The Buyer's Guide to Wedding Rings Part One – Choosing a Metal
Wedding rings can be made in one of (or a combination of) many different metal alloys. Whilst the majority of couples still go for the traditional options of platinum or gold, other metals such as palladium, titanium and zirconium are rising in popularity.
All of our plain rings, and most of our decorative rings, will give you a choice of alloy once you've chosen the design – simply change the metal in the drop-down on the product page, and the price of the ring will refresh.
The main things to consider when choosing your wedding rings are: budget (of course); durability (what will the ring be exposed to every day, whether the metal withstand everyday wear and tear); colour (yellow, white, grey or black) and sentimentality/tradition.
All of our precious metals are hallmarked. Read more about hallmarking here.
More detailed information about each metal alloy can be found here.
Platinum is one of the most popular choices for wedding rings due to its hardness, rarity and beautiful appearance. Great if you have the budget for a prestigious ring that will last you a lifetime.
Palladium has recently a fashionable choice for wedding rings, especially since it was granted its own hallmark in early 2010. Palladium is more hard-wearing than white gold and less tough than platinum. It's white appearance and the fact it doesn't need any kind of plating means it's ideal for those who want a low-maintenance ring without the budget for platinum.
Yellow gold is possibly the most traditional choice for wedding rings. The varying carats (usually 9ct, 14ct and 18ct) have slightly different looks and properties, due to the other metals in the alloy. A 9ct gold ring will be 37.5% gold, 14ct contains 58.5%, and 18ct is 75%. These percentages are verified by the hallmark.
White gold stands firm as a traditional choice for wedding rings. Commonly available in 9ct, 14ct and 18ct alloys, white gold can fit any budget. Some carats of white gold appear more yellowish than others, so it is often plated with rhodium – a tough, white metal.
Rose gold is the romantic choice for wedding rings. The red/pink hue is achieved by adding copper to the alloy, with the gold content remaining in the same percentages as for yellow or white gold.
Silver is, historically, a traditional choice for wedding rings, although not so popular today as it is softer and therefore less hard-wearing than other metals. Silver is durable and less rare than platinum or gold, and therefore still popular for those on a budget.
Titanium is incredibly resistance to scratches, and is growing in popularity for wedding rings. It's a very light metal, and more grey in hue than the white precious metals.
Tungsten carbide is the hardest metal used for wedding rings. It has a lustrous dark colour that polishes to an attractive mirror finish that will be more resilient to scratching than any other metal.
Zirconium is another modern, resilient metal, often thought of in the same category as titanium and tungsten carbide. In its basic form, it has a similar appearance to titanium.
Black zirconium is made by putting zirconium through an oxidisation process, and the finish can then be given an attractive ebony polish or a matt finish.
Wood is now often used in wedding rings, inlaid into the precious metal.
More information
More detailed information about different metals and their properties can be found in the metals pages on our website.
If you'd like to know about what other metals might be included in our alloys, please have a look at Liza's blog entry on this.
