Perfect Metal for Wedding Band
It is amazing how times have changed, two decades ago the wedding band had one simple choice, and you could have the gold (yellow or white) and include some diamonds and a pattern. However, these days it’s an entirely different scenario altogether. Different metals all precious forged and polished to rival even gold. Metals like tungsten, platinum, palladium cobalt chrome and titanium have been added into the mix. Now, it is even more difficult to Choose Perfect metal For Wedding Band? A quick examination of the properties and pricing should do the trick for you or narrow your list down at the very least. Therefore, read on to find out the best metal for your wedding band.
First, let us begin off by stating that there are two basic categories of metals, precious and alternative. Precious metals as the names suggest referring to valuable metals like platinum, gold, silver and palladium. Alternative metal is everything else. See, that was easy yes, now for the slightly tough part, distinguishing the precious metals and what they offer.
Gold
Ah, Gold, whatever name you give it, whether its ‘ougun’ in Japanese or ‘Oro’ in Spanish and even whether it exists in yellow, white or rose color, it sure as hell sounds precious. Gold is the most malleable metal. And is usually alloyed to minimize wear and tear. And also bending out of shape when worn, thus prolonging its life and luster. The purity of gold is determined by its karat stamp. A karat is a unit of purity measurement. The higher the karat number the more percentage gold it has, i.e. purity. In the US, rings are usually offered in 10k, 14k or 18k. Gold is an ideal choice for those who fancy a warm, rich tone.
Palladium
Palladium is a white, lustrous metal and also a member of the platinum family. The difference between this and white gold is that white gold shows a yellow tint over time while palladium is naturally white. In addition, even though palladium is the same class as platinum, it wears as fast as gold and it costs much less. Therefore, it gives you a platinum look while at an affordable price. Ideal for those who do not want to compromise their budget with a diamond ring.
Platinum
Platinum is undoubtedly the queen of all precious metals. A block of pure, eternal and rare platinum is more durable than any other known precious metal and will last you longer, heck even passes it down to your kids and grandkids. Moreover, platinum is alloyed out for exactly the opposite reason gold is alloyed for. Pure platinum is hard and resistant, it is allowed in order to make it malleable. Knowing the difficult nature of platinum, it clearly spells out durability. Therefore, platinum is perfect, if you want those special moments to last forever and is ideal for wedding sets and engagement rings.
Well, that ends our list of precious metals, next up is the most popular alternative metals and their properties.
Titanium
Now, before you go off to sing that popular song, let us know the basics first, shall we? Titanium is a gray or black, highly durable metal. Its best feature is that it’s lightweight hence its application in the space and aeronautics industry. It’s only recently its use has extended to ring forging. Due to its durability, titanium can withstand heavy punishment, it is flexible and difficult to break. However, it can scratch. A ring made of titanium will be exceptionally durable.
Cobalt Chrome
An alloy of cobalt and chromium. They revere chromium for its lustrous ability and cobalt is easy to handle. Therefore an alloy of these two would make the best metal white in color and unlike titanium, it is more scratch resistance. It is slightly denser, but lightweight and it has sacrificed some of its flexibility. This is a great alloy for those wishing to match their fiancé’s wedding ring but still need it lightweight.
Tungsten Carbide
This is the most popular of the alternative metals. In different shades of black and white. Of all the alternative metals, this is the most scratch resistant and the least flexible. It is also the heaviest of the three alternative metals. It is not scratch proof, however;
One disadvantage of alternative metals is that it cannot be sized or repaired. However, manufacturers know of this and offer have exchange programs to service the rings.
Tips on Picking the right Metal for a Wedding Band
Choose right Metal Properties
Now that we are through with the metal properties. Let us see how we get to choose a ring. Another question you need to answer is: What do you do for work? Most precious metal rings will hold under most work environments since they are durable. They, however, will tend to scratch more easily and will require regular polishing than the alternative metals (aside from Tungsten carbide). In addition, the patterns will wear out fast in the case of precious metals. Therefore, a mechanic, carpenter and any other person who uses their hands often can wear precious metal wedding bands or alternatively he/she may opt for alternative metal bands for work and select the precious metal wedding band for outside work.
Last, if you are traditional or trendy, it will influence the choice of ring you’ll purchase. For the traditionalist, nothing will make you happier than immortalizing your love with the same thing your parent wore or their parents before them. This provides you with a sense of deep connection with them. For the trendy, they prefer alternative metals, since their styles are unique and a little more cutting edge.
Despite what metal you decide, a wedding band should reflect who you are and should represent the union of two souls. Thus, do not shy off, choose what your heart tells you. At www.javda.com they have just what you need, they have a wide range of wedding bands of different metals for you to choose from. In addition, their prices are fair and exclusive, they also do engravings which are ideal if you want a personal touch to your rings.