Before the discovery of other precious metals, gold was the most popular metal used for jewellery. However, with the availability of other precious metals for jewellery, your options just widened. If you think that gold is too old-school then you may want to check out other metals like silver, platinum, palladium, titanium, and tungsten. Each of these metals has its own unique properties. Some of the properties may be beneficial for the both of you while there are also some properties that you might find excessive or useless. However, it is essential that you do not disregard any vital characteristics of each metal.
Here is a simple description of each metal used to forge your wedding ring.
Gold - This is the most popular metal used in jewellery because of its malleability. Since gold is malleable, jewellers find it easy to reshape it into their desired shape. This quality is especially advantageous when forging wedding rings. Experts would advise you to refrain from using 24K gold for your wedding rings because this is pure gold and pure gold is softer and dents easily. Instead, they recommend using 14K or 18K gold. Gold of this quality are no longer considered as pure gold but rather an alloy because another metal is used in order to add strength. However, majority of the composition is still gold.
Silver is another famous metal used for wedding bands. There are several reasons why silver is popular. One is it is trendy and uncommon. Another is the fact that it is durable, versatile, and affordable. Young couples who are a bit tight on the budget often settle for wedding rings from this metal because it does not cost a lot unlike those made from platinum or gold. In fact, a silver that is well polished will perfectly compliment a glistening diamond. Most jewellers make use of sterling silver, which is comprise of 92.5% silver and 7.5% of metals like zinc, copper, and nickel for additional strength.
Gold is the classic choice, but platinum is fast catching up especially with the younger couples. Platinum is a metal that looks like a blend of silver, white, and grey. Moreover, it is a hard metal, which makes it durable but not too hard for the jewellers to forge it. It possesses a lustre that never fails to draw attention and makes a perfect setting for diamonds and other gemstones. However, unlike gold, platinum is a pure metal, which makes it expensive. Therefore, this type of precious metal is popular among those couple who have unlimited budget for their wedding bands.
Those are the top three metals used in wedding bands, but there are also alternatives like titanium, tungsten, and palladium. These metals are perfect for jewellery but does not cost as much as gold or platinum.