Trends can quickly rise and fall but buying jewelry of the latest fashion can be a pricey, frustrating endeavor. Fashion jewelry offers a less expensive, quality alternative while maintaining an up-to-date look. This is especially the case with rings. Often worn daily, rings are highly visible accessories. No matter what your taste, trendy or classic, fashion rings are a smart option for daily use and changing fashion. This guide is designed to provide information on types of metals and styles that can tie your look together without breaking your budget.

Metals

Inexpensive, stylish rings are available in a variety of metals. Stainless steel appears often in fashion jewelry rings, as brushed (matte) or reflective state. Today, the look of stainless steel is considered modern and fashionable in jewelry and even home décor. An advantage of stainless steel jewelry is that it can be worn while showering or washing dishes and will not tarnish.

Silver often appears in fashion rings and can vary in quality. While pure silver is a soft and fragile lustrous white metal, it is usually blended with other metals for durability. Most often silver is combined with copper to produce sterling silver. Sterling silver is 92.5 percent pure silver and 7.5 percent copper. This quality standard is also referred to as .925 sterling silver. You will know that your fashion ring is quality sterling silver if it is marked so. Engraved marks on the ring will indicate .925 sterling silver. These include:

• Sterling
• Sterling silver
• .925

Rings with a gold-like appearance are often gold plated. This means that a thin layer of genuine gold is sealed over another metal. Gold plating is often coated over sterling silver, stainless steel or brass on fashion rings. The product description (from a reputable seller) will detail what material is beneath a gold plated ring.

You might also find silver colored rings which are actually rhodium plated. Rhodium commonly coats brass on fashion jewelry rings. Since Rhodium is a durable metal, it often coats sterling silver to help protect and prevent the silver from becoming scratched or tarnished.

Styles

One of the greatest advantages to buying fashion rings is that they are available in a wide range of styles. Classic styles, such as simple bands, are discreet and appear quite like the real thing. However, quirkier styles have the advantage of not attempting to appear genuine at all. Synthetic stone can be elegant or trendy in color, size and shape. For example, a large heart-shaped synthetic purple gemstone has a different effect than a classic solitaire band. With fashion rings, there is room for edgier accessory choices.