only 1-2 sizes larger than your finger, have a look at our Rings for Arthritis Section (it is too much of a mouthful to say rings for big knuckles as well, but it's inclusive!). It does all depend on your knuckle shape.

Want to know more about cost expectations? Have a look here..

Get in Touch if you would like to learn more about what a hinged ring might cost for your specific requirements.