Understanding Jewelry Making And Care

4 Excellent Alternatives To Gold And Silver For Your Wedding Band

Choosing the right wedding band for your nuptials can be a stressful process if you are not interested in buying a ring made of gold or silver. You may be on a tight budget or have a health issue such as contact dermatitis that prevents you from wearing certain types of precious metals. In addition, gold and metal alloys that contain nickel are known to cause adverse skin reactions for some people. Whatever the case may be, the following guide to gold and silver alternatives can help when you are trying to figure out what type of wedding band to purchase for your ceremony.

Platinum

Believe it or not, there is a metal that jewelry designers use for wedding bands that is more expensive than gold. While many consider gold to be the ultimate choice for an opulent wedding band, platinum, a metal that resembles white gold, is even more rare and also considered luxurious. In addition, it has a high resistance to tarnishing and oxidization.

Platinum also costs more than gold because there is less of it available worldwide. Economic and political turmoil with large reserves of platinum can also affect the price of the precious metal.

However, there are many benefits of purchasing a wedding band made out of platinum. If you are allergic to other types of metals or synthetic materials used for jewelry, platinum will be your savior.

Pure platinum jewelry is hypoallergenic. If you have allergies to metals, make sure that the platinum wedding band you purchase is made from a pure form of the metal and not an alloy mixed with other cheaper metals.

Compared to other types of metals used for jewelry including gold, platinum does not bend or scratch easily and wears down at a slower rate.

Cobalt

Like platinum, cobalt is a white metal that looks very similar to white gold, when used for jewelry. While it is also commonly used for industrial applications such as airplane parts, generators and other heavy duty machines, cobalt is also great for making jewelry like wedding bands.

In addition, if you want to set synthetic stones in your jewelry, you can request artificial precious gems colored with cobalt salts for a brilliant blue color.

Other great characteristics of cobalt include resistance to oxidization. Like platinum, it is very hard so it can withstand a lot of wear and tear without getting scratched or dented.

Palladium

If you want an alternative to gold that stays shiny for a long time, you should consider a wedding band made of palladium. It is in the same family of metals as platinum but not as pricey.

Named after the Greek god of wisdom, Pallas, this metal has a silvery-white appearance. It is also used in other industries such as medicine for surgical implements and watch making for time piece parts.

One of the great things about palladium is that it is tarnish-resistant so it will not begin to look dingy like some types of cheap metals. In addition, it is cheaper than both white gold and platinum, but harder.

Like platinum, palladium is a hypoallergenic metal. If you need a replacement wedding band to a white gold set, palladium is a great option because of its affordability compared to gold.

Tungsten

If you are a serious penny pincher, but still want to make sure you have a quality wedding band that does not look cheap and gets tarnished easily, consider buying a ring made of tungsten. Tungsten has a steel gray appearance and is a great material for classic, simple men's wedding bands. It is also hypoallergenic.

When it comes to price, tungsten is much more economical than white gold.

Contact a place like Emerson & Farrar to see what they can offer for wedding band options. 


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