Planning a wedding and faced with the question of choosing wedding rings? Stay with us: we will tell you which metal is best to buy wedding rings from.
Metals that are used to make wedding rings
Initially, the rings that are now considered wedding rings were used for weddings in the Church. According to its canons, the ring that remained with the bride was gold. And the groom was supposed to have a silver one. To date, there are no strict traditions regarding the metal of wedding rings. You can choose any option based on your preferences and financial possibilities. Most often wedding rings are made of gold.
Gold wedding rings
Can be made of classic yellow, white, red, pink or even green gold. In general, gold is considered a “classic” for engagement rings. The optimal choice is 585 gold. It is strong enough and will last even with active use for several decades.
Cleaner gold 750 though it looks gorgeous, is subject to great damage in constant wear. If you do not remove such a ring during household chores, it will quickly become covered with a grid of scratches. It is also possible to bend it.
The cheapest rings are 375 proof. It is impossible to bend them, they are the strongest. But they lose their attractiveness rather quickly from chemical influence of soap, cream and other substances.
Fig. 1. Rings in different shades of gold: from green to white
Platinum wedding rings
Platinum rings are elite class jewelry. They are distinguished by their high cost. The metal has not only a chic appearance, but also excellent performance characteristics: platinum is inherently strong. It is almost impossible to lose a stone from a platinum ring or bend the product. And it is also platinum that helps to best reveal the beauty of diamonds thanks to its cold luster. The metal is hypoallergenic: it can be worn by people who are allergic to gold.
The disadvantages of platinum include the difficulty of its processing: it is physically impossible to make an intricate ring out of it.
Fig. 2. One of the world’s most famous models of platinum and diamond engagement rings “Platinum” by Cartier jewelry house, designed in 1895
Palladium engagement rings
Palladium rings are a compromise between gold and platinum. Palladium jewelry is more expensive than gold jewelry, but less expensive than platinum jewelry. At the same time, like platinum, palladium is a hypoallergenic and hard metal. But flexibility and plasticity allow to make quite complex jewelry from palladium. The metal is also characterized by low density: even a voluminous ring will be characterized by low weight.
If we talk about the disadvantages, the main one is the small selection of such jewelry in free sale due to the rarity of the metal itself.
Silver wedding rings
It is not necessary to purchase particularly expensive rings for the wedding. Silver is a worthy alternative to gold, platinum and palladium. Most importantly, choose the highest 925 proof and, preferably, with a rhodium-plated finish. Such products are less susceptible to the traditional “diseases” of silver: deformation, scratches and blackening.
Combined rings
If you can not choose a metal, you can combine several in one product. The most striking example of such jewelry is the “Trinity” ring by Cartier, created back in 1924. It consists of 3 rings of different shades of gold, where yellow symbolizes loyalty, white – friendship, and pink – love.
Figure 3. Cartier’s Trinity ring in 3 types of gold
If you are wondering what is the most fashionable metal for wedding rings today, we hasten to inform you that there is none. Jewelry fashion of the last decade has become very malleable: choose the metal you like best. After all, in the end, it is you who will wear this ring. And hopefully for the rest of your life!