An 8mm flat band in brushed gold titanium with a laurel vine laser-etched around the outside and a sleeve of natural crushed garnet lining the whole interior. The leaves show as gray titanium where the laser has cut through the gold; the garnet shows at the edges when the ring is on, and in full when it comes off. Sizes 7 to 13.
Natural Crushed GarnetFull Garnet SleeveLaser-Etched Laurel VineBrushed Gold Titanium8 mm Flat ProfileSizes 7–13
Outside and Inside
Outside
A brushed matte gold band with a single laurel vine winding once around it, etched into the surface rather than raised, so nothing catches on gloves or tools.
Inside
A continuous sleeve of crushed garnet set in clear resin, ground smooth and flush to the edges. Deep wine red, brighter where a fragment catches the light.
Only You Know
On the hand it reads as a quiet gold ring with a leaf pattern. The color belongs to the wearer, not the room, which is the reason people choose an inner-sleeve band.
The Laurel Vine
Laurel is the wreath of victory and honor in the Greek and Roman worlds; a vine of it around a band says the same thing without a crown. Here the pattern is a single stem of paired leaves running once around the circumference in a soft wave. It is laser-etched through the gold finish, which exposes the gray titanium beneath, so the contrast is the metal itself rather than a fill or a paint. The etching sits below the surface, and the brushed finish carries on around it.
For the wider field of leaf, vine and nature motifs on men's bands, our guide to non-traditional men's wedding bands covers every style and finish.
The Garnet
Garnet is one of the oldest stones in jewelry, worn since the Bronze Age, and the deep red variety is the January birthstone. This garnet is natural, mined rather than grown, and sits at 6.5–7.5 on the Mohs scale. It is crushed into flakes, set in clear resin around the whole inside of the band, then ground smooth and level with the edges so nothing is felt on the finger. Against gold the red reads warm and deep, closer to wine than to the pink of a ruby. Our guide to what garnet means covers the history, and red gemstones compared puts it beside ruby and spinel.
Every sleeve sets differently, so the pattern of flakes inside your band is unique. What does not change is the color, the band, the etching and the width.
Brushed Gold Titanium
The band is titanium with a yellow-gold finish bonded to the metal rather than painted on, brushed to a directional matte. It is not solid gold and it is not gold over brass: the body is titanium all the way through, with gold color on the surface. Brushed gold hides fingerprints and fine handling marks, and it is what lets the etched leaves read clearly, gray on matte gold.
The profile is flat and pipe-cut with softened edges and a comfort-fit interior. Because that interior is the garnet sleeve rather than bare metal, this band cannot be engraved on the inside.
Why Titanium
Titanium is the light one. It weighs less than a third of what tungsten carbide does, so an 8mm band that would feel substantial in tungsten is barely there on the hand, and it is the same nickel-free metal used in medical implants, so it suits the most reactive skin. At around 6 on the Mohs scale it is softer than tungsten carbide, which means hard wear can leave fine marks; on a brushed finish they blend into the grain, and the band can be re-brushed.
What titanium will not do is shatter. Under a hard impact it dents rather than cracking, and in an emergency it can be cut off with a standard ring cutter. Our guide to titanium versus tungsten lays the trade-offs out side by side.
Sizing
Sizes 7 through 13, including every half size. This band cannot be resized: titanium is difficult to work, and the garnet sleeve fills the interior, so there is no bare metal to move. Comfort fit means the inside of the band is domed rather than flat, which makes it slide on more easily; many people find they need a quarter to a half size smaller than in a standard-fit ring. If you are between sizes, size down rather than up. Our wedding band width guide shows what 8 mm looks like on the hand.
Browse the rest of our men's rings and wedding bands, nature-inspired men's wedding bands, titanium rings, garnet jewelry and January birthstone jewelry. If you are choosing it as an engagement ring rather than a wedding band, how to choose a men's engagement ring is the place to start.
Specifications
-
Exterior: Brushed gold titanium, laser-etched laurel vine, full circumference
-
Interior: Natural garnet, crushed and set in clear resin, full sleeve
-
Metal: Titanium, yellow-gold finish
-
Width: 8 mm
-
Profile: Flat, comfort fit interior
-
Finish: Brushed matte
-
Hardness: About 6 on the Mohs scale (titanium); 6.5–7.5 (garnet), resin-sealed
-
Weight: Light, under a third of an equivalent tungsten band
-
Sizes: 7 to 13, including half sizes
-
Resizing: Not possible
-
Engraving: Not available, the interior is the garnet sleeve
-
Availability: Ready to ship
-
Presentation: Free luxury velvet jewelry box
Care
Wipe with a soft, damp cloth and dry. Do not use polishing cloths or abrasive compounds; they burnish the brushed finish into a patchy shine, thin the gold, and scratch the resin over the garnet. Lotion and soap collect on the inside of any ring, and on this one that means on the garnet, so rinse the interior under warm water now and then and dry it. Keep the ring out of chlorinated pools and away from bleach and solvents, and never use an ultrasonic cleaner on it. Our guide to cleaning jewelry at home covers the rest.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is the garnet real?
Yes. It is natural garnet, mined rather than grown, crushed into flakes and set in clear resin around the inside of the band. It is not dyed.
Where is the garnet, and can you see it when the ring is on?
The garnet lines the inside of the band. On the hand you see a thin edge of red at the rim, and the full sleeve when the ring comes off.
Does the garnet sleeve feel different on the finger?
No. The crushed garnet is set in resin, ground smooth and level with the edges, so the interior feels like a smooth comfort-fit band.
Is the gold real?
No. The band is titanium with a yellow-gold finish bonded to the metal. It is not solid gold and not gold over brass; there is no brass or nickel anywhere in it.
Will the gold color wear off?
The gold is bonded to the titanium rather than painted on, so it does not chip or flake. Abrasive polishes and polishing cloths are the one thing that thins it, so keep them away.
What is the leaf pattern?
A laurel vine: a single stem of paired leaves running once around the band in a soft wave. Laurel is the classical symbol of victory and honor.
Is the pattern engraved or printed?
Laser-etched. The laser cuts through the gold finish and exposes the gray titanium beneath, so the leaves are the metal itself. Nothing is painted or filled.
Will every ring look the same?
The band, the etching and the width are identical. The garnet flakes settle differently in every sleeve, so the pattern inside is unique to your ring.
Can I have it engraved?
No. The interior is the garnet sleeve, so there is no bare metal to engrave.
Can it be resized?
No. Titanium is difficult to resize, and the garnet sleeve fills the interior, so there is no bare metal to work. Order carefully, and size down rather than up if you are between sizes.
What does comfort fit mean?
The inside of the band is gently domed instead of flat, so less surface touches your finger. It slides on more easily and runs slightly large, so many people take a quarter to a half size smaller.
How heavy is it?
Light. Titanium weighs less than a third of what tungsten carbide does, so this 8mm band feels closer to a silver ring than to a tungsten one.
Will it scratch?
It can. Titanium is around 6 on the Mohs scale, softer than tungsten carbide, so hard wear leaves fine marks. On a brushed finish they blend into the grain, and the band can be re-brushed.
Can it be cut off in an emergency?
Yes. Titanium cuts with a standard jeweler's or hospital ring cutter. It takes longer than gold, but it does not need to be cracked off the way tungsten does.
Is it safe for sensitive skin?
Yes. Titanium is hypoallergenic and nickel-free, the same metal used in medical implants, and the resin holding the garnet is inert.
Is this only for men?
No. It is listed as a men's band because 8mm is a width most men choose, but plenty of people wear a wide band regardless of gender. Sizes start at 7.
Is garnet a birthstone?
Yes. Garnet is the January birthstone, and the traditional stone for 2nd anniversaries.
How does it arrive?
Ready to ship, in a free luxury velvet jewelry box.
