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Archive for March, 2008

Wedding rings: the five types of metals

Thursday, March 20th, 2008

You usually have five wedding ring choices; gold, white gold, platinum, titanium, and silver. Each specific type has its pluses and minuses.

There’s some things to take into account in choosing a wedding ring, from picking the best metals, karat, and color, to picking a look that satisfies your personality and budget. The following facts will provide practical guidance in choosing a wedding band.

Gold is most often the choice. Gold is a soft precious metal that is determined by color and karats. You can choose from yellow gold, white cold, and rose gold. The most common karats for gold rings are 14 and 18. What this means is a14 karat gold ring consists of 58 percent gold and 41 percent other metals such as copper and zinc. 18 karat gold jewelry has 75 percent pure gold and 20 percent alloys. 24 karat gold bands are consisting of 100 percent pure gold. 24 karat gold is not preferred for making rings. The reason is that the more gold in the ring, the softer the ring ends up. The softer the ring becomes, the less it will endure the elements and the the shorter it will last. 14 and 18 karat gold will not get weathered, but some people do have allergies to the precious metal, so selecting a gold band may not be a choice. 14k yellow or gold rings will cost you anywhere from 60 to 5,000 dollars. 18k yellow or white gold wedding rings will cost anywhere from 85 to 5,000 dollars.

Platinum is a beautiful white precious metal that will last forever. It is a quite dense, heavy precious metal that is the most untouchable of the precious metals, but it is too soft for bands. Though platinum is a 95 percent pure white metal, ruthenium and iridium must be mixed in for strength. Platinum wedding bands feel heavier on the finger, but are amazingly solid and a recommended choice for both men’s and women’s wedding rings. Platinum is also non-allergenic. Platinum bands go from 350 to 5,000 dollars.

Titanium is the most durable metal known to man, but it is not as common in jewelry making. This metal is safe for allergies and may be inlaid with gold, silver, or platinum to design dazzling rings that will last for a lifetime. When electricity or heat is used, Titanium oxidizes which then helps the metal to appear colored. A few of the most typical colors are purple, blue, and iridescent. Titanium rings can not be soldered, so you cannot resize them. Titanium is also one of the hardest metals to cut through should the band need to be extricated due to an emergency. Titanium wedding rings could cost you anywhere from 150.00 to 4,000 dollars.

Silver is a remarkably soft white metal that is a victim to discoloration. Silver rings are perfect for people who are on a tight budget. However, due to the fact that the metal is quite soft, silver wedding rings will not endure nearly as long as gold, platinum, or titanium wedding rings. Silver wedding rings typically bought for 50 to 200 dollars.