When you choose wedding bands and rings that all appear white in color, it is normal to ask the jeweler about the metal from which it is made. Since the rings look all alike except for the style, it is the person dealing in it who is best placed to know about the metal from which it is made. Wedding rings are usually made from white gold, platinum and palladium. The design and style of wedding rings are as much important to the buyer as the base metal. In fact, it is the metal that contributes to the majority of cost for making rings. The longevity and appeal of wedding rings also depend on the choice of metal. Having knowledge about the metals would help in proper selection.
Looking from the commercial perspective, price and availability are important factors that influence the choice of metals for making wedding rings. Looking at it from the buyer’s perspective, price and style are the factors that impacts buying decisions. Considering all these aspects, gold is the universal choice for jewelry making not to talk of wedding rings alone. When it comes to wedding rings, the white variety of gold is mostly preferred. For those who want to pay a price for luxury and class, platinum wedding bands are ideal. Somewhere in between, palladium rings have also found a place, and have become wildly popular over the past few years. All three metals have been discussed in this article.
White Gold
As compared to the traditional yellow gold, white gold is in much more demand for making wedding rings. Gold that is used for jewelry is an alloy and not pure gold which is denoted as 24 carats. By varying the proportion of alloying metals, the purity of gold as well as its appearance is made to vary.
White gold is obtained by mixing palladium, silver, copper, zinc and nickel selectively to yellow gold. The whiteness of white gold may give an appearance that resembles silver but there is a tinge of yellow hue in it. Since it is an alloy, it is available in various grades of purity that have different prices. The price and style of rings depend upon the proportion of alloying metals that have been used. Although white gold rings require low maintenance as it is a natural element,it has to be protected from harsh chemical exposure that can damage it. Meteorite Wedding Bands are known to make the best white gold wedding bands.
Palladium for wedding bands
It is only over the past few years that palladium, a very rare metal belonging to the platinum group, has found a place in making high quality wedding bands. The metal that has officially been declared as a precious metal since January 2010 is lower in price than other precious metals. Escalating gold and platinum prices is the reason why people turned to palladium for making wedding rings that are quite unique and affordable.
Palladium is not as versatile as gold and platinum for use in jewelry. Not all kinds of designs and styles can be crafted with it, and not all craftsmen are competent to work with the metal. Repairing and resizing palladium rings leave a mark on it which hampers its appearance. On the bright side, palladium bands do not require any maintenance, and retains the white looks over long period without the need of any additional protection. The limitations of design and availability have to be accepted if you are planning to buy palladium wedding rings.
Jewelry friendly properties of palladium
Palladium has a number of great attributes that make it a great metal for crafting jewelry and especially wedding bands. Some of these attributes are:
- Palladium is a durable metal that does not tarnish over long period of time.
- It is strong and friendly to human skin.
- Some of its properties are similar to platinum especially that it is hypo-allergenic.
- Palladium rings can maintain the shine and brightness even when used for many years.
- It is much lighter than platinum, and this reduces the cost of making rings.
- Palladium wedding bands look just as good as platinum wedding bands.
The authenticity of the metal in jewelry making has been ensured by legal stipulation that makes it mandatory to hallmark all palladium jewelry that weighs above 1 gram.
Platinum needs no introduction
It might sound very much cliché to praise the goodness of Platinum wedding rings, but the truth has to be repeated. Platinum is the top of the line metal for white wedding rings for those who can afford it. Its shine and appeal outlasts all other metals in the beauty quotient. Despite being the rarest of metals, it is priceless to its owners who prefer to have engagement and wedding rings made from it. It ranks number one in price, weight and durability. It is so long lasting that it can outlive your expectations, and it requires no maintenance at all. Gentle washing with soap water is good enough to clean it. The best part about platinum rings is that it makes gemstones shine the brightest. Diamonds pair with platinum perfectly, and if it is of pink and blue color, its effect can be mesmerizing.
Making it affordable
The popularity of platinum is on the rise despite its high cost. The stunning look of platinum jewelry is hard to beat, which is the reason for its popularity. In order to cater to market demands, new designs and styles are being developed so that it can be crafted from lesser quantity of Platinum that can lower the cost.
Reasons for high cost of Platinum
Market price of platinum has always been almost double as gold although there were some exceptional times a few years ago when prices of gold had soared close to Platinum. But that phase has now gone, and there is a remarkable price difference between platinum, palladium and gold. Being the heaviest of metals and weighing 60% more than gold, the weight of platinum rings of the same size and design is more than one and half times that of gold. This obviously pushes up the price. Labor cost for working with Platinum is also high.
Platinum, gold and palladium —all three choices are great when it comes to wedding band metals. However, when it comes to selecting the right one, you need to consider all aspects and make the decision.
