Frequently asked questions
Choosing a titanium ring

With so many different types of men’s wedding band materials and wedding band styles in the marketplace, it can make the process of choosing your wedding band very difficult.  If you are looking for a wedding band, especially online, you no doubt have seen many new options for men that were not available just a few short years ago.  Since you will be wearing this ring for many, many years it is important that you choose a wedding band that reflects your fashion sense, personality and lifestyle.  Hopefully, the following information will be helpful in your exciting search for the perfect wedding band for you.

Platinum, Palladium, White Gold, Titanium, Black Titanium or Tungsten Carbide?

Today, wedding band designers are using a wide variety of metals not seen in years past.  There has been an explosion of exciting new metals and hip new styles for men’s rings.  Each metal has strong points and weak points.

Platinum - Platinum is a precious metal that is naturally white.   Platinum contains no yellow color hue or alloys that turn the metal “off-white”.  This makes it a good choice for someone who wants a white wedding band.

Platinum is rare; in it’s raw state platinum is expensive, selling for over $1200 per ounce.  (September 9, 2006).  A plain platinum men’s wedding band can be well over $1,000.  A platinum wedding band with more intricate design can be much more expensive.

Platinum is extremely dense, thus causing a wedding band made of platinum to be very heavy.  Many men like the heavy feel of a platinum wedding ring.  However, because of the density and the price of the raw materials this makes the platinum wedding band very pricey.

Platinum is hypoallergenic.  Most platinum bands are either 90% or 95%  pure platinum.  For guys who are allergic to the alloys in white or yellow gold, platinum is a good choice.

Platinum is also very malleable. This is great for intricate filigree details in ladies antique styled rings.  But this can be a detriment if you are wearing a man’s plain wedding band of platinum.  The softness of the metal will allow the ring to become very scratched, dented and “old looking” in very short time.  Because of this you will want to remove it before doing manual labor or working out with weights.

Platinum does not exhibit any material loss due to wear.  Even though the ring does scratch easily, the metal does not wear away.  A platinum ring will not thin with age.  Platinum is a good choice to hold a diamond.

Palladium – Palladium, a platinum group metal, is a precious metal that is naturally white in color.  Palladium is a bright white metal, actually brighter than white gold or platinum.  It has similar properties as platinum.  A palladium ring will not tarnish into a yellowish tint. 

Palladium is rare.  Palladium is 30 times more rare than gold, but at this time much less expensive.  The current selling price is $333 per ounce.  (September 9, 2006).  So a palladium ring will be much less expensive than a platinum ring, and generally less than a white gold ring. 

Palladium rings are much lighter in weight than platinum rings, therefore more comfortable for many people who don’t like heavy rings.  Palladium is also harder than platinum, so the palladium wedding band won’t scratch quite as easy.

Palladium is pure.  Most palladium rings are 95% palladium and hypoallergenic.

White Gold – The natural color of gold is yellow.  To get a 14kt white gold ring the manufacturer will take 58% gold and mix with 42% of white metal allows, such as nickel. This blend ends up being a “white-ish” color. To get a true white color the manufacturer will rhodium plate the ring.  However, in short time the rhodium plating wears off and the true color is visible.

Gold is a precious metal.  Currently .999 fine gold is selling for $611 per ounce.  (September 8, 2006)  Most wedding bands will be either 14k (58% pure gold) or 18k (75% pure gold).

Gold is a soft metal.  If the gold ring hard it will bend and possibly crack. Although not as soft as platinum, a gold ring will scratch easily and over time the ring will wear away.

Titanium – Titanium in its natural color is a light gray.  It can be high polished to achieve a very shiny reflective look.  When a textured finish is applied to titanium it darkens the color.

Titanium is extremely lightweight.  When you are wearing a titanium wedding band sometimes you’ll even forget you have a ring on your finger.  It is almost as light as aluminum.

Titanium is incredibly strong.  A titanium ring can take a ton of abuse.  You can hit it with a hammer and it doesn’t bend or break.  If you did this with a platinum, palladium, or gold ring it would severely damage the ring.  You will never wear out your titanium ring. Even though your titanium ring will last forever, it will scratch with normal wear.  A local jeweler can easily refinish a titanium ring for a nominal fee. 

Because of its light weight and incredible strength, titanium is a great choice for a tension set diamond ring.  This kind of ring features a diamond, or other gemstone, that is suspended between the opposite sides of the ring.  A tension set ring needs to be thicker than a typical wedding band in order to hold the diamond.  But because the metal is so light, the ring will still be very comfortable. 

Titanium is totally inert.  It does not react to body chemistry.  (It is even used inside the body for hip and joint replacements.)  So if you are allergic, a titanium ring may be for you.

Titanium rings cannot be sized.  So either never gain or lose weight over your lifetime, or buy a ring from a store that has a lifetime resizing policy.

Titanium can be combined with white gold, yellow gold or platinum to create a more elaborate look.  Titanium rings are very affordable, with basic styles selling for around $100.

View titanium wedding bands

Black Titanium- Although not a traditional color for a wedding band, many guys find the black titanium rings have an “edgy” appeal to them.  They are not your traditional look for a wedding band.

If you are looking for a wedding band that is truly unique, something that will really set you apart, then you should consider a black titanium wedding band.  As one 20-something soon to be groom said, “it’s not your daddy’s wedding ring”.  You can find black titanium wedding bands in a variety of styles, some with white gold, platinum and yellow gold inlaid.  If you want diamonds, there are plenty of black titanium rings that have diamonds set in them as well.  And if you like the suspended diamond look, then check out the black titanium tension set diamond rings.  These are really very modern and trend setting.

The only true black titanium rings are made Edward Mirell, using Spectore brand Black-Ti™ (www.edwardmirell.com).  During the manufacturing process, the rings are made using the Black-Ti™ patented alloy which when subjected to extreme temperatures and atmospheric conditions in a controlled environment, turn shiny black.  The surface of the ring has been compared to a black ceramic, which is very hard and resistant to minor scratches.  The black titanium does not fade or wear off.  It can however, be lightly scratched with heavy use. 

Black titanium rings are very affordable.  One of the most popular black titanium wedding bands sells for less than $200.

View black titanium wedding bands

Tungsten Carbide – The manliest player on the block for men’s wedding bands is tungsten carbide.  Tungsten wedding bands are incredibly hard, and in most cases, scratch resistant.  If you want to have a little fun with your buddies, (especially after a couple beers), take a metal file to your tungsten carbide wedding ring and file away on it.  After a giving it a good effort simply wipe the ring and show your friends.  To their amazement the ring will still be in perfect condition!  So you can wear your tungsten carbide ring during any activity and it will always look like it did the day you bought it.

Even though tungsten carbide rings are so incredibly hard, they are brittle.  So if you drop your tungsten carbide ring in the shower, it could crack.  Make sure that whichever jewelry store you purchase your tungsten carbide ring from has a lifetime warranty to cover this scenario.

Many of the lower priced tungsten rings offered for sale are not tungsten carbide, but rather only tungsten.  A ring without the carbide portion will scratch with normal wear.  Also, some manufacturers are using cobalt in their rings because it is less expensive.  My advice is to stay clear of any cobalt in your ring as it will react to body chemistry and cause a host of problems.

The color of tungsten carbide is a darker shade than white gold or platinum.  The high polished rings are highly reflective and look great on your wedding finger.

Tungsten carbide rings cannot be sized.  So either never gain or lose weight over your lifetime, or buy a ring from a store that has a lifetime resizing policy.

Guys love the heavy weight, the wider masculine designs and the scratch resistant qualities of tungsten carbide wedding bands.  To top this off, tungsten carbide rings are within most budgets.  Plan on spending about $200 - $350, more if you want diamonds or a precious metal inlay added to your ring.

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Hopefully this information will help you find the perfect wedding band.  Choose a wedding band that reflects your lifestyle and personality.  And have fun shopping!